It’s becoming increasingly rare in this line of work to come across gear that is truly unique.
Whether it’s an audio interface, MIDI controller or headphones, at this point the vast majority of companies are iterating on already established designs and/or features.
That’s not to say that innovation is dead in the world of audio gear (you only have to look at something like IK Multimedia’s recently released iRig Keys I/O for proof of that).
Seeing something new though? It doesn’t happen often anymore.
So when the lovely folks at Novalia got in touch and offered me the chance to try out a prototype of their latest product I was extremely intrigued, to say the least…
The Piano Book
Masquerading as a simple (but very well put together) 122 page note book, The Piano Book also features a 20 ‘key’ MIDI piano keyboard.
The keyboard is easily accessible whilst the landscape notebook is open on any page. Perfect for when inspiration strikes while you’re out and about.
You can also fold the keyboard ‘page’ back on itself so that it’s useable whilst the book is closed similar to a regular MIDI keyboard.
Setting up the unit I was supplied with was dead easy. Compatible with both Macs and iOS devices, The Piano Book uses Bluetooth to connect.
Once connected, the controller worked in both versions of GarageBand perfectly with no lag or latency whether recording or just monitoring.
Novalia describe The Piano Book as “Designed with the music creator in mind; this book is for anyone who might enjoy capturing a few musical notes along with their written thoughts or sketches”.
Being able to jot down notes and ideas while playing a melody on the attached keyboard is definitely something I think a lot of musicians on-the-go will find useful.
I’m looking forward to checking out Novalia’s release version of The Piano Book. Expect a full review when it’s available.
You can find out more about The Piano Book right here.
