Artiphon Instrument 1

actadh

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Interesting article in CNET about the Artiphon Instrument 1. It can be played in a number of ways, including as a ukulele. It has digital strings and frets that can be turned on and off.

It is a Kickstarter project that is now at the $349 level to get an instrument.

It sounds intriguing - it would make a perfect travel ukulele and have the ability to be so much more.

From the Kickstarter page:

...Play any instrument, style, and sound with a single device that connects directly to your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Our patented multi-instrument technology transforms the INSTRUMENT 1 into a guitar, violin, bass, piano, drum machine... it's any instrument you want it to be.
Plug in and play 100’s of apps like GarageBand with universal musical gestures: strumming, tapping, bowing, sliding, and more.
Digital string-like interface works with any MIDI-compatible software.
The unique ergonomic design can be held in multiple positions, and is fully ambidextrous.
Design new instruments and custom tunings via the Artiphon companion app.
It's compact, portable, durable, self-powered, and simple.
Designed and engineered in Nashville, TN...

...Artiphon’s patented technology also enables entirely new musical techniques, letting you play in ways that no stringed instrument ever could:

1) Turn the frets on and off. This is the first digital string-like instrument to support fretless playability, which is revolutionary for violinists, bassists, and anyone interested in sliding between notes.

2) Use vibrato to naturally add real nuance to your performance.

3) The entire interface is continuously pressure-sensitive, allowing for unprecedented control over software instruments via polyphonic aftertouch.

4) Instantly change to any tuning (guitar, bass, banjo, dobro, uke, violin... koto anyone?), with capo buttons at your fingertips.

5) Assign a different instrument to each string. For example, play a bass on the bottom and a guitar on the top.

6) Pressure-sensitive effect control, tap and auto-strum modes, multiple notes per string...

CNET article here http://www.cnet.com/news/instrument-1-a-violin-keyboard-guitar-and-cello-in-one-digital-instrument/

Kickstarter link here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/artiphon/introducing-the-artiphon-instrument-1
 
I appreciate the idea and the concept behind it, but really all they did was make another MIDI instrument, except this one needs your iPhone.
 
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