Photos courtesy of Kate Rounding and zen (RIX Inclusive Institute)
Wrapping up another fantastic year of GearCon, London’s favourite hands-on music gear revue, where musical devices from around the world assemble at Tileyard for a weekend of demonstrations, workshops, live performances and technology showcases.
We were on a research mission with the RIX Inclusive Institute to discover what’s new in the world of accessible musical instruments, and to investigate what the industry is doing to address accessibility in their products. Our friends at TiME (Technology in Music Education), who are members of the MASSIG community and stalwarts of the sector, were sponsors of the event and on hand with a well-stocked, hands-on exhibit presenting their incredible range of available technology.
A Smorgasbord of Accessible Synths
On show were a smorgasbord of synths; new products included the single-button Cyma Forma RND synth, which joins the existing lineup including the mighty multimodal Blipblox, the delightful Roland Mood Pan, the attractive Cosmo Dots, Digit CMPSR, bouncing ODD Balls, and the immersive Woojer vibrating vest.
It is commendable that TiME’s Table of Tech offers the public the opportunity to experience these devices in a playable capacity, as there are few places to experience such tech, and it was wonderful to see the broad variety of solutions on offer along with the public’s response. We’re excited to see where the range expands next.
Many other companies and machines were on display, with devices from all your favourite MIDI Association members: Modal Electronics, ASM, Teenage Engineering, Kurzweil, Eventide, and Ableton.
Buchla brought along some portable “Music Easel” rigs that we found were the perfect balance of complexity and features, with large, accessible controls that offer immediate feedback.
Spatial Audio and Immersive Tech
There was a large focus on immersive and spatial audio, with Dolby demonstrations in their offices from esteemed engineers, along with conversations with artists and producers. The first public demo of Audioscenic’s SBX-1 Spatial Studio Monitor presented spatial monitoring from a single portable speaker array.
It was a very busy event running over a few days with non-stop talks. Very fortunately, there was a chance to try out the new Onizion vibroacoustic bed, which allows you to enjoy music through vibration, even while you sleep — let’s hope they consider implementing MIDI 2.0!
Looking Ahead to GearCon 2027
Overall it was an inspiring event with an incredible breadth of technology, mixing education with hands-on experimentation into a gloriously rewarding format. It was great to see accessible technologies at the same tables as the rest of the industry, and we hope that all the discussion and feedback will push the right requirements forward.
Many thanks to TiME for the invitation, to GearCon for hosting, and to all the amazing companies and people who made it down and made it special. Looking forward to GearCon 2027!
This article was written by Zen Olenski (picture on the far left) who is a member of the Music Accessibility Special Interest Group.