It’s Analog, It’s Digital, It’s The XOXX Composer

Every now and then we see a hybrid device that perfectly captures the best of both worlds between analog and digital. Here’s a great example of such a hybrid, called the XOXX Composer, that takes some spinning wheels, magnets and some custom software to become a hybrid controller.

The XOXX Composer is comprised of 8 wheels, each with 16 positions that hold small magnetic balls. The balls can be positioned so that when they pass over a sensor at the bottom of the device they a trigger a sound via the software over a MIDI connection. By moving the magnets, you create custom events that can become a beat or instrument trigger thanks to the software.

The device is a prototype developed by Axel Bluhme while studying at the Royal College of Art in London. It’s not available for sale, but Bluhme is considering a crowdfunding campaign in the future.

While I’m not sure of its viability as a product, it sure is cool. It’s great to see MIDI controllers reimagined, and this one is certainly outside the box.