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In the ever-evolving world of music technology, these innovative instruments are revolutionizing the way we create and experience music. By combining traditional designs with cutting-edge digital features, they make music more accessible, intuitive, and portable. Whether you’re a beginner eager to learn, an experienced musician ready to experiment, or someone in search of a versatile, all-in-one performance tool, these instruments offer unique solutions that empower musicians to express themselves anywhere, anytime, with ease and creativity.

Inspired by the soulful and spontaneous nature of Gretta James from the Begin Again movie, Korean designer Yunji Lee and PDF HAUS presents a revolutionary portable electric guitar that allows musicians to create music magic anywhere, anytime. This digital musical instrument blends the rich tradition of a classic guitar with cutting-edge digital flexibility, offering a unique tool for modern creators on the go.

With its sleek and minimalistic design, the guitar is ultra-portable, lightweight, and perfectly sized to fit comfortably in a bag or backpack. Its compact form doesn’t sacrifice functionality, making it the ideal companion for musicians who seek both practicality and artistic freedom, whether in a studio, on the subway, or out in the park.

The guitar’s intuitive design combines tactile familiarity with the power of digital technology. Users can easily connect the instrument to an external music player for a seamless play experience. The guitar allows performers to enrich their sound with a wide variety of digital effects, enhancing their music in ways that a traditional guitar cannot. Plus, with a headphone jack for private practice, it offers a quiet, personal space to rehearse and experiment at any moment.

A dedicated smartphone app further elevates the instrument’s functionality, enabling users to make music instantly, regardless of location. The app makes it simple to record, mix, and share musical creations without the need for bulky equipment or a full band setup.

Inspired by the heart and energy of Gretta James, this portable electric guitar empowers musicians to take their creativity wherever life leads them, capturing the spontaneity and joy of music-making on the move.

Following in the footsteps of groundbreaking design, the Ni28 by German designer Joris Wegner takes the concept of musical instruments into a whole new realm. While musical knowledge and skill are still necessary, the Ni28 introduces a new kind of playability. With MIDI controllers often being bulky and unwieldy, requiring users to understand the technicality of buttons, sliders, and switches, the Ni28 flips the script. It resembles the iconic electric guitar, but beneath its sleek surface lies a highly advanced digital controller designed for producing music in ways that transcend conventional instruments.

MIDI controllers are traditionally designed with two main controls: one for toggling settings and triggering actions, and another to map pitch to musical notes. These are often embodied in keyboards, complete with their rows of buttons and sliders. But for musicians who want to break free from the boundaries of the keyboard and bring a fresh, visually captivating performance, the Ni28 offers a more intuitive solution.

The Ni28 isn’t just a visually striking piece—it redefines how a guitar can function. Instead of strings and frets, the entire neck of the guitar is fitted with a matrix of nickel-plated brass plates that act as nodes. By simply tapping or bridging these plates, you can activate a wide range of musical functions and pitches, making the guitar feel alive with interaction. Unlike a typical stringed instrument, where you must exert pressure on the strings to create sound, the Ni28’s responsive plates only require a light touch. The user can move their fingers effortlessly across the neck, touching one plate and activating sound with ease, or even bridging two plates to create unique musical effects. This makes it especially user-friendly, even for those unfamiliar with traditional guitar techniques.

The ease of use is another advantage of this innovative design. While a regular guitar requires muscle memory and finger strength to press down on strings and produce notes, the Ni28 eliminates these physical barriers. A gentle tap is all that’s needed to trigger sound.

But perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Ni28 lies in its modularity. Because the electronic components are housed inside the neck, the body of the guitar can be customized, swapped, or even entirely reimagined. The body’s design is no longer limited by the acoustics needed for a traditional guitar. This opens up endless possibilities for visually stunning, ergonomic, and unique stage-ready designs. Performances become not only a musical experience but a visual one too, allowing musicians to experiment with appearances and designs that complement their personal style and stage presence.

Created by the LAVA Music Team, the LAVA GENIE offers a powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use platform for music creation. Designed for both beginners and seasoned musicians, this innovative device removes the barriers of traditional instruments, offering an intuitive, stringless guitar experience that’s ready to play wherever inspiration strikes.

The LAVA GENIE doesn’t have strings—no tuning, no complicated finger placement. Instead, it uses touch-sensitive pads that respond to your taps and presses, making music creation simple and accessible for anyone. This design makes the GENIE an ideal instrument for those who find conventional guitars difficult or painful to play, while still offering enough flexibility for experienced players to create and perform. The GENIE’s pads, called TapPads, are customizable, giving the user the ability to control chords, adjust tempo, and trigger beats with ease.

Enhancing the experience is the LAVA+ app, which features a constantly expanding library of songs, allowing you to learn, play along, or just explore new music. The user can even upload your own audio files, and the app will automatically convert them into chord charts that sync seamlessly with the GENIE. The app also acts as a virtual coach, providing interactive chord charts, BPM adjustments, and more, all designed to help you fine-tune your playing and develop your musical skills.

What sets the LAVA GENIE apart is that it’s not just a guitar—it’s an all-in-one musical instrument with a massive sound library. It comes loaded with over 500 sounds, covering a wide variety of instruments such as piano, electric guitar, drums, and more. This broad range of sounds allows you to experiment with different genres and create completely new music from one device.

Unlike traditional electric guitars that require an external amplifier, the LAVA GENIE features a built-in speaker that delivers powerful sound without the need for extra equipment. Its compact, hollow design houses dual drivers that produce a full spectrum of sound, from crisp treble to deep bass, making it perfect for playing anywhere. With a slim profile that’s 35% thinner than most guitars, it’s incredibly portable—ideal for musicians on the go. Designed with portability in mind, the GENIE is lightweight and easy to carry.