“A new dimension of creativity”: Controlling your pedalboard with head movements and your breathing? This potentially game-changing new device lets you do just that (sort of)
The new invention aims to breathe life into virtual instruments
(Image credit: Papritech)
UK-based music tech firm Papritech has unveiled a potentially game-changing new take on MIDI controllers via its AirMotion Pro – which lets users trigger MIDI changes by, erm, breath and head movements.
The idea is that breath and physical motion can “bring lifelike dynamics” to your music, with the AirMotion Pro accomodating a quintet of controls that can impact dynamics or character of a given paired virtual instrument. In the case for guitarists, that exclusively means MIDI guitars.
It works by sending MIDI CC into your DAW and range of virtual instruments, “opening a new dimension of creativity”. Further still, its Bluetooth connectivity means players won’t get tangled up in reams of cables as they write and perform.
The AirMotion Pro controls “up to five parameters simultaneously using breath and head motion”, with a USB dongle allowing for independent operation.
The dongle links up to a little box with a mouthpiece and a thin arm that gently wraps around the instrumentalist's neck, which gives off serious futuristic Bob Dylan vibes. From there, you can take control of MIDI instruments in a rather unusual way.
A lightweight construction allows for comfort during long sessions and increases its viability as a creative travel companion. The AirMotion Pro is compatible with iOS and Windows platforms, as well as MIDI keyboards, while a mobile app for iOS and Android allows users to map their controllable parameters.
Introduction to AirMotion Wireless MIDI Breath and Motion Controller - YouTube
There are also sensor calibration, sensitivity adjustment, and preset-saving features within the app to fine-tune every breath you take.
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Its brand-new built-in Li-ion battery lasts up to six hours. It boasts fast-charging capabilities via USB-C and connects via Bluetooth MIDI 5.2 for low-latency performances.
The AirMotion Pro, then, wants to introduce a potentially revolutionary new avenue for music workflows, with one demo video showing how a MIDI guitar can be used to record virtual string tracks, with the added help of some additional dynamic and modulation changes triggered by the player's breathing.
Of course, right now, non-MIDI electric guitars aren’t compatible with the AirMotion Pro, but it does seem to work effectively as a handy companion when writing with a DAW, a workflow used by the likes of Plini, Clayton King, and Charlie Robbins.
Not only that, the AirMotion Pro's two predecessors – the AirMotion Lite and AirMotion Plus – are both compatible with “guitar multi-effects pedals”, and since all iterations perform largely the same function, it stands to reason this new version could be used to trigger some funky MIDI changes in your existing pedalboard.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
