Remember Animusic? They were these incredible animated music videos with original tunes being played by computer-generated robots. Well, the MegCell Pulse might be the coolest robots-playing-music thing we’ve seen since Animusic.
Built by [Bruce] over six years’ time, this futuristic wonder features two robots working in concert to play acoustic guitar, just like a pair of human hands would. You just feed them digital tablature, and off go the fraternal twins, with one doing the fretting, and the other doing the plucking via six individual plectrum. It’s digital music producing analog sound from a physical instrument.
How does MegCell Pulse work? It’s essentially a system of gears, magnetic actuators, and arms, contained in a 3D-printed structure. The only real limitations are that it can’t traverse the entire fretboard, nor can it slide between frets. That said, you can absolutely buy one for your own guitar via [Bruce]’s modestly-goaled Kickstarter.
The kicker here is that you can’t buy an assembled MegCell Pulse; you must print and build it yourself. Back on the upside, the most expensive supporting tier is a mere $100. For that price, you get the complete digital plans. That includes 3D print files, an assembly guide, the control software, and a parts list. Be sure to check out the demo videos embedded after the break.
We have certainly seen robots playing guitars before, although admittedly, it’s been a minute.
There was a guitar-playing robot at World Expo ’88 in Brisbane, in the Japanese Pavilion. The entire fretboard was covered in actuators, and there was a plucking mechanism over the soundboard. I thought it was fascinating because it had the equivalent of six fingers, i.e. it could form six notes at a time, compared to the five from human fingers.
Yes, human fingers can hold down two strings at a time, but that’s not the point – this thing could hold down strings that human fingers couldn’t reach, e.g. stretching over the entire fretboard.
It could only pluck, it didn’t strum, and it couldn’t do some advanced string techniques – not that I remember anyway.
I can remember that at expo 88 , always want to see a real guitarist thou, I was 20 years old then time has flow
I was 4 but I remember getting a classically 80s rainbow striped belt that had LEDs in it. Mind. Blown.
I would imagine it being used to play Super Mario music live while someone is playing on an NES next to it.
That sounds amazing! Pardon the FB link, but I found a picture. https://www.facebook.com/groups/expo88/posts/24560168356972466/
Back from the tunnel with a glorious infomercial ?
Did you miss my Borg cube post?
Is this intended to stop lazy people from trying to learn gow to play themselves?
I remember many years ago going into a famous music shop only to find some gormless teenager sitting at a grand piano whist it played BETHOVEN from a CD. WHAT A DORK!
haha i think i share your feeling about ‘musical’ projects which are themselves clearly just an excuse to not actually learn any music. but i think this is its own thing, not a substitute for instrumental learning. for one, it’s a show piece (for the clicks, as they say). but also (without actually examining how the fretting mechanism works), it seems like it’s capable of quite a few things a real player isn’t…so it actually opens up some interesting musical possibilities…you know, new composition opportunities. novel soundscapes previously unheard by the human ear. though tbh my intuition is that anyone posting on youtube isn’t actually going to bother to take advantage of that heh
More than a century ago digital technology invaded sheet music and the memory of humans and music. People said it would be the ruin of humanity. The player piano! I’ve restored many. Certainly there a lot less sight readers of sheet music now than then.
Jazz musician Pat Metheny has a whole robotic “orchestra” that responds to his guitar playing. Quotes are because blown bottles aren’t your customary orchestral instrument.
The Orchestrion Project: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orchestrion_Project
Here’s a 3 min video of it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPOqwisIy5g
Thanks so much for featuring MegCell Pulse! I’m the creator of the project. It’s been in development for about six years, so it’s amazing to finally see people discovering it. Really appreciate the coverage!
If youlike this you should look into the band compressorhead. They are a pneumatic powered Motörhead coverband and it’s wild. I’ve seen them multiple times live, its everything you expect and more.