Musicpole

There is no doubt that the Musicpole is an odd instrument. It looks something like a decorated mailing tube... brilliant red with gold stickers here and there. Or perhaps it looks like some high tech bong wired with some unusual super-charger. Either way, it's a standout. As a collector of unusual instruments I've got to admit that I've had my eye on it for some time! Yet... something stops me.

So, what is the Musicpole?

"The MUSICPOLE™ MIDI controller is an amazing, brand new way for you to play music. Even if you’ve never played a musical instrument before, or are an experienced music veteran, the MUSICPOLE’s unique design makes it easy for you to start jamming immediately."

Impressive. I like quick results, though closets around the world are filled with instruments that promised as much.

"You don't strike the keys of the MUSICPOLE like you would a piano, you stroke the keys like a slide guitar player. By sliding your thumb you can create all the different scales. "

"The 12 musical keys are labelled around the top of the MUSICPOLE like the circle of fifths. The MUSICPOLE is a 3 octave keyboard. The keys have the same black and white scheme as piano. All keys are labeled with their proper note names. "

"Thanks to the MUSICPOLE’s ingenious pentatonic arrangement of its keys, improvising solos is effortless. You learned a song in the key of C, and your guitarist can only play it in E? No problem, simply turn the pole to the proper key and play the song just like you learned it."

That makes sense. To play simple tunes just stick with the contact points along one side and you have all the right notes in the scale. Wanna change scales? Rotate the tube!

"Stand out from the crowd – The MUSICPOLE’s innovative and colorful design, ensures you’ll be noticed at your next gig."

And as I searched the net for information on the Musicpole I am surprised how hostile some guys were about this thing, implying that you might as well tie a pink ribbon in your hair.... this thing is the dork bomb. Now, I like different, and this is clearly different, so "dork" is a somewhat familiar term. But... why so hostile? What if it has been made black with gold lightning shaped contact points? Would it still be "dork"? Is red an assault to their senses, or is the shape a threat to their sense of manliness?

"The convenient size makes the MUSICPOLE a great addition to your MIDI rig at any gig. Playing the MUSICPOLE is easy on your fingers. It won’t make your fingers hurt or tire quickly like on most stringed instruments. Works great jamming with friends, soloing at the local coffeehouse, backing a band or shredding in the studio. Simply plug into a MIDI sound module and you’re ready to play anytime, anywhere, with anyone."

I'll buy that... or think seriously about buying that. And speaking of which, the price is $395, with some accessories adding another $100. Seems fair enough when compared to most other instruments, though it would probably sell better if it was $100 less. If it was $295 with all accessories I'd probably already own one!

"SONG FOR ERIN THE COW MIDWIFE"

OK. I'll accept that. He's no Johnny Hartman, but it shows that this thing can play.



"The MUSICPOLE's keys are triggered by special "thumbletz" you wear on your thumbs (thumbletz are made out of conductive fabric. They slide like silk over the keys of the MUSICPOLE). "



Hmm. I see where he's coming from here. Your hands are all over this thing, so you need to create an instrument that is triggered by the thumbletz, or you would have chaos, musically speaking. OK. But these do seem a bit dork.

But I never let that bother me. So.... why haven't I jumped on one yet? I mean, there so much that works for me:


1. It's odd. I like odd.

2. Nobody else seems to have one. That works for me as well.

3. I do believe it would be relatively easy to play. I don't really like working at instruments as I have enough work to do, fix that leaking faucet, say. So another check for yes.

4. I like the way it looks... pretty much.

5. You know, the price is reasonable. He's gotta get something out of this!

6. It's MIDI, and I like MIDI. I have some pretty cool synths that this thing could plug in to. I KNOW it could make some cool sounds.

So what's stopping me? Well, I can't buy everything I think is cool. But, there's one more thing for me that I just can't get past. There is nothing to control volume. Dynamics MAKE music. Yes, I could use a pedal, but that just doesn't do it for me. What if he built in an air pressure sensor to control volume on this little tube? It would work for me!

So tell me.... how's it stack up for you? What about the issue of controlling dynamics? Any options?