Berlin-based instrument manufacturer Koma Elektronik have launched their third Kickstarter campaign, this time with the goal of funding the production of Chromaplane, an innovative new touchless electromagnetic synthesizer.
The instrument is housed in a rectangular aluminium chassis with no visible controls, and is based around ten tuneable electromagnetic fields that are emitted from its surface. It can be played by hovering a pair of electromagnetic pickups above the surface, with movements being transformed into everything from ethereal drones and melodies to distorted noise. The company say that the unorthodox approach invites users to experiment and invent new playing techniques, and that there’s no right or wrong way to operate the instrument.
Chromaplane can be used as a standalone polyphonic synth and comes equipped with its own four-pole low-pass filter and a built-in delay effect, but is also kitted out with a selection of I/O that can be used to integrate it into larger setups. An external audio source can be patched in and played using the pickups, and there's CV inputs for the filter and delay, along with an envelope follower CV output.
Koma have also developed a tuner that will detect and display notes when held above the instrument’s surface, and are working on a website that will host an interactive tuning library. They are also planning to introduce a Max For Live device that will allow users to generate MIDI data with the Chromaplane and use it to control virtual instruments in Ableton Live.
Check out the video below to see the instrument in action.
Pricing
The Kickstarter pre-order campaign for the Chromaplane is live now, with the following three pricing tiers available:
- Super Early Bird (limited availability): €299
- Early Bird (limited availability): €319
- Kickstarter Price: €359
Exclusive bundles including the Field Kit and multiple Chromaplane units are also available. More information can be found on the company’s Kickstarter page.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/komaelektronik/chromaplane-an-electromagnetic-musical-instrument
