This funny accessory turns your smartphone into a musical instrument

Appreciated for its versatility, the smartphone is not yet a musical instrument, but that could change. An Italian startup, ARTinoise, has just unveiled an astonishing USB-C accessory for mobile devices. Called Zefiro, it transforms the device into a virtual wind instrument. The MIDI controller plugs into a smartphone or tablet and looks like a USB stick or e-cigarette.

Once connected, the user can gently blow into the accessory and use the companion app. From the latter's interface, it accesses virtual keys or holes to generate sounds. The physical mouthpiece has lip and air pressure sensors, allowing you to control the volume and length of the sound produced when blowing. The Zefiro doesn't just simulate the sounds of wind instruments, like flutes and clarinets. The application, available on iOS and Android, boasts the presence of a wide range of instruments.

« Musical practice should be accessible to all »

Users can add tracks in the background and save their creations. The Zefiro is the subject of a Kickstarter campaign and it is a success, the Italian company having already exceeded its objective to finance production. ARTinoise hoped to raise 5,000 euros and the campaign exceeds 32,000 euros at the time of this writing. “We have been developing and manufacturing musical instruments for years; All we have to do now is collect pre-orders for our latest creation and start manufacturing! »explains the firm.

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ARTinoise’s approach is part of a desire to make musical practice “accessible to all”. Those who support the project can pre-order a Zefiro for 22 euros, while the sale price is expected to be 42 euros. Shipments will begin from February 2025 and a Pro version of the Zefiro will cost 39 euros. It adds an accelerometer to provide better performance. The Italian firm is not new and already has some expertise in the field of audio. It has already launched the recorder, a hybrid wind instrument.