AirPiano - Controlling Ableton LIVE

This is a video from 2008 of the first airpiano prototype. The new airpiano is now finally available! please visit www.airpiano.de for more information.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• musical
• interface
• music
• instrument
• air
• piano
• interaction
• design
• midi
• controller
• virtual
• matrix
• Arduino
• Ableton
• Live

[balduccis]

i didnt meen to come off negative, its only that i'm betting you need to program all the midi messages, which again means it´s just a big controller limited to 24 signals, that take up both your arms. Real musicians kind of need to be able to do as much as possible with the ten fingers we have. I could be wrong, but imo your video demonstrates a big fancy hunk a junk regarding actual usability in music performance. Just seems kinda gimmicky. Feel free to prove me wrong!

[omeryosha]

i believe the AirPiano will be interesting for different kinds of musicians, but of course not all. The advantages i see are first the user experience which is fun and magical and could also appeal beginners (unlike other instruments which are more complicated to start with), second is the performance element for DJs, a controller that lets you get a bit away from the screen and be in motion, and third the experimental possibilities by arranging the matrix however you want.

[balduccis]

this is pretty much useless regarding music, looks cool though..

[omeryosha]

you sound very sure of yourself... could you please explain why do you see a new interaction method between the musician and the computer as useless?

[krystalkatastrofie]

this is amazing, i love it. how do you know which keys youre touching though? im guessing its somewhere in the front or do you just know once you practice?

[omeryosha]

There are 8 keys horizontal times 3 keys vertical. You will learn the position of the 24 keys very fast as you practice. Additionally, there are LEDs on the board that provide visual feedback.

[Inbasul]

Now to get an orange cat in a t-shirt to play this thing...

[FingerzCo]

It's just a piece of wood, people. I mean, seriously?

[ForgetfulCollector]

This really reminds me of a Theremin.

[ibejason1]

a cool thing to do would be to add lights/ some kind of visual stimulus to playing.

neat machine =)

[MrHectorAguirre]

q lindo piano

[xpeachfuzz03x]

ithe use of arpegiator is the only thing that keeps this thing plausible for piano like key roll oh and a key or swartznator max for live plug in. I think as far as launching live clips and midi modulation its great i can imagine sweeps and transposing bends but not piano.Id change name no piano involved.

[NicolaBurrow]

Whats the point of this instrument. Much rather have a proper piano. Even though I don't play myself we do have 2 electric pianos in the house that my daughter and husband play... Sounds much better too!

[ggboot]

I love watching Jo Hamilton use this. She's a master with it.

[dirtyjerk3r]

what would be the cost for this??

[traildoggy]

How does it read the presence of your hands? Can it be triggered by motion from machines, etc? I could see some pretty cool things being done with similar technology and random inputs from movements of people and objects around it in the environment.

[numanuma20]

How whould sacles work and chords