The Collidoscope, above, is a hardware synth prototype, created by researchers Ben Bengler & Fiore Martin, that is a ‘musical microscope’ for up to four people.
“Think of Collidoscope as a musical microscope that allows you to zoom into sounds and explore their beautiful peculiarities, and in the next moment, to play and perform your sonic discoveries like a musical instrument,” note the developers
Here’s a video demo:
The hybrid keyboard is a combination between a sampler and a supercollider synth engine. The controls allow for changes to grain size, waveform position, pitch and more.
Collidoscope is designed to be explored in collaboration, and up to four participants can simultaneously collaborate as explorers, sound designers and performers.
via aymat, Centre for Digital Music, Doctor Mix
Amazing!!!
Price?
That is just plain stupid.
Lucky for us it’s just a proto.
Isn’t this basically just a hardware mapped version of what you can do with Ableton’s sampling engine?
I thought likewise when I saw the Yamaha DX7. I asked: “Isn’t this just a hardware version of Ableton Operator?”
… what? The DX7 first came around in the 80s, Operator is an evolution of that as a soft synth. You must be new here.
Whoooosh!
Maybe more like Granulator in Ableton, or Samplr on iOS. But yeah, basically a novelty hardware expression of existing software.
These Ableton people just don’t get it. Get your head out of the keyboard.
..similar to the op-1 sample engine..?
this is a tangible version of the grainulator in ableton/max way cool
I would have alot of fun with this!
Yeah, fun novelty – lose an hour and then back to making music.
Have a listen to what guys like Tipper, Amon Tobin and Mr. Bill do with granular sound design.
It’s a giant Elektron Octatrack!
Giant screen, giant sliders and knobs, however minikeys and 2-octaves…
I agree this would be way more awesome with one larger keyboard.
This looks so fun to me. Definitely has a SAMPLR vibe but I love the idea of a hardware granular synth with simple hands on controls (not to mention an instrument made for collaborative play). Sure, you can create the sounds in ableton but how fun would it be to leave the laptop off and jam with a friend and a pile of sound sources.
For comparison, it actually appears to have much more granular functionality than the OP-1’s sampler and the Octarack is monophonic. Though the combination of all three might just be magic 🙂
how much does this tool cost??
I think this will turn out to be quite nifty for performing artists in the future. I can just imagine doing a show and with the collidoscope synth, “make” a new instrumental live and do a freestyle to it. Perhaps it might be something similar to a feature in ableton or other production software, though when compared side by side, which has an easier interface with a live performance application in mind?
is it already for sale? do we can buy it?
my work as a studio producer, can I use this quite well, because this is evident where the sample is, and easy make a looping