Tag: bass

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Music Wearables

The Basslet jams out on the wrist to make you feel the beat

Music is meant to be felt. At least, that’s what the team over at Lofelt believes. Ask pretty much anyone, and they’d most likely agree with them. There’s just no arguing the massive difference between music heard and felt through a powerful sound system versus the dinky white headphones most everyone has.

patent-claimedLofelt’s Basslet brings the bass out from the ritzy city clubs and dank basement dance parties to wherever someone goes. It just does so in a pretty petite, sleek package that immediately casts doubt as to how truly effective it is. But while it looks like any other smartwatch, you won’t find any heart rate monitors or pedometers in its slim frame: Basslet was designed with nothing but bass in mind. Inside is Lofelt’s proprietary Losound haptic engine that recreate bass frequencies as low as 10 Hz.

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Connected Objects Music

Instrument 1 gets your groove on no matter how you play

The power of music apps have opened the door to a wide range of controllers — things that look like keyboards and disco floors and guitars. The incredible variety of sounds they offer when paired with the right software, however, pales in comparison to their relatively limited ways of producing those sounds.

That’s not the case for unfortunately named Instrument 1, a bold MIDI controller and musical instrument that allows mixing and matching of sounds and play methods. One can strum it like a guitar with its “digital strings” that don’t break, pluck it like a bass, tap it like a drum machine or play it a bit like a piano keyboard. There’s even a way to emulate guitar playing when used with an iPhone or watch. About the only traditional way of producing sound from an instrument that isn’t supported is blowing into it.

The compact Instrument 1 can run for about three hours off its built-in battery (alas, it uses too much juice to charge via USB) and i1s companion app  allows owners to define their own sounds. The versatility can keep backers’ hands occupied for $349 come January 2016. Artiphon  seeks $75,000 by April 12th. Curiously, particularly given how many organizations helped in the product’s development. the company is shying away from committing to producing more Instrument 1 units after fulfilling its Kickstarter obligations

The Instrument 1 is reminiscent of the Zivx Jamstik that was successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo back in 2014, but that product — while also portable and less expensive — is more focused on replicating a guitar experience on the go for learning and practice. But this latest MIDI-compatible plaything should evoke a lot of fun for newbies who want to experiment with different methods of producing music as well as experienced musicians who want something compact and versatile.

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Music

A Little Thunder sneaks an electric bass into your guitar

There’s nothing like being able to feel the bass in a song rattle your bones and the drums vibrate your entire being when in a concert setting. Not only does it stir up the audience, but an enthusiastic audience enjoys the benefits of the band responding to that, which energizes the band’s performance.

For those who are all about that bass, A Little Thunder boosts the bass on an electric guitar and seems to offer a euphoric buzz to musicians and audience members alike. It is easy to install because no modifications are necessary to the instrument. Guitarists just replace their existing humbucker with A Little Thunder for bass sounds that roll like a loaded freight train surging through a dark and stormy night. Not having to use a foot pedal will make for less clutter on stage and the auto detect frequency technology means that musicians can focus on the simplicity of enjoying their music. While guitars come in many different shapes and sizes, which can mean some compatibility issues, it appears that this has been taken into consideration given the fact that the engineering team is in the process of working on anticipated modifications.

This product seems like it’s really aimed at a niche market of heavy metal musicians, although rock and modern jazz players and their audiences may also appreciate this new level of bass boost. This campaign seeks to raise $35,000 by November 8, 2014, and if $60,000 is reached, backers who contribute at least $25 will have their names entered into a product giveaway drawing. For $199, backers get one product with an expected delivery of November 2014.

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Music

DrumStooled weds a bass drum and stool to keep you strummin’ and drummin’

DrumstooledMusicians who travel around must bear the weight of their instruments constantly. Drum sets in particular can be cumbersome to tote around and a pain to set up. DrumStooled combines a stool with a bass drum so that musicians who are so inclined can play the guitar and the drum at the same time. It cuts down on luggage for bands that travel around. One of these French instruments costs rockin’ backers €600 with an estimated delivery date of September 2014. DrumStooled hopes to raise €30,000 in its 60-day Indiegogo campaign.

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Luggage and Bags Music Organization

GigBlade helps you carry that weight, keep your guitar by your side

GigBladeAny 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.