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The Automat is a music maker’s robot bonker

Because 12 channels of bonging, clanging and rattling is what your ‘music’ was lacking

Fraser Macdonald

Sure, you can buy an electronic synth and make ‘da crazy tunes’. But chances are that some other goatee’d noisenik bought that same synth, twiddled those same knobs and made the same sound. To be truly original, you need properly random instruments, and the soon-to-be-Kickstarted Dadamachines Automat can help. It’s a MIDI controller that lets you set up to 12 actuators that can be used to bonk things, move things or rattle things. Those ‘things’ might be actual instruments, such as a drum, or they might be any sonorous objects you have around your flat. Sorry, studio.

Profile image of Fraser Macdonald Fraser Macdonald consulting editor

About

Fraser used to wear a Psion Series 3 palmtop in a shoulder holster. Perhaps he still does.Either way, his lifelong mission - including fourteen years for Stuff - has been to see whether the consumer electronics industry can ever replicate that kind of cyborgian joy.So far: nope. Despite a plan to combine a action camera and Olympus Eye-Trek goggles to become Man Who Sees The Vision Of A Man Three Inches Taller Than Himself.He also likes mountain bikes, motorbikes, cars, helicopters. Still thinks virtual surround is witchcraft. Dislikes jetskis, despite never having been on one.