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A Guitar Robot That Can Really Shred

Posted by timothy on from the just-feed-it-carrots dept.

botPatrol writes "As reported today by Create Digital Music and the Wired blog, PAM (Polytangent Automatic (multi-)Monochord) is a robot who has discovered a love for vintage Metallica riffs, and can churn them out non-stop at superhuman speeds without ever requiring anger management therapy or treatment for drug abuse." (Read more, below.) "Her younger sister MARIE, a road-ready robotic ensemble of wind and string instruments, promises to be even more of a musical badass. STEIM (STudio for Electro Instrumental Music), a leading international research center for the development of new musical instruments, will play host to MARIE this spring, and has posted a story on the revolutionary nature of this new musical robot. PAM and MARIE creators Expressive Machines Musical Instruments (EMMI) are calling on metal- and tech-heads alike to push their Kickstarter fund raising campaign over the top in its final few days, to fund the MARIE prototype and "help thwart the imminent robot vs. human wars by demonstrating how fun, cool, and sonically interesting it can be when humans and robots combine their powers for good.""

8 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. And... by TheL0ser · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lawsuit from Metallica coming in 3...2...1...

    1. Re:And... by pushing-robot · · Score: 3, Funny

      Robot... BAD!

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
  2. The soul of the machine proves.... by GaryOlson · · Score: 4, Funny

    ....Metallica's music was always rather repetitive and robotic.
    Show me a robot which can play classical violin without becoming arrogant and whiny; that would be an achievement.

    --
    Every mans' island needs an ocean; choose your ocean carefully.
  3. Superhuman speed? by Zedrick · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The videos doesn't show any superhuman speed. I (a half-decent guitarist) can play metallica songs faster, and a lot better/cleaner (the robot doesn't seem to be able to mute the stings for example).

    Wake me up when the build a robot that can compete with Yngwie Malmsteen.

    1. Re:Superhuman speed? by mugnyte · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Even worse - it's missing more than half the sound qualities of true guitar playing:
        string thickness
        string/fret choice for note
        string bends
        finger slide noises
        pluck style (pick, hammer-on, pull-off, etc)
        pluck position on string
        muting / hf filter
        high-order harmonic generation / lf filter
        'whammy' bar
        string-to-string interaction
        pickup choice, switching
        pedalboard activity

      Synth guitar emulations can guess on a lot of these and inject sound changes, but really, nothing compares to a well-skilled guitarist playing a purposefully created good solo.

  4. Well by Anrego · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This thing sounds more synthetic than a lot of synthesizers.

    Hitting the notes is only part of the guitar playing equation. Technique is just as important. Even implementing basic string muting would make a huge difference here.

    Still cool though :)

  5. Re:Good target for beer bottles. by music_robot_groupie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The point isn't to replace human performers. Look into this more and you'll find that the robots sometimes perform/interact with human musicians and dancers. The point is to explore new territory. Robots do things humans can't and vice versa. BTW, if you aren't for geek joy, why are you commenting on Slashdot?

  6. Not news by submain · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is not news. Pat Metheny has been doing this for the last two years, except with a full band of robots. I have been to his concert and I can attest it works very well. Here is an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsYEOUKS4Yk&feature=related