First we had Korg’s Volca vary of mini-synths; then Teenage Engineering upped the ante with their vary of Pocket Operator compact gadgets. And now, the push to create itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny music-making machines has reached a complete new stage of absurdity with the arrival of the Synthwatch.
The wrist-borne keyboard options seven monophonic keys and a palette of 200 sounds to play with, though the corporate can be engaged on a chord-playing, polyphonic model. It has in-built wi-fi connectivity, and works alongside an iOS app with a built-in sequencer that lets you management, document and tweak the sounds. It’s being developed by Audioweld, an Italian watch-making firm with designs on the music business.
The Audioweld Synthwatch has been in growth for 2 years, and funds are at the moment being raised on Kickstarter. Backers pledging £425 will get a reduced model if the challenge reaches its goal of £68,356 and goes into manufacturing. It costs USB C, and has a three.5mm jack and line out for hooking as much as an amp or speaker. It’s splash-proof too, for these all-important jam periods whenever you’re ready for a bus within the rain. And sure: it does additionally inform the time.
£425, tinyurl.com/synthwatch
