“Deep calm”: Roland Mood Pan is a digital handpan

Sometimes, Roland gives us predictable things. Sometimes, the company decides to digitize the handpan for an electronic hand percussion instrument that can also make gamelan and singing bowl sounds, pretty environmental noises, and function as a Bluetooth speaker.

Here it is, a cover of Kendrick Lamar and more awesomeness for the Otamatone

What the world needs now is more unicorn chaser. And it’s hard to beat the adorable Japanese ribbon controller/squeezable mouth formant instrument, the CUBE Works/Maywa Denki Otamatone.

Peter Kirn - February 14, 2025

Three speculative designs on white pedestals with a white background. A quipu-powered drum machine with knotted pieces of rope, a viola da gamba with a hollow body and amplification, and a skull-and-bone horn.

Imagining an alternate history of music instruments, quipu to skulls

What if Neanderthal music had evolved alongside human sounds, or if Andean quipus shaped computer music, or if Les Paul had played the viola da gamba? Polish design house panGenerator gives us a look.

Peter Kirn - November 20, 2024

Suzuki is re-releasing the electronic autoharp Omnichord to celebrate its 70th anniversary

Peter Kirn - March 28, 2023

Superbooth: SOMA Labs shows off microtonal TERRA synthesizer, packed with sensors

Peter Kirn - May 5, 2022

The Guthman competition is looking for futuristic instruments – and you can apply

Peter Kirn - September 2, 2020

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