AlphaSphere - Interactive Synthesizer
- Finger Drum Set - $25.80
- USB Roll Up Drum Kit - $29.99
- USB Kit Performance Electronic Drumset - $399.99
- Rollup USB Piano - $22.05
- Portable Handheld Guitar Hero - $19.99
The designer's interpretation of the AlphaSphere is "a new electronic musical instrument and controller which reinterpret the way we interact with sound." The user's: A bomb diggity ball of electronica. Populated with 48 pressure sensitive pads and integrated LED backlighting, the AlphaSphere is entirely user-programmable with any existing or newly-created recorded sounds--a controller with full polyphonic aftertouch compatibility that communicates with computers or synthesizers via USB. Installed sounds resonate when users tap the corresponding pads; apply additional pressure, and the output bends and enhances the sounds, allowing further manipulation and musical genius. Choose sounds' expression and permutation by setting parameters to the pad depths, such as pitch-bend, volume, and oscillations. Apply various filters to make music a truly self-actualized experience.
The LED system activates when striking individual pads on the sphere. Colors cycle through from blue to green to red as additional pressure is applied, or when playing multiple pads concurrently. LED function is also fully programmable.
Accompanying the AlphaSphere is AlphaLive, the open-source software that enables uploading sounds to the controller-instrument hybrid, as well as enables interfacing with Digital Audio Workstations. AlphaLive can transform the AlphaSphere into a number of common instruments and sound-making devices used in electronic music production. Its design purports complete creative freedom--no software restrictions, and the most intuitive environment possible. AlphaLive updates are released under the GNU General Public License version 2.0, and appear constantly, integrating new features and improving performance. Its creators also encourage users to interact and contribute their own hacks and collaborations to the AlphaSphere community.
A limited, 100-unit edition of the AlphaSphere Elite series is currently available for pre-order, with shipment scheduled for September 2012.
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