How do you capture song ideas?

If you are like most of us, not very easily.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and saving fleeting ideas can be even tougher. As a musician, I was frustrated trying to capture song ideas only to have them dissipate before I could take them to their full potential. The market is flooded with professional machines that fit nicely in a studio, but in this changing world accessibility has won over- the newest ‘bedroom producers’ are making hits from the comfort of their own home. It’s time their equipment reflect that. Not everyone can afford high-grade equipment, and not everyone starting needs it.

Personal frustration and this gap in the market led me to creating a device that is part drum machine, part bass keyboard, and part looper to capture ideas: a recording rhythm section in your pocket that is uniquely simple so you would never lose another hit.

Design Challenge

As my controller began to take shape, the layout was the main design challenge. I needed to create a surface of triggers that could feel natural playing piano, bass notes, and drum samples. This unique blend of necessity produced this configuration.

Process

Jake

BFA in Electrical Engineering University of Illinois 2010

A producer and synthesis expert, Jake spends a lot of time behind the keys and machines of music production. The self-proclaimed ‘electronics enthusiast’ also works with video and live effects. He was able to shed a lot of perspective on the performance aspect of the device.

“”Have a large ‘record’ button at the top that is able to record whatever is being sent through the machine”

“Freeform / Gridlock controls”

“Keep a quick Delete/Undo button on the device so the product doesn’t seem abstract to artists””