Helen Benarrosh and Arny B. Arnold, both musicians and engineers, thought that most music controllers were "technologically quite limited," so they founded TITAN REALITY, an innovation and research and development company that develops and patents fully integrated solutions, hardware, software and digital distribution for the audio, musical, multimedia and industrial markets. Benarrosh, CMO and Arnold, CEO, wanted to develop new tools for musicians to learn, play, and share their musical skills and creativity. Their latest invention, Pulse*, promises to redefine the future of musical instrumentation.
Pulse* is a virtual reality controller with a platform that allows users to play thousands of virtual musical instruments with 3D motion intelligence. Adding the third dimension, according to Benarrosh, offers more possibilities for music creation as compared with other digital instruments that use buttons or rubber pads, and don't offer much expressive feedback. Pulse* was first premiered at Abbey Road Studios in conjunction with a Kickstarter campaign last fall. The 10,000 spoke with Benarrosh to learn more about the fascinating device.
Pulse* is an egg-shaped disc whose hyper-sensitive surface can detect human touch and pressure. It can differentiate the sensations of piano-key-pressing, drum-trapping, and even hovering. The design offers mid-air interaction, and the mesh surface also gives musicians a tactile feedback. Pulse* is made to be hit, so musicians can use sticks, mallets and brushes, as well as their own hands to play. One of the most impressive features of Pulse* is its ability to accurately capture every movement so one can not only play on the surface, but also in the space above. Controlling synths with the wave of a hand can feel as if one is literally plucking sounds out of the air.
"There can be such a divide between digital and real instrument users; we wanted to bridge that gap so that one is not intimidated when confronted by the other," explains Benarrosh. Pulse* can be added to an existing drum kit, in a studio set up, a live show, or for deejaying. The device can also store thousands of sounds from one device and can be updated from a store called Explore* where users can download sounds on the go and have them available to play, instantly.
Through objects like Pulse*, sound can be created more efficiently and quickly. Unlike most technologies available today, Pulse* does not aim to replace the existing methods, a belief both Benarrosh and Arnold feel strongly about. "We don't want the musicians of the future to lose the essence of what it is like to play an instrument expressively. We want to get the Pulse* into the hands of musicians everywhere, so people can create and innovate without limitations."
News + Culture
News + Culture
