Instrument 1

The Instrument 1 (sometimes stylised in all caps) is a MIDI controller designed by Artiphon, a Nashville-based music technology startup. The device was conceptualised in 2011 by Mike Butera, a fiddle player with a PhD in sound studies from Virginia Tech. The Instrument 1 is Artiphon's idea of a "universal musical instrument", one that can be used in ways according to the needs of each user. To this end, the Instrument 1 can be used like multiple conventional instruments (guitar, violin, drum kit or piano) or new instruments created using a companion app.

The Instrument 1 was prototyped five times before its release and changed substantially throughout this phase. These changes were made partly due to feedback from a beta test in 2014, which resulted in the materials used for the Instrument 1 changing from wood to plastic. A year later, in 2015, the sixth design of the Instrument 1 was the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. This campaign produced over $1.3 million, making it the most successful musical instrument Kickstarter in the site's history.

Critics received the Instrument 1 well; many compared it to other electronic string instruments, including the Gittler guitar and Omnichord. The Instrument 1 was nominated for multiple awards: it was named one of ''Time'' "25 Best Inventions of 2015" and was a finalist in ''Fast Company'' ''Innovation by Design'' awards.

The Instrument 1 has been used as a tool for helping people with disabilities make music. The device's versatility lets people with lowered muscle control and other similar disabilities take part in music making. A 2022 study used the Instrument 1 as an accessible instrument for whole class ensemble teaching in British primary schools. The Instrument 1 has also been used as an instrument for elderly people with arthritis.

Background

The Instrument 1 was conceptualised by Mike Butera, a fiddle (violin) player from Nashville, Tennessee. He holds a PhD in sound studies from Virginia Tech and had previously researched the relationship between music listening and technology. Butera, along with Jacob Gordon, is the co-founder of Artiphon, a Nashville-based startup company that was founded in 2011 off the back of Butera's doctoral research.

The same year that Artiphon was founded, Butera had the idea of creating a "universal musical instrument" following a growing frustration with music software interfaces. While jamming with some of his friends at a Nashville dinner party, Butera noticed that people were using mobile devices to produce music. This led him to consider the ergonomics of musicians having their "fingers and hands contorted around a device that just begged to be dropped". This in turn led to the creation of the Instrument 1, which was Artiphon's first project. According to Butera, the Instrument 1's name was chosen to make the device a clean slate for the ideas of its user, saying in a conversation with '' Mic'':

Production and release

The Instrument 1 was heavily prototyped before its release. It was announced in 2013, following teaser images uploaded of a prototype design in December 2012. The third prototype designed was exhibited at the CES and NAMM shows the same year. This prototype of the Instrument 1 was hand-built from bamboo and various African hardwoods in partnership with a local firm, Cumberland Architectural Millwork. This design featured a dedicated docking station for the iPhone 5 or iPod Touch. The speakers of this design were commented on by testers, including James True of ''Engadget'', who liked their "impressive 30 W onboard sound". This prototype was the subject of a beta test in February 2014, with priority given to local testers around Nashville. Artiphon's announcement calling for beta testers read:

Following feedback gathered from the beta test, the Instrument 1 underwent a year-long redesign. The redesign made the device more compact and increased compatibility with external software. It was during this period that the materials making up the Instrument 1 changed from wood and bamboo to plastic and rubber. This final design was the sixth revision made to the Instrument 1.

Kickstarter

In 2015, the Instrument 1 was the subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Pledges started at $349 for the basic model, with the wood-backed ''Nashville'' edition requiring a pledge of $899. The campaign's goal was $75,000, which was achieved within six hours of the campaign starting on 3 March. The campaign was launched with the following pitch:

At the end of the Kickstarter campaign on 12 April, the Instrument 1 had achieved $1,319,672 in funding from 3,391 supporters in 70 different countries. This result made it one of the most-successful Kickstarter campaigns related to music ever, and the most successful musical instrument campaign to have taken place on the site. Aside from the Kickstarter campaign, $700,000 in funding was supplied by angel investors.

Shipping of the Instrument 1 began a year later in 2016. In May, Artiphon once again showcased the Instrument 1 at Moogfest 2016 as part of the device's post-Kickstarter launch. By November, the Instrument 1 was available for purchase by the general public. In 2017, Hal Leonard took over distribution of the Instrument 1 in the United States and Canada.

Design

Design philosophy

Butera and other Artiphon employees have spoken about the design philosophy behind the Instrument 1. The Instrument 1 is Artiphon's attempt at creating a "universal instrument": one that can be played according to the wishes of its user. It was also made to be accessible: with the Instrument 1, Butera wanted to address the learning curve of standard instruments. To do this, Butera imagined an instrument that was "not just a guitar, or a violin, a keyboard or drum machine", but an instrument that could be experimented with and "played with any of these techniques".

Overall design

The Instrument 1 has four basic instrument configurations: guitar, violin, drum, and piano. It is controlled through a polyphonic touch-sensitive plate, which can act as a set of 12 drum pads, a keyboard, or fingerboard/fretboard. The plate is divided into 72 areas distributed across six "strings", in divisions representing octaves. The touch-plate is velocity and pressure-sensitive (using force-sensing resistors), and capable of polyphonic aftertouch. The Instrument 1 also has a bridge at the end of the touch-plate, which allows the user to pluck, strum and bow the strings. The bridge can be bypassed using a "tap mode". On each end of the touch-plate are speakers, the volume of which are controlled by a volume dial. Also present is a pair of buttons representing a capo, which are used to transpose the device.

The Instrument 1 is a controller that supports the MIDI technical standard. It is capable of MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). It cannot produce sound on its own, only control external devices. It uses a mini USB output, or lightning connector for Apple devices, to connect to third-party music software such as GarageBand. The Instrument 1 also has its own companion app which can be used to fine-tune the instrument settings, or create new instrument configurations. The Instrument 1 also has connections for headphones and microphones.

The Instrument 1 comes in three variants: black, white and the ''Nashville'' edition, which has a wooden back. The device is mainly composed of plastic and rubber. It is long and weighs less than . The design of the Instrument 1 is patented.

Reception

The Instrument 1 was received well by critics and consumers alike. Critics commented on the Instrument 1's realistic and natural feel while playing. To this end, comparisons were made to other "realistic" digital instruments, such as the Roland V-Drums and Yamaha WX5. A point was made of the Instrument 1's price point; according to ''Vice'', this price allowed the Instrument 1 to do what " Traktor Kontroller S4 did for DJs: break barriers". Michelle Starr of '' CNET'' stated that the Instrument 1 bore a resemblance to the experimental Gittler guitar. The device's string-based design also led Jess Bartlet of ''Earmilk'' to liken the Instrument 1 to the Suzuki Omnichord, a 1981 instrument with a similar focus on strumming. Bartlet gave the Instrument 1 a positive review, saying that the technology has "immense potential".

In a review of the Instrument 1 published by ''PCMag'', Jordan Minor rated the device four out of five, awarding it an editor's choice award. Minor commented on the playing modes of the Instrument 1 in his review, highlighting the discrepancy between the quality of certain modes. According to Minor, the piano and drum pad modes "fall a bit flat" compared to the guitar and violin modes, although he acknowledged that this was due to the high standard set by the other modes.

Awards

The Instrument 1 has been the recipient of multiple awards. It was featured in ''Time'' list of the "25 Best Inventions of 2015" in the "For Play" section, alongside the Hackaball, Google Cardboard, Pantelligent and CogniToys Dino. Also in 2015, the Instrument 1 was a finalist in ''Fast Company'' Innovation by Design awards in the Product Design category. When it was exhibited at the 2017 Summer NAMM Show, the Instrument 1 was one of six products to receive a Best in Show award.

In 2019, the Instrument 1 was chosen as a finalist in the AARP Innovation Labs Grand Pitch Finale, a competition made to showcase technology made for elderly people. The competition's theme for 2019 was "solutions focused on addressing social isolation". In the final, held on 16 October, the Instrument 1 came in second place and received a $3,000 cash prize.

Legacy

The Instrument 1 has been used as an instrument for people with physical disabilities, specifically for those with impacted muscle motor control. This includes elderly people with arthritis and other related disabilities. The versatility of Instrument 1 lends itself to this function: the multiple modes available let it suit itself to a specific person's needs.

Whole class ensemble teaching

From September 2022 to March 2023, multiple units of the Instrument 1 were used by the OHMI Trust in their Inclusive Access to Music-Making project. The project aimed to let primary school children in the United Kingdom with additional needs take part in whole class ensemble teaching. By using the Instrument 1's "tap mode", children are able to play the device with one hand, creating a more accessible instrument than those that are standard, like the violin. In a report on the project, it was found that the 11 units used were mainly played in a horizontal position, rather than vertically. Some children in the study stated that playing the Instrument 1 made them want to continue playing an instrument. The children's teachers found the Instrument 1 made a "huge difference" to certain students.

Notes, references and sources

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External links

* {{Official website, https://artiphon.com/, name=Artiphon's official website
MIDI controllers
American musical instruments
2015 in American music
21st century in Nashville, Tennessee
Kickstarter-funded products