With the JamStik, You Can Make Your Own iPad Music

A Minneapolis start-up called Zivix is releasing a battery-powered guitar-like instrument called JamStik in July.

The JamStik makes music more accessible and can be used for many applications.  It can be considered an amateur music tutorial,  and iPad entertainment accessory or a professional musician’s songwriting companion.

The VP of business development and operations says “We’re trying to make the experience of learning to play more engaging.”

Based on the information we have received so far, they are definitely succeeding on their objective.

This is how the JamStik works…

It has strings and frets like a guitar, but makes no audible sound. Instead, it uses electronic sensors to track the vibration of its strings and the movements of a person’s fingers above them, then sends those digital signals via Wi-Fi to an iPhone, iPad, Windows PC or Apple Macintosh.

There the JamStik’s digital signals are played as music. As result of software manipulation of the signals, the music could sound like a variety of instruments, such as a guitar, piano, or a horn section.

Those who use Jamstik to practice guitar will see a screen similar to that of the Xbox 360 game “Guitar Hero,” although JamStik emphasizes playing real notes instead of pushing Guitar Hero’s ­­colored buttons.

This is a new and exiting way to engage people and help them become more receptive to learning music, anytime and any place.

Beginners can get a visual grasp of the basics, while professional musicians can see the notes and chords they’ve played converted into standard musical notation for guitar, a shortcut in the work of songwriting.

Check out this link for additional information on the JamStik.