Here is my first entry into the EIgenharp competition. I am using a combination of a Audio Unit (omnisphere) for the strings and then I bring in the Eigenharp’s Cello model using the breath control to bow. I am trying to demonstrate how a monophonic instrument (ie the Cello) can be played simultaneously with a polyphonic sound ( the Strings) This is a little wobble at one point because Omnisphere doesn’t respond to polyphonic pitch (ie If you pitch bend one note, all notes in the chord will bend!)
I wanted to try something different with the sound of this instrument. Instead of just using a virtual instrument I decided to just use samples of my own voice.
I quite like the idea of having complete facility to manipulate ‘normal’ sound (i.e. my voice) with a powerful controller like the pico.
Everything you hear I recorded with a mic and then converted into soundfont files that the eigenharp can use.
Its pretty straight forward once you get the hang on it.
Since December 2009, Eigenlabs has been running a competition that allows Eigenharp Pico owners to win the Eigenharp Alpha, its big brother. It’s been a wild four months, but tomorrow the competition finally closes and within a couple of weeks we should know the verdict of the jury which is composed out of Hans Zimmer, Courtney Pine and John Lambert.
As a shameless plug, here are my six entries to the competition, spanning the whole duration.
I hope you like them, if you do, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, … since the YouTube views and votes are taken into account by the jury.
Hey everyone, here’s my third entry for the ALPHA competition:
A 2003 composition for a Clarinet quartet, ( this time with some added instruments), for a Contemporary Dance show (around the Olive and Olive three theme).
I recorded a complete demo of the Eigenharp instrument range, as done at Musikmesse. I tried to capture it so that you would get the most out of it if you couldn’t be there in person.
An overview of the Eigenlabs booth at Musikmesse Frankfurt. If you can’t make it, at least you’ll be able to imagine what it looks like and what is going on there 🙂
Finally, the early Eigenharp Alpha users are starting to come out of practice and hiding and are posting videos on YouTube. Here’s Oberon’s and what he has to say about it:
First recording project with the Eigenharp Alpha, after about a month of occasional practise, and trying ideas on a borrowed Eigenharp Pico. Everything is done in realtime, and all the loops and synthesizers are those that come with the Eigenharp itself.
While being at Musikmesse Frankfurt, I took the opportunity to interview John Lambert about the community of Eigenharp users. We continue talking about what the future hold for us and what we can expect. Most of the questions that I ask are based on the questions that I’ve received myself from visitors of EigenZone.
Thanks a lot John for having taken some time out of your busy schedule to do this!
I recorded this smooth jazz sax song on my train ride to the Frankfurt Musikmesse yesterday. Besides the music, this video also demonstrates the awesome portability of the Pico. You can make music anywhere, just take your laptop out on the train, on the plane, in a restaurant, … and start playing music with headphones!
I found the chords and melodic theme a few days ago but the rest of this recording is pure improvisation. The sax sound comes for the amazing free Silverwood v2 ensemble for Reaktor, I used some tube-warming and saturation through an inline audio unit effect to get that warm and round feel.
