First it was the synthesizer that changed the rules of the game. It made possible sampling and converting any sound and any instrument, thus enabling the sound of any instrument, even human voice to be played on a keyboard type interface.

Then we moved on to turn-tables, virtual mp3 turntables, loop machines, Studio emulators and personal sound factories. All this was a gradual progression, organic steps in music composition technology.

Until now.

The interface of generating music is moving from notes, layers, loops, samples and channels to something much more complex, intuitive and interactive. What if music was made visual, and the pattern of composition, itself as beautiful visually as aurally?

Here I present two of such next-gen devices that I have come across. Watch and be amazed. The first, and the more recent one, is called Tenori-on. This is, according to the makers Yamaha Inc,

“a unique 16 x 16 LED button matrix performance instrument with a stunning visual display. The TENORI-ON 16 x 16 LED button matrix is simultaneously a performance input controller and display. By operating and interacting with the LED buttons and the light they produce you gain access to the TENORI-ON’s numerous performance capabilities.”

The next one is a more colorful, more glamorous, and more rich sounding contraption called the Reactable.

Positioned as the “Musical Instrument with a tangible musical interface”, it provides a musical universe that is limited only by one’s creativity.

The Tenori-on, to make a simple observation, is much more user friendly, compact and musically inclined. What I mean by that is, since it is based on patterns and set to a 16 beat grid, it naturally aligns to a 4-beat rhythm and hence, sounds musical more easily. My money is on Yamaha making a lot more dough than the geek-dudes playing with the Reactable. Time will tell.

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