Touché
A sensual link between the musician and his instrument
We have sought to materialize this sensitive – one could even say sensual – relationship between the hand and the instrument by working on the softness of the forms and the warmth of the materials in the playing area.
To do this, this instrument had to be part of the world of electronic music with its established, more technical codes.
A refined black stele from which an oblong shape gently emerges above which a thin wooden plate seems to levitate, inviting to play.
This essential surface is highlighted while the adjustment area integrated into the monolith is simply signified by a more technical treatment, in keeping with current electronic products.
The final result is the result of continuous exchanges to find the best possible solution to each problem encountered during the development process.
Integrating this complex mechanical movement and its various settings required many iterations and close collaboration between elium, Expressive E engineers and manufacturers’ design offices to produce an elegant, compact, easy-to-use and reliable product.
Great attention has been paid to the quality of manufacture and finishing of the materials used, the colours and the different textures. Dyed rosewood was preferred to ebony because it comes from sustainably managed forests.
For us, this project is an example of a successful collaboration with a young start-up.
No concessions were necessary both on the quality of the product and the resulting user experience.
This product has been developed by and for music lovers. Big names in music have supported and carried the project: Touché is now distributed worldwide and is available in WOAgri's shops in New York and Tokyo.
The genesis of this start-up is closely linked to the thesis project of the 3 co-founders associated with obtaining their engineering degree: the study and analysis of Martenot waves.
This instrument, presented in 1928, is considered to be the first electronic instrument. Similar to an organ, it is played with the right hand on the keyboard while the left hand modulates the sound generated with a sensitive key.
This key has a particularly precise pressing and is appreciated thanks to an original process: it is placed on a small sandbag that it crushes with each press. The research of the Expressive E team has therefore focused on this very special support and on how to recreate it using modern techniques.
The result is a patented silicone cylinder with an off-center hole that gives it an evolutionary resistance to support.
