CMG:The Cell Music Gear – Soft Touch MIDI Controller
The Cell Music Gear is a new MIDI controller co-developed by the instrument designer Yoshihito Nakanishi & sensor company Touchence.
I had a quick chat with the designer and found the item quite interesting (although the demo unit was still an early prototype). You can play music by various actions such as tracing, pushing, tapping by fingers, pushing by palm, etc.
CMG equips 4 basic modes:
-Sequence mode
You can record 16 steps of sound by matching on rhythm for auto performance.
-Pressure mode
You can control sound by applying pressure on the pad.
-Tap mode
You can perform it as various percussion instruments by tapping on particular areas.
-Multi-touch mode
You can control sound depending on the area you strike.
The unit is also customizable (through an open SDK). The CMG will be available on Indiegogo from July. Read more on the official website here.
Why I liked it
At first, it made me think of the good old Tenori-On, despite the fact this one is ‘only’ a MIDI controller. After trying it for a few minutes, I can see its potential, especially for its creative sequencing modes. It takes some time to get used to the soft interface but it’s a device I would like to spend some time with, once released.