Create Hypnotic Synth Sounds with Urushi Musical Interface

Electronic music seems to be the wave of the future. DJ’s that once remained underground are now pulled up and into the celebrity world and adored by tons of fans. The highly-anticipated film Tron: Legacy features electronic music duo Daft Punk in their soundtrack to match the futuristic vibe of the film.

The bizarre thing is that even though they are only recently re-growing in popularity, synthesizers and electronic music have been around for a while. Scarface featured a primarily synth-based soundtrack, and Blade Runner had more wavy, sometimes-creepy electronic background music.

I’m no expert on synthesizers, but I am a huge fan of all sorts of music. I really enjoy some types of electronic music for the relaxing feeling that it produces, while other types really boost energy levels. For those of you like me, who enjoy electronic music and want to possibly create some electronic music but have no idea how, I have a special treat for you.

This device is a touch panel interface that produces synth sounds very reminiscent of Blade Runner in the demonstration. I’m sure that with some alterations, it could also produce more heavy, exciting bass-intensive beats that are popular with those “young, hip kids” these days.

Urushi Overview

I’m excited by this product because it provides an easy, almost natural way to create new kinds of music. There technically is no training required, but the user will definitely have to have a firm grasp or instructions on which location creates what kind of noise, and how to control tempo.

Urushi Screen

Its design is quite simple, as it is touch-based. I think that’s definitely a plus, as its simplicity accentuates the futuristic vibe that fits so well with the music it is shown to create. The lines and circles make for a very minimalistic interface, although it still seems quite complicated due to the number of them. I think the color combination is suitable for its vibe.

Urushi Draft

Information has not been released about pricing yet, but I’m sure that this device will run up a cost similar to the Microsoft Surface, as the Surface has similar capabilities and hardware. Although that’s not much more affordable than a drum kit or a keyboard set to create synthesizers, it definitely is much more creative and untraditional to use. It seems much easier to have fun with this touch panel than a fixed keyboard. Plus, the touch panel has the potential to be customized to relocate more common synths to a more accessible area.

The more detailed image gallery at Design Boom will give a better view and understanding of the device.

Check out more musical posts with the iPad band, and the future of the air guitar.

Via: Unplggd