Pocket Scion uses plants to produce music
Modern Biology caused a stir several years ago when a biologist and a musician used a modular synthesizer to create music with plants. Through a collaboration with British synth specialist Instruō, a significantly more compact and affordable alternative to the expensive synth setup has now been developed, which the manufacturer calls Pocket Scion.
Pocket Scion uses two electrical probes designed to detect biofeedback from plants by measuring variations in electrical voltage. Pocket Scion converts these voltage fluctuations into notes that can be output to a recording device or to speakers and headphones via a 3.5 mm AUX connector. Pocket Scion comes with four different digital instruments.
Connecting external instruments via MIDI or loading new synth instruments onto the Pocket Scion can be done via the accompanying app, which is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. Open Sound Control even allows Pocket Scion to be used as a controller for third-party software, such as controlling visualizations in Unreal Engine. The sound is visualized by a series of LEDs on the front of the Pocket Scion. An integrated battery allows the gadget to be used on the go without an additional power source.
Price and availability
Pocket Scion is now available in various countries around the world, of which a list can be found here (via 'World'). Retailing for $149 in the US, delivery is expected to begin in two to five days. More details about this unusual instrument can be found on the official product page.
Source(s)
No comments for this article
