Artinoise Intros MIDI Augmented ‘re.corder’ Wind Instrument

Artinoise – a new startup from soundmachines founder Davide Mancini – has launched a Kickstarter project to fund production of the re.corder, an ‘augmented’ soprano recorder.

It can be used in three main ways:

  • Acoustically, with or without the application running, as an augmented instrument for the learning of music.
  • Digitally playing the re.corder (you can mute it with a supplied mute) silently and using the sounds of the app’s library, alone or with up to three others.
  • Using the re.corder as a powerful MIDI wind instrument controller.

The instrument can be played with a variety of sounds – including strings, brass, piano and more – or be used as a wireless BLE MIDI controller.

Here are examples of the re.corder in action as a controller:

The re.corder goes beyond traditional recorder features, with special needs person’s alternative fingering, the possibility to play without blowing into the recorder and/or modifying the scales, using the recorder as a percussion or a piano pad, and even used it as a ‘director wand’ by means of its internal 3D accelerometer.

Pricing and Availability

The re.corder is being produced via a Kickstarter project and is available to backers starting at €55/ $60.

10 thoughts on “Artinoise Intros MIDI Augmented ‘re.corder’ Wind Instrument

  1. It’s an intriguing product at a good price. One major concern for me is that it is BT only, (wired USB is only for charging– so there’s that added latency. But I guess for that price and that intended market, maybe a little latency isn’t a big deal.

  2. Yeah, strange there isn’t a USB host (is that what it is?) on board for USB MIDI at least. I’ve had mixed results with BT MIDI. Sometimes I get basically no obvious latency, even triggering percussion, other times I get what must be about 100ms and basically useless for real time play. I suppose since it is a Kickstarter project there’s time for them to check the BT is bullet-proof and maybe add USB MIDI.

  3. Hi stub and robman84, thanks for your interest, Davide from Artinoise here!
    Latency on the actual prototype is VERY good. We can’t hear it even with holes used as percussion pads! We measured something around 5/8 ms

    1. Thanks for chiming in! Not surprised latency isn’t an issue. Some worry about it and it might have been an issue elsewhere. But there’s a lot of low-latency devices sending a whole lot of MIDI data without an issue.
      Can’t wait to hear more about the project (including about CC resolution and your plans for CV).

    2. Yes, thank you @davide mancini for joining the conversation. It is rare that a project can be beneficial for such a range of users– from education– on up through demanding modular synth users, and everyone in between. The technology and price point are indeed impressive!

      Regarding latency, it is important to think about latency as an accumulation of ms through various processes in the chain- and the total time from physical input to sound arriving to our ears should stay in sub 10ms– and perhaps everyone has a different threshold for what they can stand initially, and perhaps a second threshold for what they could adapt to without too much annoyance.

      I like the analogy of playing an instrument that makes no sound of its own, plugged into a combo amp. And the affect of latency is like moving your amp further away, at roughly a foot (13.5″) per ms of latency, so 32ms of latency is like playing in an amp that is about 36 feet away. Oh, and make sure to add your actual amp distance to your total perceived latency. (yay, earbuds!) Am I getting that right?

      Regarding connection-type, I don’t fully understand all the pros & cons in the contest between BT and physical cables. I only know from my experience that BT can be slow AF, and unreliable AF, and fiddly to set up. But that may be an older version of BT. I also know that USB is relatively reliable and easy to configure.

  4. I tired to order but the app refused – evidently it only wants a password I used some years ago – tried to set up two accounts with the same result. Really sounds like a nice instrument and controller.

  5. As a recorder player I am wondering how do you play C sharp, D sharp and why does the fingering appear to be like a tin whistle ? Are these available in proper ordinary baroque fingering with the normal double holes at the bottom and are they chromatic like a regular recorder ?

  6. Olá,gostaria muito de adquirir este instrumento! Estou no Brasil e sou professor de música. Quero muito divulgar este instrumento por aqui! Como faço para comprar?

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