

Musicians Turn your iPhone into a real instrument, not just a game - tasooey
http://kck.st/elRbZa

======
mikhuang
I didn't think much of it until I watched the YouTube demo
(<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slizmp8qIyw>) where the creator records a
loop, then builds on top of it to form a song, switching to different virtual
instruments for each part. If he manages to create something that looks as
effortless as portrayed, it'll go a long way towards getting not just nerds
but normal people to start using all their electronics together.

~~~
tasooey
Yep! Since it's so easy to loop with Ableton, or really any other looper
nowadays, there is a lot of ImogenHeap-esque potential in this.

Also instead of foot pedals I just use the buttons on the wiimote (makes it so
I don't have to stand in one place the entire time)

------
juiceandjuice
The worst attempted musicians I have ever met were the ones who tried to
figure out some way to substitute learning _any_ instrument with a computer.
It never turns out well.

~~~
wazoox
Obviously, Tim Soo is a capable musician.

~~~
tasooey
Haha, many thanks.

For those who are interested, I was classically trained in piano, violin and
voice. Used to play in professional groups for awhile. I studied music and
music technology in college.

And you're right! This shouldn't be a replacement for the joy of struggling
with an acoustic instrument. This just serves to put a new twist on an old
idea.

------
hardy263
This wouldn't be an alternative to a real instrument, because beginners
wouldn't be able to practice correct posture, and professionals don't get the
flexibility they need.

However, this would be really useful for people who play music as a hobby. I
play the violin, and I've wanted to try using an electric violin, but costs
were a little prohibitive. A $10 app to simulate the experience would be a
pretty good deal to me.

~~~
leviathant
Did you watch the video? While I don't play violin, my wife's a composer (and
plays viola & cello), and that 'electric violin' portion of the video was
probably the most cringe-worthy part of the video.

Never mind that it sounded like a an old Roland Sound Canvas patch being
played on a keyboard. The subtitle of "An electric violin you can actually
afford" is just a bad approach for that particular instrument. Cheap electric
classical instruments have been flooding eBay over the last few years, often
times direct from Hong Kong.

A quick search just now shows me several models available for $50 + shipping.
If you can afford a Wiimote or two, an iPhone, and the app, you can afford an
electric violin. And no matter how cheap that electric violin is, it will
sound better than what you can do with that app.

Edit: A longer look at the search results show that the majority of electric
violins available for purchase on eBay each cost less than an iPhone under
contract, never mind a standalone iPhone.

~~~
tsuipen
> Did you watch the video? While I don't play violin, my wife's a composer
> (and plays viola & cello), and that 'electric violin' portion of the video
> was probably the most cringe-worthy part of the video.

I agree.

I'm a musician and compose. I also used to do live performances and loops in
my more "experimental" music. This is an expensive toy for such limited use.

His target audience can't be classical musicians, because of all the nuances
that go into physically playing an instrument. It doesn't take a lot of
knowledge to realize this, so it makes me wonder why he or who in the world
would suggest this. I've played simple virtual instruments and VSTs like this,
and the dynamic range and capability is extremely limited. The only virtual
piano I would play would be Synthogy Ivory. The keyboard on the Invisible
Instrument app didn't even have more than one octave, as far as I was able to
see.

Students wanting to learn an instrument would be hindered by this. Just for
string instruments, learning how to tune and hold it, posture and the tactile
dynamics is a world of difference. This toy would only contribute to acquiring
bad habits, as you can tell when the creator begins to "play" the violin.
Having said that, why would this app be for classical musicians?

If he incorporates a looping device or a sequencer into it, there might be a
use for this within the rock/hobbyist/experimental crowd.

I don't like saying this, because it probably sounds really pretentious and/or
condescending, but this is most likely for the non-musician; the person who is
not interested in music. That is, it's meant for the person who has some spare
time and spare money, or kids who get money from their parents and don't mind
spending their money mindlessly.

Lastly, I think the only positive I can see in this is that it might be able
to teach you theory. Otherwise, once you factor in the cost of the Wii Remote,
it's an expensive toy that doesn't do much except trigger cheesy synthy sounds
through Bluetooth.

~~~
tasooey
Hey, Tim Soo here.

Yeah it's not meant to be a replacement for an acoustic instrument by any
means. I played in symphonies growing up and taught violin for a couple years.
It's made to be a mixture of RockBand and an acoustic instrument.

B/c you're working with two accelerometers and a tuning fork gyroscope, you
actually have much more control than you might think. Bow tilt, vibrato,
velocity. It's actually (for me anyways) a pretty useful tool for entering
MIDI when I want it to sound more like a violin, than say if I just entered
the notes via a MIDI keyboard.

For even for classical musicians

Again, it's not made to be a replacement for a real instrument by any means.
But the idea isn't lost on classical musicians. Part of the reason I decided
to kickstart this project is because I was approached by a few classical
musicians who wanted to play a song while say controlling additive synthesis
via their vibrato or control really any parameter via bow tilt.

I chose a Wiimote and iPhone because I think a good portion of people already
have both.

Expensive? When I bought my Wiimote plus, it was actually only $28. For a
gesture control / experimental device, I would say this cost is on the lower
side.

------
tasooey
Hi! Sorry for the delay in responding to comments. Was asleep.

I'll come back and check this often, so post questions!

Here's the video demo that is mentioned in the comments
<http://youtu.be/Slizmp8qIyw>

------
wazoox
Really cool, make you feel that's 21st century :) And by the way, his cover of
"Just the way you are" buries the original.

~~~
tasooey
Many thanks! While I know most people aren't fans of Bruno Mars, his range is
still pretty ridiculous.

~~~
wazoox
It's sincere. I've been a professional musician in a past life far, far
away... Your cover is well done and fresh and sounds natural; the original
version sounds like some dull radio music without any taste or color to me...
post-production didn't let them any chance :)

