Moog Music develops LEV-96 pickup harmonizer
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Moog Music is currently beta testing its LEV-96 prototype sensoriactuator
The bulk of the device's electronics are hidden from view, inside the body of the guitar
The LEV-96 sensoriactuator activates and controls naturally-occurring harmonics and resonant frequencies in any medium
The unit is currently powered via a cable from a wall socket, although Moog is currently testing a version sporting an internally-mounted battery
The LEV-96 is centered with the bridge of the guitar so that two electromagnetic pickup channels are positioned under each of the instrument's six strings
Angled view of the electromagnetic pickups
Although Moog has chosen an acoustic guitar to demonstrate its early prototype, the company sees the technology being used with other acoustic instruments and even being fixed to almost any surface or material
The installation of the LEV-96 is non-invasive and doesn't damage the guitar
Layout of the capacitive swipe touch controls for adjusting intensity, harmonics and note duration and additional touch points for choosing arpeggio presets, and modulation tweaking including tremolo and random harmonics
The device searches for and registers each string's natural harmonics and is able to simultaneously "play" up to 96 of these sounds to provide a harmonic backdrop for the player's string picking
The LEV-96 being put to the test at the recent Moog Fest
Article Summary
Marking something of a diversion from the company's more familiar analog synths, tonesmiths at Moog Music are in the early prototype stages of a novel technology capable of activating and controlling the natural harmonics and resonant frequencies of the strings of an acoustic instrument, and placing them at the disposal of the player. The LEV-96 sensoriactuator is currently installed at the sound hole of an acoustic guitar for beta testing, and features touch-enabled sliders and buttons for precise sonic tweaking and adjustment.
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