Eigenharp Alpha: Re-inventing the Squeal

Its always been somewhat difficult for electronic musicians to maintain an edge whilst performing live. Twiddling little knobs every which way while doing the cursory head-bob only goes so far to entertain. Rock n roll it most certainly is not. Until now.

The Eigenharp looks set to revolutionize the realm of synth-heavy music genres with a truly breath-taking new approach to interfacing with computers on stage or in the studio. The instrument appears to have been stolen from the set of Star Wars and tinkered with until one can do practically anything with it, save from taking a discreet pee into it on-stage without foiling a note. Consisting of 120 ridiculously sensitive keys on the neck arranged similarly to a guitar’s fretboard, 12 more robust percussion keys, 2 strip controllers, a breath pipe and multiple assignable pedal inputs, this monolithic machine suits any musical application.

The Eigenharp instrument connects to a Base Station module that in turn hooks up to one’s computer. This is pretty much its only limitation considering that the developers have decided to launch the instrument as only Mac compatible. Beyond that, one can really let fly with it – play, record and loop beats and musical phrases, create complex arrangements, real-time pitch-shifting, alter tempo, change key, scale and transpose compositions. All this is possible without going near a mouse or having to hunch over and double-click anything.

The real kicker is that the Eigenharp is going to allow unprecedented control over a huge array of aural possibilities. Synthesized music has been confined to keyboards until now and their inherent limitations meant real-time manipulation often came at the expense of real improvisation. With the Eigenharp, the playing field opens up in dramatic ways and once the initial reception to the bizarre aesthetic of the instrument wears off, it looks certain to find a comfortable, if not truly innovative space in the music industry alongside the more traditional sights on the performance circuit.