Expressive Music-Making With Next Gen Joue
A natural feeling, a touch of magic, a device for nomad musicians; part of a new generation of MIDI controllers, this playful music instrument titled 'Joue' is certainly a chip off the 'modular design' block. An expressive and modular MIDI controller that feels like a real instrument - please bear in mind that SATORI & SCOUT don't proclaim to be music experts, but do certainly know many things about real-instrument-replicating electronic music software packages (p.s. Ableton is our favourite) - Joue is an innovative and evolving instrument.
Aiming to simplify digital music playing and offer beginners and professional artists a unique level of expressivity and spontaneity, Joue certainly is a neat piece of kit. Manufactured from both wood and metal, the device is equipped with a polyphonic pressure sensor on which 'magic modules' are placed. Modules such as keys, guitar strings, drums pads or 3D control objects can all contribute their part towards an infinite playground for musicians. Responding to natural gestures such as hitting, vibrato, bending and aftertouch that are all usually reserved for traditional instruments, Joue provides soft and elastic modules to introduce an analog feel to digital sounds. As Joue advertises, "...connect Joue to your musical gear, drop modules on it and play! Joue has 3 slots which can be filled by the soft modules. Switch from a deep pad sound to a distorted guitar solo in a snap and let your intuition speak."
As we all know, inspiration can come from anywhere and the inner musicians in ourselves will be pleased to discover that the little device is transportable, easy to carry in any backpack and follow you everywhere during your trips - never miss any musical idea you may have. MIDI Class Compliant and able to connect to smartphones, tablets or computers via its USB cable, Joué is compatible with audio software such as Ableton Live, Apple Logic, BitWig Studio, Native Instruments plugins, Max/MSP or any iPad apps from GarageBand to the last iSynth. You can also even connect the device to your favourite hardware using a USB to MIDI converter without needing a computer in between or even connect several Joue to the same device to extend the setup.
Offering you the potential of composing music that is guided by touch and colour, SATORI & SCOUT think that the modularisation and interchangeability of the Joue are just fantastic. Once a successful Kickstarter project, such a device can be purchased for a cool $600, however, don't let the price tag put you off as the more advanced musicians amongst us really do advocate that you get what you pay for. Discover more about the instrument online at: Play-Joue.com
Photography credit : Joue