There’s a new toy on the market for those that want to experiment with making beats, but who do not want to sit through the years-long learning curve of understanding DAW’s, drumcomputers, FX, synthesis, plug-ins and what not. It’s called Beat Blox and it is perhaps the simplest and most fun way to make a kick-ass beat in the comfort of your living room.
A student at the Beckmans College of Design in Sweden had the idea to give his graduation project a musical touch, and came up with an ingenious way of making music by combining simple physics with modern technology. Beat Blox exists out of three turntables with a built-in Arduino midihshield that communicates with the blocks that you put on the turntable. As the user adds a block to the deck, the distance sensor plays a sound. Simple as that. Here’s Beat Blox in action.
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We briefly spoke to Beat Blox creator Per Holmquist, who shed some light on the idea and concept behind his invention: “Imagine being able to create a piece of music without knowing one single instrument. Beat Blox is a musical machine that questions our preconception on what we are actually capable of. In this project I have created a musical machine/ interactive installation which makes it possible for people to create music without being able to play a single instrument. I wanted to eliminate the technical skills from the creative process and make a playful installation which enhances peoples creativity and will to create something.”
Beat Blox was first exhibited at Beckmans College and will be showcased during upcoming events and festivals in Sweden and across Europe. On the question whether his invention will go into production for the consumer market, Per could not yet give a clear answer – once more is known about the project
