Resources | New technology
It’s incredible to see the amount of new music technology that is being produced on what feels like a daily basis! New hardware, software, new apps for both iOS and Android, updates and upgrades to existing products and different devises to use them on. And to think that a lot of music tech is only just over 30 years old! Here at TiME we will try and keep you informed on what new tech is becoming available. We will then look at how the tech could be used within education and SEN/D settings. Quiet often tech is extremely adaptable for different scenarios. This may be down to simple things like, is there a lead or a cable that could get in the way? Is it Bluetooth? Does it take batteries? How big are the buttons etc … ? And of course, how much does it cost?! Sign up for FREE membership to read regular product reviews.
Please click here to find out about our Table of Tech and some of the latest accessible music technologies and digital instruments - if you would like us to bring the Table of Tech to your school or community music group - please email info@techmusiced.org.uk
Here are some new products you may not be aware of:
Founded in 1946 by Leo Fender in California, Fender is one of the world’s leading makers of electric guitars, basses and amplifiers. Best known for iconic instruments such as the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster, Fender remains one of the most recognisable names in music.
Fender continues to grow its role in education and digital music-making through a practical range of tools and platforms, including Fender Studio Pro (previously Studio One Pro) and the free Fender Studio app for desktop and mobile. Users can plug a Fender guitar into an interface such as the Fender AudioBox GO, then record, edit and mix music in one connected system. Fender Studio Pro offers more advanced tools for those ready to take the next step in music production.
The Fender AudioBox GO is especially useful for portable setups thanks to its light, compact design. It allows microphones, guitars and headphones to connect and can be easily moved between classrooms, rehearsal rooms or other workspaces.
For even greater portability, the Fender Link I/O connects a guitar or bass directly to a phone, tablet, or computer. This makes it easy to practise quietly, record ideas quickly or use music apps with very little setup.
The free Fender Studio app is designed for guitarists, bassists and musicians to record, edit and jam using Fender amp sounds and effects. Available on mobile and desktop, it includes simple recording tools, multiple tracks, backing tracks and mixing features, helping users move from quick ideas through to more developed projects.
Other Fender apps further support musical development. Fender Play provides structured learning for guitar, bass and ukulele. Fender Tune offers reliable tuning, while Fender Tone connects with compatible Fender amplifiers for sound control and presets.
Together, these tools create progression routes from first notes through to recording, music production and performance. Educational site licensing options for schools and colleges are available via direct enquiry.
Find out more at https://uk.fender.com
Yamaha’s FGDP Finger Drum Pads bring portable beat-making into a compact, self-contained format. Both the FGDP-30 and FGDP-50 feature an ergonomic pad layout designed specifically for finger drumming, helping hands fall into more natural playing positions for kicks, snares and hi-hats. The responsive pads can support expressive playing with relatively small hand movements, while the tabletop design works well in seated settings and smaller spaces.
Built-in sounds, speakers and rechargeable batteries mean they can be used without extra equipment, making them easy to pick up and play. Headphone connectivity supports quieter practice, while USB MIDI/audio allows direct connection to computers and tablets with minimal setup.
The FGDP-30 is the simpler, more affordable model, with straightforward controls and voice-over guidance. The FGDP-50 adds expanded sounds, RGB pads, sampling functions and deeper performance tools for users who want more creative options.
Find out more at Yamaha Instruments
LIFT Music is an innovative gesture-controlled app that makes music creation accessible for everyone. Using a tablet's camera, the app tracks arm movements, allowing users to control music through simple gestures, with sound and visuals responding in real-time. No instruments or prior training are needed - just movement.
Users can choose from a range of colour-coded musical “styles” – from relaxing folk and orchestral soundscapes to beat-driven grooves, calm duets and simple two-instrument sketches – with the app adapting to each person’s range of motion.
There’s also an optional ‘Evolve’ feature, which gradually adds variety and progression, creating the sense of a duet between the player and the app. Pilots in SEND schools, community groups, brain injury rehabilitation programmes and with music therapists have shown powerful results, with participants engaging, thriving and experiencing music in new ways.
For more information please visit https://liftmusic.org
Already adopted by hundreds of young disabled musicians across the UK including National Open Youth Orchestra and Open Orchestras players, it can also be used to engage students who don’t read music, and for therapeutic self-expression. The free trial version includes four high-quality instrument sounds - flute, synthesiser, strings, and zither, and six patterns - Happy Birthday, Amazing Grace, Blow the Wind Southerly, First Steps and the latest BBC Ten Pieces: Grasswalk by Laura Shigihara and Magic from Storm by Judith Weir, a great piece to encourage musical creativity. Musicians can start playing straight away as it is highly intuitive. The Clarion can be purchased through the DfE Musical Instruments, Equipment and Technology Framework. For more information including features, pricing and discounts for orders of 20 or more licences, visit theclarion.uk/buy
For more information, please visit https://theclarion.uk
Developed by Open Up Music, the Clarion is the first-ever digital instrument recognised by ABRSM. Expressive like traditional instruments, but also highly accessible, it comes as an app you can download on iPads and Windows PCs. Designed to be played using any part of the body, it can be controlled with eyegaze technology or a head mouse.
If you fancy a jam session you can pair up to six balls with the app. There are 100’s of sounds available, and you can also sample your own sounds. Users can choose from different genres, record their performances, and create custom playlists. If you fancy having a go at being a DJ, then you can line up your playlist and transition between tracks by tossing the ODD Ball in the air. This approach to music creation is entertaining and also encourages physical activity, making it an ideal tool for getting students moving.
For more information, please visit https://oddballism.com/
The ODD Ball is an innovative Bluetooth-powered bouncy ball, equipped with motion sensors that translate your every move into music! With the ODD Ball and its companion app, music creation becomes a fun and interactive experience. It’s super easy to set up – just pair the ball with the app and choose your sound sets. You can tap the ball to control the drum track, shake it to play percussion, moving it smoothly to generate a melody, twisting for a solo, and bouncing it for effects and more.
CMPSR® is an award-winning joystick-controlled MIDI instrument. It works as an easy-to-play musical instrument or advanced MIDI device, and you don’t need any training. Use simple finger gestures to play notes and shape sounds with the velocity sensitive joystick and the eight music pads for unique composition and sound design possibilities.
For more information, please visit www.digitmusic.co.uk
Highlights include:
Patented gaming technology with musical capabilities
Always-in-key feature
Built-in chord and scale engines
Play with simple finger gestures
Wirelessly connect (or USB C) to any device (PC, MAC, iOS, Android)
Sleek, stylish design
Lightweight and portable
Works as an advanced DAW controller with included mappings for BitwigTM
Ableton LiveTM and more (coming soon)
1GB+ sound library created by renowned sound designers and artists
The Dubler microphone, along with the Dubler app is a real-time vocal MIDI controller, transforming your voice into any musical instrument.
Perfect for creating melodies, drum beats and chord progression even if you are a total beginner - if you can hum, sing, beatbox or whistle than you can compose with the Dubler 2 app.
The Dubler 2 is a game-changing standalone desktop app that works with all DAWs, and you can now also calibrate your preferred microphone for use.
For more information, please visit www.vochlea.com
Dubler isn’t just pitch-to-midi. You can: accurately trigger a wide range of samples, control pitched instruments, apply pitch bend, control envelope, velocity and 4 CC values simultaneously.
This is all done live! Meaning you can hear your voice as any instrument or drum kit in real time. Other solutions out there are done post processing.
The strings are haptic giving the player the sensation of the strings vibrating as they are played. The instrument can be adapted in many ways to meet individual needs such as adjusted for left-handed or right-handed playing, the size, number and angle of the chord pad and keys.
There is also a choice of 6 different styles of handles to support wider access. The Arcana is connected to external devices such as iPad, phone app or a DAW to produce the sounds.
For more information, please visit www.arcanainstruments.com
Arcana Instruments was founded by a team of musicians, engineers and designers who joined forces to open access to music making for people across the world.
The Arcana Strum was created to provide a fully accessible instrument. On one side of the instrument there is a silicone keypad that can be pressed to produce chords and on the other side there is a handle that enables strumming and ‘picking’ of strings.
The EarMaster app is both a practice tool and a learning tool for musicianship skills, aural skills, vocal training and applied music theory. Its unique pitch and rhythm detection evaluates your performance in real-time and gives you instant feedback on your intonation and timing. With its 3500 exercises for aural training, sight-singing practice, rhythm training and singing practice, EarMaster makes it possible for anyone to improve their musicianship skills and gain instant feedback on their performances.
For more information, please visit www.earmaster.com
EarMaster ensures that you gain a theoretical understanding of musical concepts such as rhythm, harmony and melody, and that you can sing, play, and identify musical structures by ear as well as from a score. EarMaster covers all levels from Key Stage 1 through Conservatoire level, and it has both built-in courses and the option of customising exercises. The app is used by educational institutions worldwide, including Berklee College of Music, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, University of Surrey, University of Westminster, and many more - as well as numerous colleges, schools and music schools from KS1 and up.
For more information, please visit www.soundbeam.co.uk
"Soundbeam has played a major role in helping students realise their fullest potential.”
For support with older versions of Soundbeam please contact adrian@soundbeam.co.uk
Soundbeam 6 was launched in 2017. IT is an award-winning ‘touch free’ musical instrument that uses ultrasonic sensors to detect even the smallest movement and translate this into sounds. It comes with pre-loaded 'soundsets' that allow the exploration and performance of different genres - blues, classical, to more improvisational soundscapes and other ways of playing. Soundbeam 6 has a wealth of instruments, backing tracks and sound effects to choose from and is completely programmable.
The Soundbeam 6 has an 11.5” touch screen controller that you use to navigate through the different soundsets, as well as the record and compose functions. You can also use the embedded films to accompany any performance, or to help stimulate creative music making.
You use the Soundbeam sensors to ‘play’ the Soundbeam, these pick up any movement within a defined area, which is then translated into musical notes. The Soundbeam switches help in the creation of a piece of music by providing backing tracks and additional sounds.
Cosmo is a set of interactive and multi-sensory controllers (called Cosmoids), that work together with the Cosmo app. Cosmo offers an ever-growing selection of activities that motivate learners to develop motor, cognitive, and communication skills through play and music. Cosmo’s multi-sensory activities work towards achieving skill-based, functional and national curriculum compatible goals. Results are recorded to allow for easy progress tracking. Our interactive activities have been specially designed by therapists and special educators to provide engaging and motivating opportunities for learning, creativity and therapy.
For more information, please visit www.filisia.com and for educational prices, please email: hello@filisia.com or call +44 (0)20 3289 4779.
Sontronics Podcast Pro is a professional dynamic microphone, hand-built in the UK, specifically developed to give incredible results for podcast as well as radio broadcast, gaming, streaming, vlogging, video calls and music.
If you need to record, broadcast or capture vocals of any kind, Podcast Pro is the mic for you.
For more information, please visit www.sontronics.com and for educational prices, please email: lisa@sontronics.com or call +44 (0) 1202 722 583
More info at www.minirigs.co.uk and for educational discounts, please email: support@minirigs.co.uk
Keeping on the theme of Bluetooth®, one very good British brand of Bluetooth® Speakers I have come across recently is 'Minirig'. They are based in Bristol and have been developing their speakers for over ten years. They produce three different speakers that range in price from the £99.95 (RRP) for the Minirig Mini, through to £139.96 (RRP) for their top selling Minirig 3 and also the MiniSub 3.
The Minirig 3 is the one of the best Bluetooth® speaker for schools. Not only is it portable, with loud (40 watts amp!) high quality sound and incredibly stable, it also has an amazingly long 100 hours of battery life! And if that's not powerful enough, you can link up other minirigs. Recommended in music education by the wonderful Ben Sellers and 'Transformance Music' (www.transformancemusic.org ), Minirigs have also worked well on tour for 'Performance without Borders' and the Norwich 'BreathEasy Singing Group'.
And to help give you a clear conscience, they use recycled packaging, biodegradable plastics and will repair any damaged Minirig from as little £10 via their excellent UK Customer Service Team.