Speaking of tablets, can the flat surface of a touchscreen really emulate guitar expression? One developer thinks so.

Toyo Bunko of Amidio, makers of soft synths for iOS, writes to share their latest project. OMGuitar is a “guitar synth.” While it’s entirely touch-based, they’ve found ways of adjusting the tone, including using the speed of a strum to impact timbre and techniques for bends and mutes. You choose chords via an interface of their own design (rather than on conventional frets), and onboard effects make this an all-in-one solution. 300 chords are available, and there’s a dedicated arpeggio interface.

It’s no replacement for an acoustic guitar, but as a design problem alone, it’s fascinating. OMGuitar is coming this month, say the makers.

http://amidio.com/