A Musical Instrument for All

Music is one of those mediums where it is easy to tell if you are talented or not. Play before a live audience. The ear tells no lies. You will know before the last note if you have touched audiences’ heart or angered their ears. With the cooperation of Toshio Iwai, Yamaha’s latest gadget bridges the divide between the musical and the unmusical. It is called the Tenori-On. This gadget consists of 16 rows of 16 LEDs on a light board. Side control buttons allow players to change note length, time signature, samples or pitch or select from one of sixteen sound layers. The Tenori-On is “visual music.” Each light on the 16 x 16 grid can play a different note or generate a light effect. It is both a display and input controller. The Tenori-On includes six sound/light and performance modes. It’s also has 16 layers which are the equivalent of recording tracks. The tracks can be combined to create truly complex music.

Montreal electronic composer Pheek describes his first impressions of the Tenori-On. “My first impression was a flashback from my youth. As a kid, I was imagining the year 2000 filled with gadgets and weird instruments like the Tenori-On. The Tenori-On is more of a performance tool which has a tactile interface for fast creative output. That’s more of something you can’t get from a mouse and keyboard.” Pheek liked the device especially for its randomizer feature. The musician hits the notes and the device determines how it is played.

The Tenori-On is a unique instrument. It has a complexity that attracts electronic musicians. Their Tenori-On compositions are making their rounds about the net. Yamaha’s instrument is also simple enough for the non-musician. The LED lights provide musical feedback. Yamaha’s latest instrument can accept SD media cards. This allows you to upload your own samples into the device.

Yamaha’s Tenori-On costs £629.99 in the UK. The North American price has not been determined. It is a revolutionary device that will inspire even the most amateur of musicians and fascinate professionals. As the Tenori-On catches on it will only be a matter of time before samples will be available for internet downloads.

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