Fad Gadgets: Mune electronic instrument and Soundstage virtual reality app

a musician playing a Mune
The Mune

MUNE

Scott Stevenson, inventor of the Mune, believes that live performances of digital music “leave the audience alienated from the creative process because they can’t see or understand what the musician is doing”. He has a point;
a musician turning a knob isn’t very dramatic, no matter how contorted their expression may be. The Mune assigns control to a wooden-framed device that looks like an ancient Chinese board game. Whether it makes performances more “engaging” is debatable, but I’m all for seeing weird instruments making unexpected noises.

Visit the Mune website for more

Soundstage

Soundstage

SOUNDSTAGE

Virtual reality is a term that’s been around for years, but we’re now able to experience some pretty astonishing stuff via VR headsets. Soundstage is an app for the HTC Vive, which allows you to set up a load of neon instruments and play them as if they were real. The tech is embryonic, but it provides a fascinating window into a future where we thrash around with a device clamped on our face, playing imaginary instruments.

Visit the Soundstage website for more

Rhodri Marsden