Native Instruments is releasing some cheaper ways of getting at their software guitar modeler, Guitar Rig, in the form of a cheaper software version and a hardware bundle:

• Guitar Rig 3 XE is a "lite" version of Guitar Rig, focused on the basics — 5 guitar/bass amps, 12 cabinets, and 21 effects. It also some of the "helper" modules from Guitar Rig, including a metronome, tapedeck, and tuner — but no looping module, which is one of my favorites. (See the full list.) US$99 on its own.
• Guitar Session bundles the LE software with Cubase 4 LE, some pop drums for KORE player via a soundpack, and the Session I/O audio hardware. US$250 for the bundle, available June 1 worldwide.

Our friends at the Spanish-language site Hispasonic.com are streaming Theremin music live for free worldwide from the Ethermusic Festival in Moog country, North Carolina. (Pictured, right: Randy George.)

Hispasonic TV

When it’s not live, the previous recording plays on continuous loop. From Hispasonic’s Xabier:

Now we are just replaying the yesterday concert. The next live webcast will be at 2:30 AM (GMT+2) - 08:30 PM (GMT-4).

And speaking of Moog, here’s an update from Frank Schubert, who played at the show, regarding Moog’s new guitar:

The show was great.  We opened up and then did a piece with Justin from Moog who was playing the guitar.  Then they did the formal announcement, described the guitar and then Justin and his band played a 25 minute set with the guitar.  Kevin Kissinger played a great set and then was joined by Justin on the Moog guitar as well.  There were a bunch of people shooting video and photos.  They will most likely make them available – I will let you know when they are posted.  We did not take any video.

I did get to play the guitar for a minute.  It felt great.  It also sounded great when played.  So I think it is official….

In comments — a correction to Frank’s description:

Jason Daniello from MoogMusic demonstrated the new Moog Guitar and his band’s name is The Broomstars

Okay, so that bit where I thought it was an April Fool’s joke — sorry! (Yeah, my April record hasn’t been so fantastic, since the Ableton Vocoder also appears to be in development.)

If anyone has other photos/video, drop us a line!

It’s tough to pull off an April Fool’s joke in the age of the blogosphere, because on April 1, everyone’s RSS feeds are saturated with fake news.

So, how do you fool people? With real news that seems outlandish enough to be a joke. It wouldn’t be the first time 4/1 became an auspicious date; Apple, Inc. incorporated as a business on the first of April.

And so, it seemed I got … uh, punked. Because sources close to Asheville tell us that the Moog guitar, teased yesterday in a video, is really coming. A guitar from Moog. You heard that right. (More comments are coming in, leaving no question: it’s real. Oops.) The Moog Music homepage has the video, so maybe someone who knows something about guitars / doesn’t already look like an idiot regarding this story would like to comment?

I just hope Gibson doesn’t sue Moog claiming to have invented sound.

At least this is a 4/1 fake. Right? Isn’t it?

Photo courtesy Matrixsynth @ Flickr; see “New Moog Guitar Related?”

Are you making music without real acoustic instruments? You know, in, like, virtual reality? Then you may have stepped into a strange, alternate dimension. Let’s call it, for the sake of argument, The Gibson Zone. They control the horizontal. They control the vertical. They invented what you’re doing … right now.

Or, at least, that seems to be the message sent by a recent patent dispute between Gibson Guitar Corporation and Guitar Hero developer Activision. (Harmonix, the original Guitar Hero developer, has moved on to Rock Band.)

I know what you’re thinking: maybe Gibson claims to have invented the guitar, or the Guitar Hero controller looks a little too much like an Epiphone or something. Ah, but that might actually make some sort of logical sense, and this is the topsy-turvy world of intellectual property. In fact, both Harmonix and Activision already have licenses with Gibson for their guitars.

Instead, Gibson is arguing they own the rights to anything that can “simulate participation in a concert,” which they patented in 1999. (Look out, air guitar lovers.) Now, I don’t claim to be an expert in patent law, but being the layperson that I am, I would assume the original Gibson patent would have some passing similarity to Guitar Hero.

System and method for generating and controlling a simulated musical concert experience [Google Patents]

Well, let’s review. The Gibson patent is described as follows:

“A musician can simulate participation in a concert by playing a musical instrument…”

Okay, with you so far.

“…and wearing a head-mounted 3D display that includes stereo speakers.”

Nope. Lost. They do know that Guitar Hero is not available for Virtual Boy, right?

NAMM supposedly stands for the “National Association of Music Manufacturers.” It’s purportedly a trade show for music instruments and technology. But, for brief but glorious moments, “NAMM show” translates in English to “ridiculous musical stuff.” Just how ridiculous? We’re talking guitars made out of football helmets.

Just in case you think you might extract any respectability from this $299 novelty guitar, there’s more: interchangeable face masks. Multiple colors for matching your favorite team (you’ll have to provide the logos — guess they didn’t pony up for a license). A built-in speaker, just in case an amp looks too, you know, professional. And the pièce de résistance, football-shaped guitar picks.

Helmet Guitars

Any pride left? Well, how about filming a demo video playing this,(inexplicably) shirtless. Hint: do not tell, say, potential dates or job interviews “Last night, I took off my shirt and started totally wailing on my helmet guitar!” That could be interpreted in way too many ways, none of them not wrong.

Hey, at least Miesel Stringed Instruments doesn’t have any illusions. They promise the guitar “will have you rockin’ all the way from your rec room at home, college dorm, tailgate party, to the Super Bowl after party!”

Will you see anything this fun at CES? I don’t think so.

But if I sound in any way critical, it’s only because I think the Helmet Guitar can’t begin to compare with the same builder’s aquarium acoustic guitar (among others).

Tune in January 17-20 for live coverage from the NAMM show in Los Angeles, from the awesome to the awesomely strange. And stock up on donuts, because you may start craving them.

Guitar Hero makes you feel too much like you’re in a Japanese video game arcade? (Heck, they have taiko drums and stuff.) Rather use it as a way of reinventing how you play the guitar — aside from, of course, spending thousands on a robot guitar from Gibson or experimenting with new tuning systems?

Here’s yet another Guitar Hero hack, which finds a remarkably complex way around the fact that the controller has five buttons and no frets:

Hmmm… interesting. But I want more acceleration data, so you can create music by tilting your guitar over your head, or throwing it at something. (Preferably something soft, in case you want to reuse it.)

Handy tip: If you’re a man or woman looking for marriage proposals, this could be a way to do it. UK-based YouTuber Jessica sighs, “This is fantastic. I love you. Marry me.” That’s right: post crazy Wii controller hacks, and you’ll break hearts. Imagine what a Pd patch controlling arrays of lights or a homebrewed synthesizer would do. Do I see a Web mash-up of Instructables and Match.com coming on?

Via our forums, a reminder to Team CDM of why we’re working on building new forum software so they’re mo better. (Stay tuned.) Keep the tips coming!

Don’t get too excited. Gibson Guitar is not, in fact, introducing a fully robotic guitar. Or a creepy robot doll that plays a guitar. Nor are they shipping you a handsome (male/female/your choice) robot assistant who will follow you around and tune your guitar for you. Too bad. But they are launching a robotic, self-tuning guitar on December 7. And most importantly, it comes in a limited-edition frost blue paint retro-robotic job, which even as a non-guitarist, I have to admit is super hot. So, what’s robotic about it? Its tuning system:

In addition to its automated tuning and alternate/open tuning functions, the Gibson Robot Guitar offers a unique Intonation function, which guides even the most tweak-phobic player through the simple steps of achieving perfect intonation on this revolutionary instrument. No tools or external tuners or other gadgets are needed other than a small screwdriver and the Robot Guitar’s own Master Control Knob (MCK). The guitar itself “talks you through” the entire process, resulting in a correctly intonated guitar in a fraction of the time it takes even a professional guitar tech to do the same job.