Roli's Seaboard is a rubber-keyed piano that may redefine the way you play

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Roli's Seaboard is a rubberkeyed piano that may redefine the way you play handson" data-src-height="412" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/rolidsc07791.jpg" /><br />Synths are nothing new, of course -- so what makes Roli's digital piano so novel? The instrument has a patent-pending rubberized surface that lets you bend and twist the keys as you play, freeing you from fiddling around with knobs, so you can directly, physically affect the way it sounds. Think of it as the difference between bending a string on a guitar, rather than stepping on the wah-wah pedal. It's the sort of thing you really have to see in action to appreciate -- thankfully, we've got the instrument's creator Roland Lamb giving us a demo after the break.</div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc07766.jpg" width="640" /> </div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc07767.jpg" width="640" /> </div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc07768.jpg" width="640" /> </div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">According to the musician-turned-CEO, the keyboard is really just the first step for a technology that can be incorporated into all manner of devices, helping to add a level of tangibility that's so often ignored in modern digital instruments. In the meantime, we're admittedly quite taken with what this prototype is capable of. In its final version, the keyboard will look a bit different, though the top will continue to be mostly bare, depending instead on that wheel to change between instrument, pitches and the like. The final version also won't require a tethered computer, though you'll be able to hook it up to one, in order to further customize the instruments.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Roli's opening the SDK to developers for even more unexpected updates. The team is also looking to get the thing in the hands of musicians for more feedback -- we could even see the instrument playing a role in some future hip-hop productions. In the meantime, we're still awaiting more information like pricing and availability, which Lamb has promised to share with the world sometime in the near future.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="349" id="viddler-d7850d37" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="//www.viddler.com/embed/d7850d37/?f=1&offset=0&autoplay=0&secret=93434694&disablebranding=0&view_secret=93434694" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="545"></iframe></div></div>

Roli's Seaboard is a rubber-keyed piano that may redefine the way you play

  Synths are nothing new, of course -- so what makes Roli's digital piano so novel? The instrument has a patent-pending rubberized sur...

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Artiphon's 'Instrument 1' is an iPhone powered multi-instrument, we go hands-on

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><hr /><div class="image-container" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Artiphon's Instrument One is an iPhone powered multi-instrument, we get hands-on" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04342-1359233504.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Music, MIDI and mobile? Seen that before, right? Well, yeah, but sometimes something comes along that surprises everyone. Artiphon's Instrument 1 is one such thing. And after all, there's more than one way to crack a nut. Artiphon's method involves creating a high-quality muli-instrument device that uses an iPhone or iPod touch as its brain. So, this is no plastic (bear with us) "appcessory." The Instrument 1 is made out of special quality African hardwood, and centers around an intentionally ambiguous design. There is a pair of high-quality custom speakers that give impressive 30W onboard sound. There is, of course, a line out and MIDI in / out too. The prototype we saw today doesn't have a built-in battery, but final production models will, making this a truly portable, complete solution. Dr Mike Butera, the firm's founder, was keen to explain to us that this is intended not to replicate one specific device (though it does a great job of guitar, violin, banjo and more), but rather to enable musicians to be able to work in a way they want to. The Instrument 1 works with any core MIDI enabled app, but there are plans to release a companion app for more detailed / custom mappings in the future. We got a private tour of the device, to tip-toe past the break for more.</div><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><b>Artiphon Instrument One hands-on</b></h3><ul class="thumbs"><li class="thumb" data-count="27"> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04342_95x95.jpg" /> </li><li class="thumb" data-count="27"> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04313_95x95.jpg" /> </li><li class="thumb" data-count="27"> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04314-1359233278_95x95.jpg" /> </li><li class="thumb" data-count="27"> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04315_95x95.jpg" /> </li><li class="thumb" data-count="27"> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04316_95x95.jpg" /> </li><li class="thumb" data-count="27"> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/dsc04317_95x95.jpg" /> </li>See all photos</ul></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first thing we noticed was how authentic it felt. Authentic what? Well, ok, that's a little harder to explain. It definitely felt more like holding an instrument, than a MIDI device or an accessory component though. The oiled wood finish, metal speaker grilles and overall quality of the device make it feel like something you'd wield with care. The iPhone section is also pleasantly discreet. Sure, it takes somewhat center place, but at the same time keeps it out of the way when you're playing. Under the neck you'll also find some additional controls that steer the Instrument 1 in more dedicated instrument directions (bass mode for fret tapping, banjo mode with arpeggios etc). The small black box below the iPhone housing serves as a strum-surface (or when in violin mode, the area you "bow"), and the neck section is largely akin to a guitar neck, but when approached creatively, can be used in all manner of ways, such as drum-pads when resting on your lap. For those that want to know, it's currently sporting a 30-pin connector, but has room enough so that you can also use it with a lightning adaptor. There's also a physical volume control and a USB port.</div><div style="text-align: left;">As for the MIDI options... there are plenty. Polyphonic aftertouch, vibrato, versatile modulation and mapping, to name a few. There is an octave switch on the neck, also, so that you can get a wide range of musical notes with ease. Mike showed us that as there are two sensors on each neck-note, you can effectively cram two octaves into the same space too, should this better suit your needs. As mentioned above, currently this is the third prototype, but full production is expected soon. How much, then, does Artiphon want for the Instrument 1? That'll be $800 when it eventually rolls out towards the end of this year. A tall price for a MIDI controller perhaps, but you'll be replacing your entire band at the same time. Just don't tell them yet. Go south for the demo video.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="349" id="viddler-c4cf05bf" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="//www.viddler.com/embed/c4cf05bf/?f=1&offset=0&autoplay=0&secret=32528567&disablebranding=0&view_secret=32528567" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="545"></iframe></div>

Artiphon's 'Instrument 1' is an iPhone powered multi-instrument, we go hands-on

Music, MIDI and mobile? Seen that before, right? Well, yeah, but sometimes something comes along that surprises everyone. Artiphon's I...

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