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Here are some Non-Traditional MIDI Controllers:
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 Musicode
Innovations: MidiWing
http://www.midiwing.com
The MidiWing is a MIDI controller designed to reduce or eliminates
the technical difficulties related to playing a musical instrument. It
is designed to have progressive levels of difficulty, complexity and
capacity, and can be played by more than one person. MidiWing makes
playing music even easier which means more children will have access
to music, especially those with physical or mental challenges.
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 Eigenlabs:
Eigenharp
http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum
The Eigenharp brings truly expressive musical performance to every
musician. The 3D keys are amazingly sensitive - sensing pressure for
volume, side to side for effects and moving up down for pitch. Each
Eigenharp comes with a breath pipe and one or more strip controllers
used to control any aspect of a sound - such as triggering notes and
applying effects and filters. You can also attach pedals, headphones
and a microphone. You can change the key layouts, instrument mappings,
scales, how all the controls behave - just about everything in fact.
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 Inspired
Instruments: "You Rock Guitar"
http://www.yourockguitar.com
The You Rock Guitar is both a digital (MIDI) guitar (with 6 strings
and a touch-sensitive digital fret board) AND a game controller
(adapters available for Xbox, PS2, and Wii). And it has a built in
synthesizer with a "You Rock" mode for learning to play in
the right scale with only the right notes.
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 Misa
Digital Guitar
http://misadigital.com
The Misa Digital Guitar is a guitar without strings. It is a MIDI
controller that you play using a touch screen along with switches on
the fret board. With the touch screen you can adjust four synth
parameters simultaneously. It is not meant to
replace a stringed guitar, but for playing electronic
music.
(click to enlarge)
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Samchillian: Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee
http://samchillian.com
The Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee (patent #5,565,641) is a computer style keyboard
MIDI controller based on changes of pitch, rather than fixed pitches. This scheme gives the
performer the ability to perform extremely quick, rhapsodical lines. There is a software-only
version for PCs.
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C-Thru Music: Axis
http://c-thru-music.com
The obvious difference between this and other music interfaces is the key
surface, which gives you a geometric overview of musical harmonies. Learning
it is absorbing, and using it is inspirational, and fun. The layout of notes
on the keysurface helps you expand your creativity and productivity in a live
or studio situation. Playing it is like no other instrument.
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Haken Audio: The Continuum Fingerboard
http://www.hakenaudio.com/Continuum/
The Continuum Fingerboard offers realtime continuous control in three directions
for every finger that is placed on the playing surface. The Continuum is compatible
with any MIDI synthesizer, sound module, or sequencer. There is a
special MIDI handling mode for communication with Symbolic Sound
Corporation’s Kyma Workstation.
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Yamaha: Tenori-On
http://www.global.yamaha.com/tenori-on/what/index.html
The TENORI-ON is a unique 16 x 16 LED button matrix performance instrument with
a stunning visual display. By operating and interacting with the LED buttons and
the light they produce you gain access to numerous performance
capabilities. There are six different performance and sound/light
modes, and these modes can be combined and used simultaneously for rich, complex
musical expression. For DJs & producers it is a unique performance tool
enabling them to perform using MIDI and load the TENORI-ON with samples to
'jam / improvise' within their set BPMs.
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MIDI Theremin
www.wave-theremin.com
The MIDI Wave Theremin can be played like a normal Theremin
(producing audio output from within the Theremin itself, using a
variety of build in oscillators, wave-forms and modulators, to create a
multitude of different sounds and effects), but is also capable of
producing a stream of midi messages, to control some other midi-capable
instrument that, in turn, produces the desired audio output or controls
external filters etc.
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Sonalog: GypsyMIDI
www.sonalog.com
The GypsyMIDI is a unique performance instrument for motion-capture MIDI
control... The suit is modeled on the human skeletal form using rotational
sensors placed on the joints. The GypsyMIDI simply plugs into a MIDI interface
and arm movements are converted into a real-time stream of MIDI data. The
mapping interface eXo-software allows the user to define how the movements are
translated into MIDI control, including the ability to trigger notes, generate
continuous control commands or even play scales.
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| Here are some unusual
musical instruments and other products that use MIDI: |
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MIDI
Doorbell
Source: www.jacobjensen.com
Yes, this is a cordless doorbell that plays MIDI Files. It comes
with with five pre-installed tunes, plus software and USB cable for
loading your own MIDI files (SMF Type 1 , 8 Channels, up to 8 seconds
in length).
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 MIDI-driven Marimba
Source: www.Gizmodo.com
By deconstructing a standard marimba, assigning a mallet to each,
and hooking the whole mess up to two MD24 MIDI decoders, Larry Cotton
has found a way to enjoy the soothing plinking of a marimba that can
be controlled by any a MIDI sequencer or keyboard. Watch a video of
the device in action on YouTube...
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 Free MIDI Game
Source: Synthesia
Synthesia is a game that teaches you to play the piano using
falling notes. No sheet music reading is required. With it, you can:
Learn to play songs using a musical keyboard connected to your
computer; Keep track of your progress in every song with per-song
scoreboards; Slow, fast-forward, and rewind songs while learning new
parts; Practice left and right hand parts together or separately. Try
out any MIDI file you can find on the Internet. Use it on either your
PC or Mac.
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 MIDI Sequencing with Hamster Control
Source: Cornell
University
This project was initially fueled by the desire to explore the MIDI
protocol. It was decided that this would be accomplished by building a
MIDI device. An intelligent MIDI sequencer was designed with hamster
control. The MIDI sequencer intelligently produced melodies by
manipulating the musical elements of rhythm and note-choice. Guided by
inputs based on hamster movements...
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 Sofa as MIDI controller
Source: Music Thing Blog Spot
A German designer calling himself Seppoman has built a MIDI control system into a sofa. If two people are sitting down, they can output three control values each - left and right buttock weight and how far the person is leaning back.
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 Peter Jackson's $100,000 Ragtime MIDI Band
Source: Music Thing Blog Spot
The $99,975 LB-BGJ from Ragtime Automated Music is a cabinet containing a robotically controlled acoustic band. A touch-screen interface controls the whole works, sending MIDI signals to the mechanical elements that play the full drum kit, piano, accordion, guitar, banjo, electric bass, and 24 organ pipes.
Click here
for a video of the thing in action.
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 MIDI Gamma Ray Spectrometer
Source: www.kosmophone.com
The Kosmophone is a gamma-ray spectrometer operating in the range of about 3 to 7 million electron-volts (MeV) controlling a MIDI music synthesizer. This octave of the electromagnetic spectrum, about a million times higher frequency than the octave our eyes respond to, contains very little energy that originates in our solar system. Almost all of the energy in this band is a result of unbelievably energetic radiation coming from the far reaches of the universe, 'Cosmic Rays'.
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MIDI Van de Graaff Generator
Source: www.boston.com
The towering Van de Graaff electric generator in the Theatre of Electricity of the Museum of Science throws off some serious sparks -- about 1.5 million volts' worth, we're told. Little did we know that it also can be manipulated to make music. In ''Zap!," composer Christine Southworth and robotics engineer Leila Hasan, alumnae of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, use the Van de Graaff to add sparks and static to an
hour-long concert with eight other musicians. Southworth composed the music; Hasan controls the generator with a laser-theremin MIDI controller.
More info at web.mit.edu.
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 MIDI Ladder
Source: www.tonleiter.com
The ToneLadder. If a household ladder is extended with a melodic function, it will develop into a real musical instrument. The ordinary ladder transforms into a soundladder. Stepping on a bar of the ladder creates a sound or tone which is different from rung to rung. So you can create a piece of music by stepping up and down on the ladder. Together with a partner you can even play a duet.
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Keyboards and modules:
Practically every musical keyboard sold today has MIDI connections...
from the $100 portables to $300,000 digital grand pianos.
Non-Traditional Controllers: Another category of "alternate MIDI controllers" are those that don't mirror traditional musical instruments.
There are many people who feel that traditional musical instruments are too hard to learn, or limit their
expression to "traditional" forms. 
Computers & Interfaces: Practically every computer made today comes with the ability
to play MIDI files, and can connect to other MIDI gear with a PC-to-MIDI
interface (connector) available as an accessory. Professionals and amateurs alike can compose,
arrange, and record original music, or use the computer to learn about music or
how to play an instrument.
software applications that involve MIDI, either actively or passively. Included are MIDI
Sequencers (now commonly combined with audio recording into Digital Audio Workstations or
‘DAWs'.), auto accompaniment applications, notation programs, music teaching software, games,
DJ/remix environments, and more. 
Software sounds: ‘Softsynths' or ‘software musical instruments' started
MIDI ring-tones
became popular for their ability to be changed in
any way imaginable, while games for iPhones and Android devices
use MIDI data for its compact size. Apple's iPad is highly popular
among musicians due to its built-in ability to connect to
computers and other MIDI devices. 
