Connected musical instruments have started gaining steam, but normally they're guitars or other what can be considered "main" instruments. Now, however, we can also buy a Bluetooth-enabled tambourine.
The device, called the Zoom ARQ Areo RhythmTrak, is part drum machine, part sequencer, part synthesizer, looper, and MIDI controller, and it also offers some pretty interesting lights. Inside the device can be found an accelerometer.
The tambourine itself is actually made up of two main components. The first is called the Base Station, which houses the control and allows users to choose a sample from a selection of 70 samples. Users can then link the device to a computer to record and to load prerecorded audio to the tambourine to be used as a sample.
The other part is the Ring Controller, which is equipped with pressure-sensitive pads that basically turn the device into a drum machine. That's the part of the instrument with the accelerometer, so when it is detached from the base station, users play different sounds based on whether they move the device, shake it, or do anything else with it. Both sections together weigh 3.75 pounds; the Base Station weighs 2.65 pounds and the Ring Controller weighs 1.15 pounds.
It looks like a pretty nifty tool, especially for those who want a way to capture MIDI information for a tambourine rather than actually recording a tambourine. It can also be used to trigger other sounds, so users aren't limited to one instrument. It can also be used as a fully fledged drum machine, as you can see in the video below. Unfortunately, however, it doesn't come cheap, sitting at a cool $600. You can buy it for yourself here starting in April.
Via: Gizmodo
