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  • Airpiano on sale now, conduct a symphony of soft synths with the wave of a hand (video)

    by 
    Terrence O'Brien
    Terrence O'Brien
    04.26.2011

    When last we saw the Airpiano way back in 2008 (ah, the halcyon days when people still cared about Spore) it was just a proof of concept, hacked together by interface design student Omer Yosha. Now you can finally order your own online for €1,099 (about $1,607) if you're in Europe, or €1,149 (about $1,680) if you dwell anywhere else on this little, blue marble we call Earth. The theremin-like Airpiano doesn't actually produce any sounds itself, instead it uses proximity sensors to feed MIDI and OSC (open sound control) signals to a computer over USB, allowing musicians and non-musicians alike to command soft synths with only the majestic wave of a hand. It may land you some confused stares from people who still play instruments with strings and keys (you know, Luddites), but it's certainly more dignified than planting yourself in front of a Beamz laser harp. A trio of videos awaits after the break.