by Eric Caoili - 10.29.06
EP: What is the concept behind SoundCells?
Pakl: Picking up where Electroplankton left off, using the DS touch screen as an innovative instrument interface.
Rebel developer Pakl is no stranger to creating music apps for the Nintendo DS. Ukulele DS, another of his homebrew releases, allows the user to play chords on a DS touch screen like a stringed instrument.
SoundCells may not have the visual glamour of Electroplankton, but the project is just as creative. Pakl describes SoundCells’ touch screen interface as a “virtual PianItarMonica (piano-guitar-harmonica).”
Like a guitar, the notes are laid out horizontally and vertically; like a piano, the natural notes are the main keys accessible, but like a harmonica, you use an accessory button for the sharps… One of the features of SoundCells is that you can record several tracks so that it will play along with you on command.
Expansion Port has posted a short interview with Pakl, as well as two video demonstrations. The latter half of the second clip even shows Pakl using SoundCells to play the Super Mario Bros. theme song! We love hearing about our readers being involved with imaginative projects like these. Keep up the great work!
definitely awesome, but I’d never be able to play anything better than bare notes with it
Textbook - 10.29.06 11:55 pm
Not sure if its the recording, but is there a (huge) delay between when he hits the notes and the sound comes out? Its ok if that’s how it works (but I don’t see a good reason to do this in the first place). Otherwise, great concept, hope he fleshes it out with different sounds (using all the DS buttons/dpad to switch between them or something) and a nice track loop display on the top screen or something. Looking good!
Final Atomic Buster - 10.30.06 1:39 am
On a related note:
When, if ever, is “Band Brothers” coming to North America? I imported it from Japan about a year ago to find that it is one of the best games for the DS. It has a great music creation tool that lets you save 8 complete songs…really cool.
xx/eyes - 10.30.06 2:01 am
Hi folks — the youtube videos seem to put a delay between sound and video. When you actually play it on the DS, the response is instantaneous. Hoping to have this first version up by the end of the week.
Pakl - 10.30.06 9:39 am
This project sounds pretty cool.
9th Sage - 10.30.06 1:53 pm
Where on earth did he get a Wii pick?
0xtob - 10.31.06 8:46 pm
format Hutch funny
finer - 03.06.07 3:01 pm
tamil funny original
uliop - 03.07.07 2:43 am