Straight out of Derbyshire, a music and tech-based start-up Digit Music, bridges the gap between creativity and music and provides a solution for anyone that wants to play an instrument or make their own music, as the company announces the launch of its first hardware product: Cmpsr (pronounced composer – kuhm·pow·zuh).
The founders of Digit Music, Si Tew and Owain Wilson, bring over 30 years of combined experience in the music industry to the table. With backgrounds in DJing, producing, engineering, and education, they have worked with major organisations such as Universal Music, Polydor, Sony BMG, BBC, MTV, Arts Council, and Youth Music. Si and Owain initially crossed paths in the early 2000s while participating in gigs and music outreach programs. In 2020, they joined forces to establish Digit Music to create the world’s most user-friendly ecosystem of integrated music creation products, content, and learning services.
As a disability-confident business, their vision is to inspire and enable everyone to be part of the musical landscape and experience the positive impact of creating music. Fundamentally, Cmpsr makes it easier for anyone to reach their creative goal and have fun. For those already making music, Cmpsr offers a new way to be creative on the stage or in the studio.
Introducing Cmpsr: Now anyone can play an instrument
Cmpsr is an innovative MIDI instrument built with user-friendly gaming hardware that enables users to create music through simple finger gestures. It has a 5-octave range, built-in key/scale/chord engines and smart sustain. It connects to anything that accepts MIDI by a USB-C or wirelessly via Bluetooth, to give creative control over software and hardware.
Cmpsr is hand-built in the UK and offers an accessible design that’s already been recognised with the Tech4Good Accessibility Award, making playing an instrument instantly accessible and fun for more people.
Designed with a focus on creative simplicity, the founders set out to create a straightforward musical instrument that helps people to make music freely, stay in their musical flow, and experience the joy of shaping sounds and creating their own memorable musical moments. Perfect for DJs who want to make beats, beginners who want a shortcut for production and composition, professionals looking for a different approach to keyboards and pad controllers, and people with access needs.
“Music is part of the cultural landscape, and everyone should have the opportunity to play, so we created Cmpsr, a tool designed to make music and creativity accessible to anyone. We are proud to launch this product to market and are excited for the future of both Cmpsr and Digit Music.” Comments Si Tew, Digit Music Co-Founder.