Skip to main content

FretMorpher

Elevator Pitch

FretMorpher

A virtual Fretboard with moveable frets and tuneable strings that combines the MIDI and Analog streams of a MIDI string instrument for Realtime exploration.

Product Description

This unique, hybrid instrument uses BOTH the midi and audio streams of a MIDI String Instrument to unleash an elegantly simple, yet powerful tool for exploring new frontiers in music. Slide the virtual frets around! The FretMorpher pitch-shifts the notes as though the frets on your instrument have moved while retaining the subtle nuances of the strings. Curious about EDO tunings? Non-EDO tunings? Staggered tunings? Bi-directional tunings? The FretMorpher does them effortlessly.

Tune the strings any way you want them and save the tunings. Or link a string’s tuning to a specific fret on the next lower string (like 5th fret -mostly- on the guitar) so the instrument stays in tune “relative to itself”. After all, it seems absurd to have frets that are so free and then insist that the strings be 5 standard semitones apart exactly!

Finally, the FretMorpher can operate “Bi-directionally” with both ends as a sound bridge. The use of two sound bridges has been a curiosity for many experimental musicians but also a frustration due to the complexity of reverse-overlaid logarithms associated with an ascending scale from each end. But there ARE possibilities, and the FretMorpher can easily explore them! There’s even an option to “subtract out” the part of the string that would be between the two frets (or leave the division on one fret).

The FretMorpher makes alternate fretboards, alternate tunings, and real-time experimentation easy AND -because it uses the Real Audio from the real string, it preserves the nuances of the instrument and the musician!


How It’s Innovative

It uses BOTH the Audio AND MIDI streams to make an intuitive, explorative, and performative tool for musicians. The SOUND comes through, while the MIDI is used to manipulate it, giving you the best of both worlds.

Most Inspiring Use Cases

For me personally, I love experimenting with bi-directional instruments (sound bridges at both ends). But for most, suddenly being able to play in 13 EDO, or pairing the string tunings instantly,.. it just opens your mind to the musical world that could be. It’s very freeing, whether you’re trying to design and instrument or design a new tuning, the FretMorpher makes it effortless.

Expansion Plans

I am already working on an additional “channel” for the FretMorpher for voice-shifting. The scale created by the fret positions will autotune the voice channel to that specific tuning. Fun!

Commercialization

As a media artist, I have no commercialization plans except to do performances in collaboration with interested musicians.