Eigenharp: instrument of the future?

[Jannto]

lol a a midicontroller with a bunch of buttons on a stick.

The future looks dark?

[unclesamfatg]

5:19 - the cops in my town use one of these to see if your drunk

[DavidB5501]

Can this do anything you can't do with a good Keytar at a fraction of the price?

[Jannto]

@DavidB5501 Nope

[aaroneous1973]

Doesn't someone in the Max Rebo Band play one of these?

[tbpprod]

It's a controller with an integrated audio interface not an instrument. You need a mac (mac only). You can get a controller keyboard, ribbon controls and yamaha bc2 breath controller for a few hundred bucks and achieve the same expression possibilties.

Of course you have to map the controls yourself and the resolution of the control sampling and the build quality may not be as good. If you have the money, then why not, it looks better on stage than the mentioned setup and its all in one.

[LIGHTRONIX]

isn't everything nowadays the instrument of the future?

[ohmphthschwrhu]

how much this cost

[leoneo76]

Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater loved this, and said that this instrument will be in the next album ! Anxiously waiting for this!!!

[amirhaha]

You need to be able to play an instrument to even consider use a eigenharp

[lordoid]

I'm also surprised by the nagative Comments here. It's an amazing creative controller with loads of great possibilities to play it. And it seems very well build. So what's the Problem?

[guitgeo]

@lordoid Have you personaly tried it ?

[insaneinthebrain1978]

this makes me afraid of the future !!!

[jebsievers]

The only thing that makes me stop playing my Eigenharp is Totino's.

[miketekhno]

omg i want it!!!!!

[TheHelder1976]

what a futurist instrument.... Its really cool

[narutobeast90]

I like it. I can't see how it's not an instrument, you still have to choose notes. The difference is that you can change the sound and add beats to it. :X The sound is coming from a computer, yes. But why isn't that as good as sound coming from i.e a vibrating string?

[cinwoo]

i don't care what it really is.... it is AWESOME and I want one

[amazinero]

Uh, yeah. I want one.

[soldat182]

its just a fancy sampler...

[batsumoto]

03:24

soooooo lame

[DeadWhiteButterflies]

What programs ansd sequencers can you use with it? Would Logic or Cubase work with it?

[Mortifrog]

Stop squabbling you anoraks and bow down to a true hero of music! Tsch - pearls before swine!

[PyroMan3]

a big midi controller... wow

[dubbedcrazy]

can you play it like a slide guitar?

[sacredgeometry]

why are people calling this an instrument, isnt it just a glorified midi controller? granted its very pretty .... but it isnt making any sound of its own. If this is a musical instrument then why not call a guitar hero controller a musical instrument?

Peace

Brian

[aowen91]

@sacredgeometry I promise I'm not trying to get in your face or anything, haha. I get your point for sure, but think about an electric keyboard, it's remotely the same thing, just with a totally different notational configuration. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Whatever, haha. Take it easy!

[sacredgeometry]

@aowen91 It isn't entirely the same thing in my opinion. I wouldn't call rompler keyboards instruments anyway. I would however call synths instruments.

:) I understand your point though, I just don't understand how something that doesn't create any sound can be considered an instrument.

[guitgeo]

BTW - it will only work on a MAC. It's not Windows compatible and you still need to hook it up to your stereo or guitar amp to get any kind of decent sound. The drums sound cheesy. $5600 is way too expensive for this toy. I wouldn't call it portable either. You need a computer at all times to hear anything.

[OOJAYSPARXXOO]

Can u set your own tempo and bpm as well please lemme know!!

[hensonandbedges]

so thats what midi controllers will look like in the future

[75rmc75]

@hensonandbedges i hope not...lol

[shoopdawoop3]

i dont think this is for begginers or pros this is for anyone who wants a new instrument this could easily be used for pros especially ambient and trance music

[silfner1]

"I think it's a fun instrument for a beginner." Even the creator of this "instrument" thinks it won't be good for professionals and actual musicians. Especially for the wind instruments, I think this is just for people that wish they could play thoughs instruments, but can't.

[caiaum2]

the interviewer reminds me flea

[11bbmac]

Honestly speakin this device appears to be an amalgamation of keyboard, sampler, wind instrument, drum machine, and midi instrument driven by software... otherwise the design is quite cool....

[75rmc75]

@11bbmac that is exactly what it is.....expect one man bands to pop up everywhere...LOL

[Basssurge]

Quote CC Translator:

"the say that music is great fun but all passed since the experience a pedophile while landmark a stick at all the set up by the experts guns the cake was just horrible."

[Basssurge]

Seems like its just a European version of the (pardon my spelling) Tanoori On - much more practical and geared to actual musicians - but nothing really incredibly in sound. Its a very interesting take on execution but the sound is essentially the same as any keyboard.

On an unrelated note, the CC translator brings forth some hilarious results with the accents of the people in the video

[The1truesushiboy]

Tenori

[Chamomileable]

not extremely new, the pipe is semi-innovaive, but other than that it's just a high-class MIDI whore.

[Tremari0]

that's really cool and has a lot of potential, but i doubt real instruments will ever be fully replaced. however, i do think something like this could revolutionize producing music...probably a huge learning curve - to use its full potential

[nativeboiy2007]

I'd sell my car for that!

[Takiado]

I WANT ONE!!! I Want 2!!

[Mungify]

needs moar desu

[MrShroomhead17]

that piece of shit will never catch on it needs a new look. plus i need more cowbell.

[snoognz]

Music is music no matter what is used to makes it. This is an amazing device (I refuse to call it and instrument), the natural sounds they get from it is great. Anything that helps someone get into creating music is awesome in my books.

[skaterboy972]

Thats like not calling a synth an instrument

[algernon6541]

I agree 100%

[mossimo654]

wrong...

First of all, using a sample library is NOT the same thing as playing an acoustic instrument, that's obvious. But second of all, assuming you listen to anything past the year 1968 or so, you listen to significantly more "electronic" music than you probably realize. Just because it's not digital doesn't mean it doesn't make significant use of non-acoustic sound

[Goatmon]

Talent is still important.

There's just less effort involved, thanks to the various advancements in music technology.

[TacoKhan]

You need skill to play this thing. Cordination out your ass.

[TheSethGalleyChannel]

@TacoKhan realy? im all about sound! like the edge from U2! skill is nothing to me! if it sounds like shit :P

[ericoschmitt]

@TacoKhan try playing church organ with pedals.. nothing beats wanamaker organ with its 8 keyboards :D

[invisiblecrowe]

Well it is interesting, but only from the technical and theoretical point of view. I myself am a musician, I utilize some digital music instruments, but I know that digital sound will never replace the sound produced by real classic instruments. This here $6000 toy is nice for some electronic music, but I'm afraid you'll never achieve that warm and alive sound of a real instrument.

[Tiniuc]

I have information for you.

Physics calculations (yes, a program) can calculate the sound an object can make in three dimensional space - whether it be human vocal cords, a guitar string, drums, wind pipes, a piano string, and so on.

The only limitation? Time.

[wildcomfort88]

can you get them left handed?

[MurasakiMermaid]

I think this is actually really cool. If a computer nerd and a band geek mated this would deffinately be their offspring! When I first saw it I was like "That is a sexy bassoon...Wait... What?!"

[sxety35]

@MurasakiMermaid your basically saying i can reprduce asexually... hahaha

[MurasakiMermaid]

Hey I could do that too but it's not nearly half as fun as the other way! Heehee

[fistynuts]

I'm surprised at the number of negative comments on here. It's just a controller for sure - slightly more advanced than MIDI, obviously - but the killer app will be when they integrate the software into the instrument. Then it'll be a synth, a guitar controller, a wind instrument simulator, a drum machine and sequencer all in one. I just hope they actually do that :)

[loneguitaristyannis]

They actually commented on that fairly extensively at the demo day. Computers become obsolete, and get replaced by more powerful ones. By not integrating the sound generators into the instrument they are making it timeless. You can later replace your computer as they become more powerful but you can keep your eigenharp.

[ZeroG84]

"You use it with a laptop..." Come on people, it's a MIDI controller!

[DisforDubby]

lol i know right? Its probably $2000 too... it seems kinda cool but I dont see how its better than just using a keyboard... it just looks like a more natural instrument i guess, but there's no difference...

[ZeroG84]

Right. :D Crazy I say. And with the mouth-thingy to blow on.. omg.

[loneguitaristyannis]

$2000? you wish. It's £4000. but I've played one. It's worth it.

[reidlowe]

closer to $6000 for the Alpha...pricey for sure

[DisforDubby]

$6000?!?!?! this is just an instrument for rich people to help them think they have talent. you can do all the same shit a million different ways.. the art comes from the artist, not the tools

[reidlowe]

I guess it's all relative.  I know folks that have Les Pauls for more and some keyboards for about that range. it's definitely top end. Bearing in mind it's a controller, all the audio comes from the computer.

[DisforDubby]

well for $6,000 fucking dollars they could just put a 3ghz solid state computer system in there with all the software and stuff..... i mean, thats what a keyboard is!! ..minus the fast cpu

[MrMackey20]

Write me a blues piece and perform it without tools, dipshit. Creativity is first and foremost, but there needs to be a VENUE or MEDIUM through which to express it...a canvas or a tuba or if you're too poor to afford any of that then use your vocal chords.

I bet you're the same ass who spoke out against the invention of electric guitars and amplifiers.

By the way a nice drum set isn't exactly cheap either. Is that just for snooty rich people? Quit your bitching.

[DisforDubby]

lol you have some good point, but at the same time, its a fucking midi controller you fagot.

[MrMackey20]

Haha I'm not saying I would be caught dead playing that thing but...

I AM sayin' I'm not gonna be the douchey old man stuck in his ways, refusing to accept new technologies and cultural shifts. This thing looks like it would take some talent and musical (and computer) background to master and if its what our kids will be into then there's really nothing we can do about it.

[DisforDubby]

iknow what your saying but you have to realize that it is not actually a unique instrument.. just because it is new and looks weird doesnt mean its threatening my perception of what it could be... all it is is a midi controller, so the computer is actually processing all the data to make all the sounds from other original instruments. and the physical layout of the finger board is comparable to that of a software application GUI that allows you to program drum beats... its not anything "new"

[MrMackey20]

Not what I meant by new. And I know how it works.

By your argument though, keyboards would fall under the same category. Press a button, get a pre-programmed sound.

As much as you hate it, this is an instrument. Somebody who masters this thing has way more talent than some gay rapper who pays a guy at a mixing board to synthesize drum beats. Or Britney Spear's "guitarist" that plays nothing but power chords.

[rono8582]

"Akai + guitar talk box = this thing" youre right. its cool, but youre right. its a DJ on a stick.

[mikethebassguy]

it looks cool but its like playing on a key board. its for techno. as a musician im still all about stringed instruments where it takes more then programming and pressing a button to make music.

[x0xMoOsEx0x]

It all looks insanely complicated with all of the features! But at least I now understand the ideas behind it. It's the kind of thing you could just pick up and mess around with getting loads of effects from it, but it would take some real skill to play tunes what with all the programming the bits and bobs to do what you want them to first!

Pretty incredible though!

[owlydog]

wow ee this is cool I want one for xmas

[woutmertens]

Best video about the Eigenharp so far. I really want one :)

[iMIX1337]

AWESOME

[Dubconferencedotorg]

this is looking very evil

[hearNyou]

Some very interesting comments on its background by the 'inventer' John Lambert at 5:50

[teoet75]

cool