Here's an intriguing early NAMM release: Modern Guitars Magazine reports on Hot Hand, a $299 effects box which is controlled by a finger-mounted sensor. Wiggle your finger in different directions, and the effects change. Initially, the effects are various wah/filter effects. As it's designed for guitarists, I guess the idea is to have it on your right hand, strike a chord and wiggle a bit. It's produced by a new company called Source Audio (not an easy name to Google), which is a spin off from Analog Devices, who make the chips inside lots of synths. They're planning more products and the Hot Hand itself will be upgraded to do more than just wah effects. (Thanks to Keith from EmulatorXone)
1/14/2006
Hot Hand finger-powered wah-wah effect
Here's an intriguing early NAMM release: Modern Guitars Magazine reports on Hot Hand, a $299 effects box which is controlled by a finger-mounted sensor. Wiggle your finger in different directions, and the effects change. Initially, the effects are various wah/filter effects. As it's designed for guitarists, I guess the idea is to have it on your right hand, strike a chord and wiggle a bit. It's produced by a new company called Source Audio (not an easy name to Google), which is a spin off from Analog Devices, who make the chips inside lots of synths. They're planning more products and the Hot Hand itself will be upgraded to do more than just wah effects. (Thanks to Keith from EmulatorXone)
KEWEL! I wanna get one of these babys for my clav!
ReplyDelete"The Alesis AirFX is available from all good retailers"
ReplyDeletetoo bad the wah sounds kinda suck...
ReplyDeleteairfx isnt very helpful while you are playing guitar, unless you are using your foot...
The wah sounds on this box sound pretty damn good - obviously a lot of work has been put into their 10-11 different settings. It's cool to see something from a new company that's really innovative, instead of just putting out another wah pedal that looks like the rest of them. It's certainly different, but I was able to get some pretty unique sounds out of it because of the finger sensor.
ReplyDeleteAt the NAMM show, a Flanger-Phaser unit was also demonstrated. They also demonstrated using a headband to put it on your head, and used the same effects unit with a bass guitar as well. A little bit of tweaking and you can get it to sound great.
ReplyDeleteOh, and you can also use the wah box to control volume. It lets you do volume swells or tremolo depending on how you move your hand.
Haha, OK i forgot one last thing. There is an 'Expression Out' jack, which lets you use the HotHand to control any other effects box you want. I saw a demo where they hooked it up to a Boss GT-8.
Effects are not based on proximity or IR beams, such as the D-Beam effect. It is based on a 2-axis accelerometer and therefore is completely motion-dependent. Even walking around stage or jumping up and down, leaning left and right, will subtly change the sounds.
ReplyDeleteWHERE CAN BUY IT?
ReplyDeletehas someone buy it at namm??
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be available in April
ReplyDeleteI worked for Source Audio this summer writing their manual. No doubt these guys know what they're doing. They're not messing around when it comes to getting good sounds. Source Audio knew that if the sounds weren't good, people would just think the Hot Hand was a gimmick. But they actually backed up the gimmicky part with useful sounds, which makes them worthy of respect in my book. Plus they put a lot of legitimately useful musician-oriented features on. The coolest is easily the ability to have an expression pedal output, which allows you to control other effects with the hand unit. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThis is a serious company - watch for them to really go somewhere. A lot of companies like this have a great ideas but no business firepower. Source Audio is really savvy about the market and has some very experienced business people helping them out.
Hehe. My friends dad makes these. I am getting one for free!!!
ReplyDeletemy dad is making this
ReplyDeleteand josh u are def. not gettin one for free
ReplyDeletewhen I used it..use foot be the same sound.and most sound like the foot control.have another different?
ReplyDeletemy friend use it on his 11th finger..cool..now.. some smell on it
ReplyDelete