Recording equipment can be quite expensive for amateur musicians. Now, all you need is a smartphone. The IGI Smart Guitar plugs directly into your smartphone to record music, add effects or process sound. The adapter normally needed for such a thing is built right into the guitar, cutting out the middle man. One IGI Smart Guitar goes for $450 with an estimated delivery date of May 2014. Smart Guitar is hoping to raise $15,000 in its 57-day campaign on Kickstarter but there are other ways to connect an existing guitar to an iOS device. The Facebook page offers fun guitar facts and even funnier pictures of John Mayer.
Category: Music
The Premise. Without a full-home wireless sound system, listening to a variety of streaming music personalized to each listener’s taste requires a lot of bulky transportation and set-up. Between the device that can connect to streaming audio and the kind of speakers necessary to fully enjoy the music, the process is cumbersome at best.
The Product. The Aether Cone is a minimalist but powerful artificial jukebox of sorts. It can wirelessly connect to streaming music, internet radio, and even podcasts for up to 8 hours. By turning the outer dial, the speaker turns on and begins streaming music. The center of the speaker can be tapped to pause, or held to ask for something specific. Adventurous listeners can spin the dial again like a radio to find suggestions of a different genre. The device is extremely light and portable and boasts dual tweeters, a 3” woofer, and a 2.1 20w amplifier.
The Pitch. The full-screen integrated video for Aether’s Cone is slickly produced, pain-stakingly trendy, and explains absolutely nothing. The entire site is like this, with the “How it Works” and “Details” pages offering only the slightest bit more information. It isn’t until the actual product page that viewers learn what it costs, when it will be available, and the technical specs. As of right now, there is no specific funding goal listed on the page, and potential pre-orderers can only put their name on a waiting list for the time being.
The Perks. The Cone is expected to retail at $399, and it is unknown at this time if pre-ordering customers will receive a discount or additional perks. The initial run will ship out in early Summer.
The Potential. Modern and attractive, the Cone is the iPod shuffle of of connected home audio . However, the price seems steep for what it offers. The statement Aether is making about simplicity is clear, but it would be nice to have the capability to tap into playlists so as not to be at the mercy of shuffle, and with support only for devices running iOS 7+ or Mac OSX 10.9+, the user base becomes even further reduced. If music fans already have that kind of tech, they can probably better get by with a high-end Bluetooth speaker that offers the same level of convenience with more direct control and compatibility, albeit maybe not as much style.
The latest Italian fashion trend might be water- and sand-proof Bluetooth phone handset. SQueo connects wirelessly to your phone or tablet, and then you can play tunes, make phone calls, and so forth. With such a crowded Bluetooth speaker market, including several that have launched via crowdfunding, the SQueo focuses on being tough as well as attractive. Backers could anticipate having this cool accessory by September 2014, for the early bird special of $79.
The Premise. Let’s face it: no one likes to compromise. We make tradeoffs because we’re adults, and we have to. It’s the way it is. We love to take great pictures with our DSLRs but we want it to be as easy as snapping a photo and sharing with a smartphone.
The Product. Case is a generically named camera accessory and smartphone app that attempts to serve you the best of both worlds. While its name would imply a very different and common camera complement, it’s actually a small, lightweight receiver meant to attach to your interchangeable lens camera via USB or reusable tape. Using Case with an Android™ or iOS device, you can upload images wirelessly from your camera to your smart device, control camera functions from your smart device, and change camera settings remotely. With the use of smart sensors Case can turn your smartphone into a remote control for your camera, allowing you to trigger the shutter from up to 50 meters away: especially useful for people who like to capture wildlife.
The Pitch. In the campaign video, members of Cheering Technology explain they created Case to make photography easier. They demonstrate how to switch shooting modes and change settings for shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance directly from a smart device. They also explain how to easily focus the image and trigger the shutter button in addition to wirelessly sending photos to a smart device. Two versions of the app will be available, however iOS users may need to wait a little longer – timing is tentatively August but TBD. Android users should be happy to know that the app is expected to be available on Google Play by the time units ship. The project goal is to raise $15,000 to fund initial production and units are estimated to ship in July 2014.
The Perks. If the campaign is successful, Case will be distributed to backers for $79 in a choice of white or black. Larger backer commitments afford members the equivalent of a group discount. Up to five backers will have the opportunity to become Development Partners by donating $9,999 to the campaign. Development Partner status affords you 150 Cases, and a trip to China (flight and hotel included) to meet the minds behind Case. Free tour guide also included for the duration of your trip.
The Potential. Nikon, Canon and other camera manufacturers offer Wi-Fi functionality in their interchangeable lens cameras that covers almost all of what Case claims it can do. However, MaxStone is a similar product on Kickstarter which was recently funded at three times its goal amount, so that can help make the case for Case even if it lacks MaxStone’s charming design.
The World’s First Kids Guitar offers a six-strong guitar that’s specifically designed for kids. With a child’s size and accident proneness in mind, the right-sized instrument is designed to be lightweight with fragile parts better protected than they are on regular guitars. Different reward tiers offer a variety of perks including studio session time and the like, but the most basic reward tier that includes the guitar goes for $250; the project creator justifies the price by moting that the guitar uses premium components and materials. The current estimated availability is July 2014. The World’s First Kids Guitar’s creators are looking to raise $10,000 on Kickstarter in their 25-day campaign.
Guitar picks come in all different colors and patterns, but never quite like this before. Nose Picks offers guitar picks with different types of noses on them. Nose Picks’ creator, Luke Wattchow, includes sketches of different noses on his Kickstarter campaign, awkwardly displaying three prototypes he labels as “white man”, “jew” and “hairy”… may not the best way to attract backers. Also, each Nose Pick costs $10, a staggering amount of money for a guitar pick. Wattchow hopes to raise $1,000 with his 30-day campaign, estimating delivery by April 2014.
The Premise. From the first moment of finding a song that they can identify with, everybody wants to be a rock star. Whether it’s a beat-up pawn shop acoustic or a glittery studio electric, nobody forgets their first guitar. But aside from the thousands of hours of practice, one has to learn how to maintain their guitar and also get the necessary equipment to perform with it.
The Product. The Acoustic Stream is a 4-in-1 solution to the basic needs of a guitar that syncs up effortlessly to a phone or wireless device to serve as a recorder, amplifier bridge, and instrument tuner. Additionally, it will send daily updates to the user’s phone about humidity levels, helping ensure proper maintenance and infrequent need for repairs. The device connects to the guitar’s output jack or can be placed inside or near the guitar or other instrument, and by simply tapping on the instrument its features can be activated. At this time, only iOS support is available.
The Pitch. A broken guitar was all it took to inspire Bob Bean to start dreaming up the eventual Acoustic Stream. With endorsements by up-and-coming musical acts, the promotional videos highlight the ease of use and effortless control that the device can provide musicians. With a $50,000 goal, of which over three quarters is going toward components and tooling, Bean and his team hope to make this tiny tool a staple for performers.
The Perks. Early supporters of the campaign can get an Acoustic Stream for $97, less than half the retail price, and with the inclusion of 5 guitar picks and a download for the music used in the promotional video. A second Acoustic Stream is available at the $294 tier, and at the high-end $3000 tier backers can join the beta-testing/development team and help shape the final product. All products are expected to ship in August 2014.
The Potential. If the Acoustic Stream did just one of the things that it’s capable of, whether tuning or connecting to an amp, it would be a worthwhile purchase for any musician that’s more likely to be without their wallet than their guitar. Tapping the guitar as a method of control seems a little suspect as some performers tap their guitar as part of their compositions, not to mention the potential for errant inputs. The Acoustic Stream could become as necessary a purchase as a quality amp, and the young musicians of the world will want to get their hands on it as soon as possible.
The Premise. Amateur percussionists have always found a way to make music using garbage cans, chain link fences or a desktop as a drum kit. This DIY form of music has found its way to full-blown stage shows, but what if there were a way to turn percussive racket into harmonic music?
The Product. In the tradition of MaKey MaKey, which allowed virtually anything to be a PC input, Mogees is a sensor, a little smaller than a golf ball, that can be affixed to any surface. By connecting to a companion app on mobile devices, the Mogees detects the vibrations of objects being dragged across, tapped on, or any other form of physical contact with the surface it’s attached to. These vibrations generate musical tones like chimes, bells, or strings depending on the app’s setting and the types of vibration.
The Pitch. Bruno Zamborlin, inventor of the Mogees, shows off what the device can do with the help of experimental dance artists Plaid. Among the promotional material is a music video that the two created for a song made entirely with the Mogees, which goes from novel to truly impressive by the halfway point. Additional materials explain how to use the companion app, and an explanation of Song Mode, which allows users to sync up their percussion with a MIDI of a favorite song to play along. Zamborlin needs £50,000 to begin production and keep the price point low.
The Perks. Backers will need to pledge approximately $67 to get a Mogees, either for Apple devices or Android operating systems. The higher quality red sensor and pro version of the app goes for just over $100, and the early access beta version is available for roughly $162. The iOS version is scheduled to ship out in August 2014, with the Android version following in November. Backers who pledge to get the beta device will be making music in May.
The Potential. Upon first hearing what the Mogees is capable of, it’s hard not to feel a sense of awe and childlike wonder of glimpsing a new, musical world with this innovative device. Five minutes later, the feeling is of being stuck in performance art purgatory, where even a heavy dose of Bjork would be a welcome return to normalcy and stability. Artists and urban optimists might be able to create lush dreamscapes and inventive new city soundtracks. Everyone else will likely be responsible for a few minutes of discord and then probably lose interest.
Any musician knows that certain instruments just do not travel well. Guitars and electric basses in particular can present a problem. They’re too heavy to carry in hand, but too awkwardly shaped to carry on one’s back. Introducing the GigBlade, a guitar/bass soft case that is designed to be carried low on one’s side, an area that has, as of yet, been untapped by the luggage industry. With a low center of gravity and hands-free design, GigBlade is the perfect solution for musicians constantly on the go. One GigBlade costs $125 on Kickstarter with an estimated delivery date of June 2014.
The Premise. You’re off making contacts, getting demos out, and, generally taking the world by storm, when you’re suddenly hit with the need to record a song or demo. There’s no way to get to a recording studio and you feel your inspiration fading. What to do?
The Product. The MixerFace is a musical interface that allows you to get studio-quality sound from recordings made with your laptop, tablet or smartphone. It allows you to bypass these devices’ usual audio inputs, and plug an instrument or pro-quality mic in, directly.
The Pitch. The inventor knows his stuff, referring to factors that define a quality recording, like mikes that are optimized for professional sound, and that mobile devices don’t have them. The interface is built on the proven platform of the Hi-Fi M8, the best amplifier that CNET has ever tested according to the presentation. The well-produced video parodies a movie trailer, right down to the dramatic music, and trademark clichés: “In a world…, One man…,” and so on. It provides an extremely concise, professional and knowledgeable pitch, albeit, a rather thin presentation.
In other words, you get a lot of reasons for using the MixerFace, but not a lot about the product itself. This is partially remedied, however, with a comprehensive list of technical information, like its Li-Polymer battery, low-noise boutique pre-amps, 48v phantom power, product compatibility, and a ton of other specs that will leave the layman’s head spinning.
The Perks. There are two unique aspects to the the products perks — an early early-bird price, and an incentive for referring friends. The regular reward price is $349, but early birds can take delivery on the first day of spring (March 20th), or on tax-day for $279 and $299, respectively. And for you referrers, there is the opportunity to earn free equipment like other instrument interfaces, MixerFaces, and studio monitors (speakers) if you get your friends to spend at least $500.
The Potential. This product depends on third parties’ recording apps. The presentation includes a list of musicians/professionals that endorse the company’s other products. These two details alone are enough to make the seasoned studio rat a bit leery. But, it must be said, while there are other interfaces that sell for as little 50 bucks, one would be hard-pressed to find one that is battery-powered, tailor-made for mobile devices, and is as compact, portable and functional as the MixerFace is at any price.