Change the way you play

Change the way you play

Intuitive programmable software

Intuitive programmable software

A musical instrument for now

A musical instrument for now

Preorder yours now

Preorder yours now

Welcome to AlphaSphere.com

AlphaSphere is a brand new musical instrument which has been designed for electronic music. The AlphaSphere allows you to be expressive with music through a series of tactile pressure sensitive pads. Load the Sphere with your own sounds, or connect to your existing digital audio workstation (DAW) with the intuitive software. Get hands on with electronic music and create your new sound. Change the way you play.

AlphaSphere is a product by award-winning company nu desine, a team of musicians, engineers, and developers based in Bristol, UK. Founded in 2010 and committed to being at the front line of the new music revolution.



About

What is AlphaSphere?

The AlphaSphere is a new electronic musical instrument and controller which reinterprets the way we interact with sound. Its distinct design is made up of 48 pressure sensitive pads which form a self-supporting spherical structure. Sound is triggered when you tap the pad, apply more pressure and you can start to mould and manipulate the sound further. Apply parameters to the pad-depth such as pitch-bend, volume, oscillations and interesting filters to make your music truely expressive.

A beautifully executed concept. It’s a world away from the baffling inputs and settings of many synths and drum machines.”
- Ben Beaumont-Thomas

AlphaLive, the software provided, makes loading up the AlphaSphere with your sounds an intuitive experience, or use it to interface with your own Digital Audio Workstation.

Bringing together the realms of traditional instruments and computer produced music, the AlphaSphere is built to be an instrument you can play. The unique shape and integration with responsive LED lighting open up the experience of electronic music.

Hardware Features

By itself the AlphaSphere is a controller which communicates to a computer or synthesizer via USB. Though it has the ability to send MIDI messages, it is not strictly a MIDI controller and is more programmable than a standard MIDI controller. Crucially the AlphaSphere offers full polyphonic aftertouch compatibility as standard, each of the pressure sensitive pads affecting the sound individually. The form itself is conceived as a departure from the western tradition of music, incorporating both the modern advances in music technology, and advances in the way we understand music. The combination of tactile pads in a playable form unlocks a new experience of music making, a synergy of form and function, add a player and we have a brand new musical instrument.




Software Features

AlphaLive™ is a standalone application that enables the AlphaSphere to operate as a number of common devices found within electronic music production. Presented with an attractive and intuitive interface, the software allows you to program the functionality of the AlphaSphere to a highly customized level, ultimately creating an expressive electronic musical instrument and controller that is perfect for composition, performance, and production.



OSC Output

Pads can be set to send out Open Sound Control messages with dedicated IP addresses and port numbers, allowing multiple devices/sources on a network to be controlled by the AlphaSphere. AlphaLive also contains a global ‘Dual-Output’ mode that enables each pad to create OSC messages simultaneously to their audio and MIDI functionalities.These features are perfect for communicating with OSC-enabled software such as Max/MSP, Pure Data, and Processing.

Projects and Presets

Projects can be saved to a directory along with copies of any included audio files, allowing projects to be seamlessly transferred between and edited on different computers. Each project can contain up to 20 presets that each contain their own set of settings for the entire set of pads. Presets can be switched-between by the touch of a pad without interrupting any audio, enabling simple and seamless accessibility of new sounds and functionality when using the AlphaSphere for performances.


Active Visual Feedback

Each pad within the interface changes it’s appearance depending on its current state and activity. Each pad displays its current mode, when it is being pressed along with its pressure value, as well as its playing status when set to Looper or Sequencer mode.

News

Visit our archive

So this is it, 20 months of intensive development from a concept, nine months of pure R&D and eleven months of tweaking, field testing, alpha testing, long hours, little sleep, scant holidays and surviving largely on will-power alone.  When several people with different skills devote themselves to one goal, we can have results. Music technology, [...]

Last month saw our first visit to the largest international fair for the world of music.  With the smallest stand, and the newest product (we finished the prototype the night before the flight), we would have been justified to be a little nervous. However, all fears were put aside quickly, as the press arrived at [...]

We have been lucky to win UK Trade & Investment’s “Exporting for Growth” award, beating 70 other businesses from around the South West of England.  What this means for us is focused support on understanding international markets. Potentially this will make the process of getting your hands on an AlphaSphere, that much more straightforward and [...]

The soft-launch is on! This is a call out for musicians, producers, DJs and other interested parties to come and have a go on the AlphaSphere – in exchange for feedback of course. Here’s a new video to whet your appetite: To have a go, drop us an email at softlaunch@alphasphere.com

Press

  • AlphaSphere v0.35

    AlphaSphere v0.35

    Media, Prototypes

    The 3rd generation model for the AlphaSphere, but in white!

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  • Interview with Sound On Sound

    Interview with Sound On Sound

    Articles, Video

    In depth interview with Sound on Sound at Musikmesse 2012.

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  • UKTI Competition Winners

    UKTI Competition Winners

    Articles, Media

    nu desine have been lucky enough to be awarded the UK Trade Investment Prize “Exporting for Growth”

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  • Guest Appearance on Dirk Gently

    Guest Appearance on Dirk Gently

    Images, Media

    AlphaSphere made a guest appearance on episode two of bbc television series Dirk Gently, as part of a set for a futuristic tech lab.

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  • AlphaSphere v0.3

    AlphaSphere v0.3

    Prototypes

    The third iteration of prototype with tap-sensitivity, a self-supporting frame and integrated circuit board.

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  • AlphaSphere on BBC Introducing

    AlphaSphere on BBC Introducing

    Audio

    Interview with nu desine and featured band ‘The Naturals’ on BBC Introducing Bristol radio show.

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  • On Discovery Channel Canada

    On Discovery Channel Canada

    Video

    Feature on the Discovery Channel during the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

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  • AlphaSphere at Mozilla Festival

    AlphaSphere at Mozilla Festival

    Images

    Images from Mozilla Festival 2011.

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  • AlphaLive v0.1

    AlphaLive v0.1

    Prototypes

    Screenshots of the AlphaLive software.

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  • Article on Bloomberg.com

    Article on Bloomberg.com

    Articles

    Featured on Bloomberg.com, “New musical instruments”.

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  • AlphaSphere in QUO Magazine

    AlphaSphere in QUO Magazine

    Articles

    Feature in Spanish online magazine QUO, “Brilliant Ideas”.

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  • AlphaSphere at Ogilvy Lab Day Live

    AlphaSphere at Ogilvy Lab Day Live

    Video

    Images from Ogilvy’s Lab Day Live in 2011.

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  • AlphaSphere at TEDx Bristol

    AlphaSphere at TEDx Bristol

    Video

    Video from TEDX Bristol “The World Around Us” event in 2011.

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  • AlphaSphere – Now AlphaTesting

    AlphaSphere – Now AlphaTesting

    Video

    A call for musicians, producers, DJs et al. to get involved and help shape the future development of the AlphaSphere

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  • AlphaSphere on BBC Points West

    AlphaSphere on BBC Points West

    Video

    AlphaSphere on BBC Points West news.

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  • Article on BBC online

    Article on BBC online

    Articles

    Featured on BBC News Bristol, “New electronic musical instrument AlphaSphere unveiled”.

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  • AlphaSphere v0.2

    AlphaSphere v0.2

    Prototypes

    The second AlphaSphere prototype, dubbed the musical football by the BBC (not the greatest name).

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  • Article – Mint Magazine

    Article – Mint Magazine

    Articles

    Feature in an online article in Mint Magazine, “Media Sandbox 2011″.

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  • AlphaSphere – Early Development

    AlphaSphere – Early Development

    Video

    The first promo video produced to raise awareness for the project.

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  • AlphaSphere v0.1

    AlphaSphere v0.1

    Prototypes

    The very first AlphaSphere. The pads were made from electro-conductive robotic elastomer that changed voltage depending on tension.

    details preview preview preview preview preview

Contact

Contact info

  • AlphaSphere Dept
  • nu desine ltd
  • PMStudio
  • Watershed, 1 Canons Road
  • Harbourside, Bristol
  • BS1 5TX
  •  

  • Telephone: +44 (0) 795 1547613
  • Email: info@alphasphere.com

 


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