Skip to main content

    Fol Chen's Tetrafol lets you explore music with your hands for $110

    Fol Chen's Tetrafol lets you explore music with your hands for $110

    /

    Musical group Fol Chen, along with partners Monome and Machine project, have devised the Tetrafol — a curious little handheld instrument that allows users to manipulate sound with physical movements.

    Share this story

    If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

    Tetrafol music instrument
    Tetrafol music instrument

    Musical group Fol Chen, along with partners Monome and Machine Project, have devised the Tetrafol — a curious little handheld instrument that allows users to manipulate sound with a twist of the hands. The creators, who also built an instrument for deadmau5, haven't offered up many specifications, but the battery-powered wooden tetrahedron houses hardware that can detect its orientation and movements, which it uses to modify the playback of sound. The device includes compositions from Fol Chan, but users can upload their own sounds, and play them back through built-in speakers or their own external device. 

    The Tetrafol's circuit and firmware are based on open-source hardware, and the team says the device itself is open-source, allowing tinkerers to jump in there and learn its secrets. You can order them now from Machine Project for $110 (excluding tax and shipping), but time is of the essence — they're only making a hundred. 

    Fol Chen - So Good by WeGetPress