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Microsoft uploads videos of the Surface Music Kit in action

by Mark Tyson on 25 October 2013, 14:00

Tags: Surface

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At the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 launch Microsoft showed the intriguing Surface Music Kit. The kit is in the form of a custom touch cover which instead of a QWERTY keyboard is decked out with transport controls, sliders and trigger pads – similar to many dedicated groovebox type electronic musical instruments.

Yesterday Microsoft uploaded a series of nine videos to the Surface YouTube channel demonstrating many aspects of the use and usefulness of the Surface Music Kit. I’ve embedded some below showing the manipulating of sounds and tracks, creation of new patterns and rhythms and also mixing a completed song and adding effects.

Download songs and templates

Record and import new patterns

How to add effects to your remix using sliders on Surface

Microsoft uploaded a total of nine videos showing different operational aspects of the Surface Music Kit. You can see them all on the Surface YouTube channel here. Also for an overall look at the kit in a single video Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn explains why he likes using the Surface Music Kit here.

The Surface Music Kit was supposed to arrive at the same time as the availability of the new Surface tablets but this cool accessory is yet to emerge into retail or be priced. Perhaps it will erm, surface, when the Surface Remix Project competition closes on 28th October, the winner of that competition (still open to entries) will get a free Surface 2 and Surface Music Kit.



HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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Looks kinda cool
Would anyone remotely serious about music production seriously consider doing work on a Surface? Don't think so…
Nobull
Would anyone remotely serious about music production seriously consider doing work on a Surface? Don't think so…
Why do you say this? Sure there's no way near the range of apps available as on the iPad, but even so unless there's some fundamental technical reason (a la Android's) then why not use a Surface?

Microsoft must think that they're in with a shout - otherwise they wouldn't have bothered with this peripheral - unless you're going to suggest that this is solely for home-based/hobbyist use?
Nobull
Would anyone remotely serious about music production seriously consider doing work on an iPad? Don't think so…

.. that's exactly what someone could have written about the ipad a year or two ago.
crossy
Why do you say this? Sure there's no way near the range of apps available as on the iPad, but even so unless there's some fundamental technical reason (a la Android's) then why not use a Surface?
That's the thing about niche areas, you only need one app.

In the way that Acorn had Sibelius, for a while this meant that the best music score software was exclusive to RISC OS and thus Acorn systems.

Having a pressure sensitive set of pads should be enough. Having the app's development funded by MS hopefully in a skunkswork fashion (ie someone who loves it, is making it) then it could easily blow the existing applications out of the water.

Most *killer* tablet apps are super primitive, except Office!