Instrument designer Keith Baxter let us know that his latest design, the Zen Flute, is now available.
The Zen Flute is described as a “mouth theremin”, that maps the pressure and shape of a performer’s mouth to the pitch output. It provides USB and analog outputs of the on-board procedural flute synthesizer, along with USB MIDI for controlling other MIDI devices or software.
The instrument was First Prize winner in the 2023 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, an annual invent that celebrates “innovative musical instruments at the intersection of musicality, design, and engineering”.
Features:
- Housing: Solid color PVC with cast acrylic end panels (white or black)
- Processor: Teensy 4.0 ARM Cortex-M7 at 600 MHz
- Open Source software featuring the Faust procedural synthesizer from Grame Research Lab, France.
- Outputs: analog stereo audio (right stereo jack), USB audio (digital stereo); USB MIDI, analog monophonic pitch monitor (left jack)
- Cherry “red” fast action keyboard switches
- Includes USB cable and mini-CD with schematic, source code, instructions and hints
Here’s an example of the Zen Flute in action:
Pricing and Availability:
The Zen Flute is available for $320 USD.
now, that’s cool. sounds very nice.
$320 USD for a VST in a [s]box[/s] tube with [s]minikeys[/s] no keys, [s]small screen[/s] no screen.
: )
This comment is really an eye-opener, even a Moog Minimoog is a Analogue VST in a box, yes?
You can’t compare analog machines to a device which is basically a midi controller that has its own vsts built in.
The sound produced by analog synthesizers is based on their physical mechanism, and can’t be recreated digitally.
Are you a vst in a box my friend ?
Make it for less then and tell us.
It looks like a pipe bomb. Be careful putting this thing in your carry-on luggage.
Looks cool. Is there a video of someone playing it besides the very short one at the competition? I need more to go on before purchasing one.
I like this idea so far as I understand it, but if it has to be plugged in that would be a bit of a shame as a controller…
this seems too expensive for what it is… which is understandable considering its probably not mass produced
but still…. seems doubftul
Man invents chocolate teapot.
I would like to have one, just to play.
But if I convert our Real in dollars…it wil be super expensive:-((
It sounds nice, but the music example sounds like someone playing a flute yet never stopping to breathe in.