Can’t read music? No problem! Owow is a new breed of musical instrument that promises to be simple to play but tricky to master.
Despite the fact Pieter-Jan Pieters was an accomplished digital musician, he was turned down from music academy because he couldn’t read sheet music. Instead of getting mad, he decided to get even, and prove that you don’t need such an archaic skill. And so he set about creating Owow, a new type of musical instrument.
The range consists of five instruments, each available in two finishes: one with a high-end aluminium case, and a cheaper one with a bare circuit board.
Wob looks a bit like a round light switch. You play it by waving your hand up and down. Wiggle, meanwhile, resembles a remote control, and makes different sounds depending on how you rotate your hand.
Drum looks quite like Wiggle, but lets you make sound by hitting the air.
There you go. Not exactly classical instruments, but each looks very simple to play and surprisingly versatile. And they’re affordable too – prices start at €49 for the basic version of some of them.
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All work with your computer to lay down tracks with software like Ableton, Logic, Pro Tools and Reason.
It’s raised €15,000 of a €50,000 target, and still has 19 days to go. Let’s hope it succeeds as a shot in the eye to all the traditional musos out there.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.