New Music Gear Monday: Sensel Morph Tactile Controller

Sensel MorphWe’ve been used to the keyboard, mouse and trackpad as our main computer interface for a long time now, but didn’t you ever wish for more control than these single dimensional input devices provide? Meet the Sensel Morph, a multi-touch pressure sensitive controller that rethinks the way we input data in just about any application.

The Morph is basically a pressure sensitive tablet that can detect large levels of pressure information. While that in itself makes it unique, it goes another step by providing magnetic overlays for a variety of applications, and even a template where you can specify your own control overlay from scratch for Sensel to print it for you, or they can send you the 3D printing file so you can print it at home. As it’s currently configured, the unit comes with one of three standard music control surface overlays: an MPC-style control surface and drum programming grid, a keyboard or a drum kit.

The Morph works out of the box with many applications, and it’s also hackable if you have the technical chops. You can connect it to your computer via USB, to your iPad via Bluetooth, or to an Arduino via developer cables.

The unit is able to work with such precision thanks to approximately 20,000 individual sensor elements at a spacing of less than 1/16” inserted on a custom-formulated highly-tuned polymer layer. That gives each individual sensor element the ability to detect anything from a feather-light tap to a hard push and everything in between (with over 4,000 detectable voltage levels).

The Sensel Morph was part of a Kickstarter campaign that quickly reached it’s $60,000 goal, then it’s stretched goal of $250k, and now sits at $442k, so there’s obviously some appetite for the unit. You can with one overlay, and even better, the company is currently delivering.

Check out the video below for more about the Morph, and also take a look at the music section of the Sensel website.

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