For you to learn where both me and Kara come from, I thought it would be good to share my musical past. So, here it goes with the origin story baked in.
My first encounter with electronic instruments was the Yamaha Electone organ of my father. It had a drum machine that was fun to play with. I tried to build something similar using Philips Electronic Engineer kits.
Then came the era of home computers. I began exploring their sound features: from ZAP, EXPLODE & MUSIC commands of Oric-1 to the sample playing capabilities of Amiga 500. After a while, I purchased MIDI interface for Amiga and my first synthesizer, Roland D-5.
During the years, I bought and resold various synths and samplers. For some reason, the Roland D-5 started adding some white noise to its sounds. I thought that sounded cool. At one point, I really had to get Roland W-30 because The Prodigy used it.
When I was buying Roland Fantom X6, the shop owner mentioned how musicians are moving to computers and heavily discounted the instrument. I wasn't ready to take the leap because I worked with computers at my job.
After practising daily, I finally got hang of guitar playing. I also practised singing, to my family's horror.
Here's a partial list of my public musical works with traditional instruments:
Raindropper is my artist name. Here are some of my tracks on streaming services:
Hmm... Perhaps Genre Hopper would make a better artist name for me.
The origin story, in other words. Here were the main drivers.
First, let's take a look at the building blocks in present-day, DAW-based music creation.
The notes are still in use, of course. Samples have been prevalent for a few decades. Then there's automation data: parameters for sound generation that change over time.
Those all three needed a direct, immediate access: a way to control them in real time and in a coherent way.
As a side note, the term Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) sounds so grandiose. Yet, a laptop with a USB port running music software and a pair of headphones can be enough.
Next, what can we learn from the guitar, the world's most popular instrument?
Let's see. Well, we can study the playing movements of guitarists. They select notes from the fretboard, and then play them by strumming or picking the strings. They also move the guitar in various ways. Yes, this view skips all the finer details. However, it's useful.
People enjoy those physical movements so much that they do them even without an actual guitar. Have you heard about the annual Air Guitar World Championships?
It made sense to borrow certain attributes from guitars and explore music-making through similar movements - to build a musical instrument that can be moved freely. A bit like a guitar.
The visual connection between the audience and the guitar player was also worth replicating.
An early concept replaced strumming strings with rolling wheels. As it was important to provide a tactile feel, the wheels were toothed like a gear. The angular velocity (how fast the wheel spins) defined the velocity for notes. The spinning direction defined the MIDI channel.
After considering optical rotary encoders and realizing the eventual wear and tear of the mechanical parts, the concept was abandoned. However, its core principle proved fruitful, forming the basis for capacitive touch implementation.
The ever-expanding collection of software synthesizers deserved a new approach.
Software synths with original, high-quality sounds are cropping up everywhere. Imagine having a variety of them simultaneously at your fingertips while you play - the sounds and textures you could create by layering are endless.
Snap! No need to imagine anymore. That's real now.
Playing notes and chords could be simplified and enhanced.
Ok, let's talk about guitar again. When you google 'F chord guitar', you'll see words like dreaded, painful, feared and impossible. Those words reveal that it takes time to learn guitar, and that guitars are not suitable for everyone. There should be a better way to play basic chords, such as F that consists of notes F, A and C.
Below are the notes on a guitar fretboard.
Copying that complexity was out of the question. Hence, a note layout that's simpler and easier to memorize was created for Pitboard.
It goes without saying that Kara will not and can not replace guitars. That's not its purpose. They are two totally different instruments.
Now, some basics about chords and a melody. A melody is a sequence of single notes played one after another. You can hum the melody. Chords are multiple notes played simultaneously. They provide harmony and foundation for the melody. A melody often uses the exact notes that make up the underlying chords.
The points made above brought about an instrument that supports playing a chord and a melody on top of it. The playing of the melody does not affect the chord. Since you have just played the chord, your fingers are already in the perfect position to play the melody. Plus, when you want to repeat the previous chord, there is no need to select its notes again: you can just strum it again.
New ways for shaping sounds and starting samples could be applied.
Kara's playing technique opened up new possibilities. Namely, double tap could flip the Pitboard from selecting notes to sending Control Change messages.
What's more, your hand is already there above the Pitboard - there's no need to move it anywhere else.
In Control Change Mode, basically, you have buttons and faders as pictured below.
"What about Pitch Bend - how do I control that?" you may ask.
My Roland synths had a small stick for altering Pitch Bend. Spring mechanism recentered it automatically to no pitch change.
Taking cue from that and from the gestures of guitarists, the whole body of Kara became a Pitch Bend stick that operated in a similar manner. By touching Motion Trigger and turning Kara up or down, the pitch changes accordingly. Upon releasing Motion Trigger, the pitch returns to no change.
Another dimension was also put to use: by turning Kara forward and backward, you can shape sounds and effects in various ways.
To master an instrument, you need to practice. Many prefer to do so silently, without disturbing others.
Back in the day, my electronic drum kit made a terrible racket while drumming with headphones on.
As Kara doesn't have any moving mechanical parts, you can play all the wrong notes all day long, quietly.
This feature is also useful when improvising and composing.
It was possible to leverage the physical sensation of touch.
Feeling the small pits of the Pitboard with your fingertips and its contoured body against your palm helps build muscle memory. You learn to locate notes faster.
Beautiful designs with character did not exist.
The MIDI controllers space was devoid of radical, new ideas and approaches. Desirable aesthetic and unique presence were missing.
It had to be practical also. Easy to pick up from the table, easy to hang on a wall, lightweight. No additional apps or software required. No batteries to recharge.
In 2014, Kara was just a faint signal captured from the cosmic backgound hum: a piece of wood with a guitar strap and taped paper. The best was yet to come.
Today, Kara is an unlimited source of inspiration. I get new musical ideas everytime I play it.
Take care!
Deomo is an auxiliary name for the hardware business of the ShowMoor company.
