Music’s always been rather big business on mobile phones, since the Walkman brand first reared its head. But now, a shift seems to be happening, with some new phones not only letting you listen to music, but also mix and edit your own tunes (the Samsung Beat DJ springs to mind). However, a new concept phone from Pilotfish takes the whole process one step further.
Called the Ondo, it aims to be the phone equivalent of Abbey Road Studios, according to IntoMobile. Well, ok, maybe Abbey Road is going a bit far, but it certainly looks to be the first attempt to put a sampler inside a phone, to actually make your own tunes.
Since I am a musician, and since I’m also a producer, my ears perked up when I read about the Ondo. Now, with most concept phones that are a bit leftfield, I’ll look at them, call them stupid, and move on. But with the Ondo, I can honestly say I’m intrigued. First off is something simple, that I can’t find any comments on, but look at the side of the phone. It’s got a headphone-output jack, but it also has a jack-input. Meaning you can plug a microphone in. I’ve NEVER seen one of those on a phone, so that got me hooked, straight away.
Next up is the fact that the ‘screen’ seems to be made of 3 separate sticks, which can all be removed. And why would you remove them? To clip them onto a musical instrument, in order to record it. Granted, we’re not going to be talking Shure SM58 quality here, but that’s really very clever, as is the dial in the bottom half of the phone, to let you do fine adjustments on the audio track you’re working on.
Finally, there’s the bit that everyone’s jumped on, and it’s the bit that makes me say ‘sampler’ instead of ‘full-on studio’: the wiggly, bendy bit in the middle. It’s by squidging and twisting that bendy bit that you can muck about with the sound, making it, to use layman’s terms, squish up, or sweep around your headphones. The fact you can do that on the fly instantly makes me think it’s a phone for DJs, and could even be used live…
And let’s be honest, how many phones can you say that about? Music phones are ace, this we know, with something like the Sony Ericsson W995 being the top of the heap. But even it can’t let you squidge and mash your music up.
All in all, I’m stunned. I never thought I’d see a patently mental concept phone that I liked, never mind one that I really dig as much as I do the Ondo.
So, Pilotfish, get it made.
Because it’s GENIUS.
And when you do, can I have one to play wi- er, beta test for you…?
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