Nov 11

The PUC Crowdfunding Project Comes To A Close, Bringing MIDI To All The Things

Posted in: Today's Chili

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The PUC by Zivix is a clever little device that converts older MIDI systems into wireless powerhouses, allowing you to connect to iPads and the like with one small disc of electronics. Zivix, the maker of the Jamstik, is closing their crowdfunding campaign with $28,000 in the bank.

The company has been working on unique musical devices for the iPad for most of the year and are very close to production with both their products. The Jamstik, for example, is nearing production and should begin shipping in a month. The PUC will ship to backers in January.

I saw both products today and I’m impressed with how diligently the team has reduced latency in these experiences. As a semi-competent musician I’m well aware of the problems raised by messy wireless connections and Zivix has done their darnedest to work around the new limitations in MIDI connections imposed by iOS 7.

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Sep 09

The Zivix PUC Connects Any MIDI Device To Your iOS Device

Posted in: Today's Chili

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Believe it or not, people still use MIDI. That said, wouldn’t it be cool if you could connect your MIDI keyboards and drum machines to your iPad so you can add some serious breaks to your latest musical production? With the PUC, an Indiegogo project from the creators of portable guitar called the Jamstik, now you can.

Zivix makes wireless instruments for the information age, and this is their latest creation. The PUC connects 5-pin DIN-based devices to WiFi and is powered by two AA batteries or micro USB. It is about as big as a real hockey puck and is IN/OUT switchable. Any CoreMIDI over WiFi compatible app will work with the PUC.

Why is this cool? Well, it makes almost every older (and newer) MIDI device iOS-compatible. It also makes it a bit easier to do cool onstage and in-studio stuff with instrument placement.

The company will build the first PUCs in the U.S., an interesting choice that should speed up development of the product. They are looking for a total of $50,000 and have just passed $5,000 in pledges. They are offering a special Disrupt price of $69 right now, about $30 off the final MSRP.

While the PUC may not make you a red-hot studio musician overnight it’s nice to know that someone out there is still thinking of the MIDI-heads.



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May 15

Zivix Announces Wireless iOS Connectivity For The Jamstik MIDI Guitar

Posted in: Today's Chili

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When we first met the team from Zivix their wild MIDI guitar, the Jamstik, promised a unique music-making experience thanks to a tether that connected it to a computer or iOS device. In the few short months since CES, however, they’re now preparing to announce that Jamstik works nearly flawlessly over Wi-Fi with iPhones and iPads, thereby reducing the need for a physically tethered device.

The Jamstik, which has surpassed its Indigogo goal with 13 days to go, is the first product by Zivix that aims to make music education and composition far easier than on a normal guitar. Not unlike the GTar, the Jamstik outputs MIDI signals as you play. However, instead of electrical connections with the strings the Jamstik uses IR sensors to “see” where your fingers are on the fretboard, allowing for tricks like string bending and hammer-ons and -offs.

The new prototypes have full MIDI over WiFi support, allowing you to connect to an iOS device completely wirelessly. The Jamstik actually creates its own ad hoc network with your device, allowing you to maintain a connection to your favorite audio program without having to connect cables. In the demo I saw today the Jamstik maintained a solid connection for most of an hour and, using Audiobus, you could transmit audio from one program to another, allowing for some amazing mixed MIDI and audio recordings.

The company plans to go into production in 30 days and they have 17 days left on their Indiegogo campaign. The device itself is $299 and the company is in talks to get it into retail stores in Q4 for general consumers. It’s an exciting time to be a musician, that’s for sure.

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Jan 11

JamStik portable MIDI guitar lets you play and learn on the iPad wirelessly

Posted in: Today's Chili

JamStik

We heard from our friends over at TechCrunch (thanks, John Biggs!) that a company called Zivix has been showing off a cool little MIDI guitar at CES, so here it is! Dubbed the JamStik, this digital instrument serves the same purpose as the already-available You Rock, except this one comes with real guitar strings, works wirelessly over WiFi, features a lower latency (under 10ms instead of about 20ms, according to Zivix’s lab test), and it also has a shorter neck plus a much smaller body for the sake of portability — even for some casual plucking on the plane. The JamStik also supports string bending thanks to the way it detects finger movement on the neck — the rows of infrared lights and sensors under the strings make the magic happen.

Of course, you’d need a PC or an iOS device (with CoreMIDI-compatible apps like GarageBand and Animoog) to get the audio, and for the latter, Zivix will be offering three apps: JamTutor guitar teaching suite, JamHero game (very much like Guitar Hero and Rock Band) and Jam Live music remixer. We had a go using a wired prototype JamStik, and apart from the slight delay between our strumming and the audio output (which will be further fine-tuned before going retail), we had a lot of fun with it. Check out the demo videos after the break, and expect to see the JamStik hit the market this summer for somewhere around $249 to $299.

Gallery: JamStik portable MIDI guitar lets you play and learn on the iPad wirelessly

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