In the real world, a prepared piano has the likes of bolts and screws stuck between the piano strings but in the digital world, a different approach is needed. Dan Trueman says that the "prepared digital piano" feels just like a piano under the hands and often sounds like one, but it is full of surprises, with virtual machines of various sorts adorning the virtual strings of the digital piano, transforming it into an instrument that pushes back, sometimes like a metronome, other times like a recording played backwards. He also says that the virtual strings also tighten and loosen on the fly, dynamically tuning in response to what is played.

bitKlavier, now available at the app store, offers you the prepared digital piano experience. Dan Trueman tells us that it has been used by a number of composers for creating new music, and has been featured in performances around the world.

bitKlavier's range of "preparations," include:

• Synchronic: "metronomes" of various sorts that respond to your playing.
• Nostalgic: reverse piano, synced to the synchronic preparations or driven by the length of the notes that you play.
• Tuning: various tuning systems, including some that change under your hands as you play.
• Direct: muted notes, so they don't sound when you play, but their preparations activate

 

Pricing and Availability:
$4.99 at the app store.

More information:

• manyarrowsmusic.com

 

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