Some of the most interesting and unconventional industrial design can be found in the creative industries, where the tools that disrupt and redirect the flow present new opportunities, not frustrations.
Nowhere is this more evident than in music creation, where there is an explosion of small boutique makers tailoring weird and wonderful sound machines. Here’s a selection of new and unconventional instruments, effects and music makers for off-the-wall audio experiences and sound design.
Sound machines for music creation
Planetarium 3 by Neon Egg
Neon Egg’s Planetarium 3 is the latest iteration of its retro-looking stereo effects pedal, a miniature console that wouldn’t look out of place in the Soviet space programme. The Planetarium’s secret sonic weapon is sidechaining – with an external audio input to add a rhythmic pulse to the pedal’s armoury of effects (stereo reverb, chorus, and delay).
Planetarium 3, £329 + tax, Neon Egg, NeonEgg.com, @neon.egg
Blipbox myTRACKS by Playtime Engineering
Playtime Engineering is carrying on the long tradition of finding alternative creative paths through technology original designed as a toy. The company’s first device, the 2022 Blipbox After Dark, was a do-it-all synthesizer in a rugged plastic enclosure that could be happily handed over to a noise-loving toddler. However, the inclusion of MIDI input and a whole host of variable parameters gives the device a second life as quirky lo-fi sound generator.
Next up is the Blipblox myTRACKS, a scaled-down, ultra-simplified version of a classic groovebox. Although it retains the Fisher Price aesthetic, myTRACKS has an onboard sampler, a five-track studio and onboard synths. The plasticky levers and lack of display mean that nuance is somewhat lacking, but Playtime could have a cult hit on its hands with the right creative support.
Playtime Engineering Blipblox After Dark, £183 via Thomann.de
Blipblox myTRACKS details, Blipblox.com, @theBlipblox
Replay synthesizer by Vongon
Vongon’s new Replay polyphonic synthesizer looks like it prioritises aesthetics over function, with a pared-back minimal bank of knobs and faders and little to nothing in the way of labels and direction. Inspired by the mighty 1980s-era synthesizers like the Roland Juno and Korg Polysix, the Replay packs a lot of sound into a small enclosure, although it’s emulating not replicating original analogue circuitry. The synth works best when paired with its bespoke web interface, an easier way of managing sound creation.
Replay, Vongon, $899, Vongon.com, @VongonElectronics
Groc Granular Synthesizer by Oddment Audio
Most musicians, performers and composers value gear they can learn inside out, but occasionally getting out of your comfort zone adds another layer of creativity. As a result, the fact that many of these leftfield devices practically demand a steep learning curve and a new way of working is a feature, not a bug. Oddment Audio’s Groc is a case in point. Although it might appear obtuse to the point of irrelevance for the non-committed, what we have here is a compact granular synthesizer that pairs endless tweakability with a touchscreen and slick product design.
Groc, available soon, information at Oddment-Audio.com, @OddmentAudio
Critter & Guitari Kaleidoloop
We've explored the work of cult gear makers Critter & Guitari before. Now the company has revisited its earlier Kaleidoloop, revamping the compact looper device to make it deeper, richer and more capable of infinite sonic variation. Use the inbuilt microphone to sample, then loop, manipulate and tweak to your heart’s content, saving the results to an SD card.
Kaleidoloop, $375, Critter & Guitari, CritterandGuitari.com, @CritterGuitari
Polaro Keyboard
Something of an unknown quantity right now, the Polaro joins a long list of devices designed to make learning the piano less painful and more fun (even the iconic Fender Rhodes had its origins in a teaching device). A keyboard attached to a massive horizontal screen, Polaro follows the popular ‘piano roll’ style of teaching, flagging up the next note on a constantly scrolling display. Onboard lessons, a multi-track recorder and modes for all ages are promised.
Polaro Piano, coming soon, details at Polaro.com
SPIN AI Music Synthesizer by Arvind Sanjeev
Designer and writer Arvind Sanjeev has created this one-off machine as a physical representation of AI music generation, using the MusicGen language model. If you’ve ever played with online text-to-music generators like Suno, the principles behind SPIN should be familiar; use the grid of genres, instruments and moods to select a combination, dial in the tempo and duration, and let the device create the music. The yellow ‘digital vinyl’ allows you to manipulate playback in real time. With AI music attaining new levels of complexity and sophistication, SPIN is a hands-on implementation of something that’s already incredibly abstract.
AKAI MPC Key 37
AKAI is no industry minnow, and the new MPC Key 37 is hardly a groundbreaking innovation. Instead, this compact fusion of the classic MPC sampler, synth and sequencer with a 37-key keyboard is more of an evolution than a revolution. Packing every conceivable tool into a familiar, muscle-memory-powered interface, the latest model brings an important new layer for compact live performance and composition. The MPC (Music Production Centre) has been the core of many contemporary genres since the first model was introduced back in 1988. Also new to the current MPC family is Stems, a software plug-in that can strip any sample down its bare components.
AKAI MPC Key 37, £769, AKAIPro.com, @AKAI_Pro
Elyra synthesizer by BLL Instruments
Touch-sensitive surfaces are the key to this new performance instrument from French manufacturer BLL Instruments. The Elyra is a modern update of that ultimate 1980s device, the keytar, with a touch-sensitive strumming area and a series of notes that can be treated like a conventional fretboard. All similarities end there, for in the Elyra’s wooden body is a powerful virtual analogue synthesizer and sequencer. Up to 16 instruments can be played simultaneously using the control surfaces.
Elyra, €1,099, BLL Instruments, BLLinstruments.com, @BLLinstruments
