While digital effects may not be appropriate for every rock genre out there, having the ability to add them from a wireless control surface that is attached to the musical instrument is a great help.
Livid Instruments, the developers of the Guitar Wing, figured out that a wireless control surface would provide quicker access to software plug-ins, DAWs, iOS apps, MIDI effects units, and even visual and lighting platforms. The company has tackled guitar controllers for quite a while now, but it finally managed to create something that’s easy to handle and does not imply modifying or using other musical instruments than the ones you already own.
Mike Fratamico, a rep of Livid Instruments, stated that “Guitar Wing is a wireless controller covered in sensors designed for electric guitars and basses. We are including WingFX with the hardware that acts as a standalone application or a plugin for existing DAWs like Garage Band, so users who have never used any kind of MIDI controller can start playing with it right away. As with all of our controllers, we have an idea for how they will be adopted but the truly exciting part is seeing what our users end up doing with it. Usually, these are things we never imagined.”
I would have been inclined to say that the Guitar Wing is compatible with all guitar and bass designs out there, but that would’ve been wrong. I’m not sure how this would attach to a Gibson Flying V, for example, and there are plenty other guitars designed like this.
By the looks of it, Livid Instruments’ Kickstarter campaign may be a success. The company raised more than half of the $45,000 goal, and at press time, there were 27 more days to go. Backing the project with $149 would secure you a Guitar Wing wireless control surface, but if you happen to miss the early bird spots, then the device will cost you $179.
I admit that I don’t like at all the dubstep-ish demonstration at the end of the following clip, but I do think that Guitar Wing could be useful for experimentation. It’s pretty clear that controllerism will go through a revolution if this guitar gadget ever gets mass produced, but bear in mind that Guitar Wing isn’t for everyone, as I mentioned before. I could see this being used by nu-metal, funk and possibly fusion rock bands, but for other more conservatory genres, using such digital fx would be a sacrilege.
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