DJing With a Blender: Using Fruit and RFID Tags to Make Music

There have been many new DJ systems created in the last few years, but perhaps none as unique as the Beat Blender Prototype by Finnish “One man collective” Matti Niinimäki.

Niinimäki has rigged together a music control device using an old Osterizer blender, and pieces of fruit with embedded RFID tags. Each piece of fruit represents a sound sample, and when dropped ito the blender triggers and loops the sample. Adding more fruit to the mix makes the composition more complex, and by pressing the different blender control buttons (Stir, Puree, Whip, Grate, Mix, Chop, Grind, Blend, Liquefy, Frappé), you can add different effects to the song.

For the technically inclined, The Beat Blender was made using Arduino, Max/MSP, Ableton Live and an RFID reader/tag setup.

Be sure to check out Matti Niinimäki’s other projects at his site – and watch the Beat Blender in action below.

[via Create Digital Music]