Rob o'Reilly Expressiv, a real electric guitar with built-in MIDI controller

Rob o’Reilly has launched a new KickStarter project to fund his Expressiv electric guitar with built-in MIDI controller.

Expressiv is a real electric guitar that can be plugged to any guitar amp, but it also includes a new MIDI system to control any MIDI hardware or software.

The difference between the technology employed in Expressiv and other MIDI guitar controllers is the way it detects the sound: instead of tracking the sound generated by the strings, Expressiv includes a fingerboard scanner that recognizes which note you play, just like on a traditional keyboard. Rob o’Reilly adds that this technology avoids latency and note tracking issues but mostly it allows the player to use his strumming hand free for controlling the XY touchpad, joystick, buttons…

The Expressiv guitar includes a switch for standard and MIDI modes and it can connect via USB (which also powers the device) or DIN 5-pin. The guitar is Class Compliant, so it can work with any MIDI software or hardware.

In MIDI Mode, you get three modes: Touch Pad (press the string and touch the pad to output a note, moving fingers on the touchpad bends notes, alters the volume or any other assignable parameter), Tap (pressing the frets generates a note) and the standard mode that uses pickups.

Specifications:

Laminated wood body structure with center acrylic infinite mirror
Bolt-on maple neck
White lacquered maple fingerboard with 22 frets
Dot edge inlays
Scale length: 648mm
Locking tuners
Tune-O-Matic bridge
Adjustable truss rod
2 Wilkinson WVSB bridge and VSM center single coil pickups
Master volume
3-way pickup switch
D’Addario .010 – .046 strings
Built-in joystick, XY touchpad, 6 assignable buttons, Octave up/down
5-pin DIN MIDI output
USB output
1/4” audio output
Matte Black finish

Final price of the Expressiv guitar will be 799€ but during the Kickstarter funding campaign, you get interesting offers with prices of 449€ or 497€ with the hardshell. Note that you can specify if you wish a left or right-handed model. If the project is funded, the Expressiv guitar will start shipping in March, 2015. More info at www.kickstarter.com and www.rorguitars.com.