Misa tri-bass: new touch-sensitive digital guitar controller

Misa's Kitara digital guitar got a lot of attention when it was shown at the 2011 Winter NAMM show, but it was very much an experimental instrument and has now been discontinued. In its place we have the tri-bass which, despite having a moniker that would suggest otherwise, is not specifically a bass instrument but rather an evolution of the digital guitar concept.

The tri-bass is a MIDI controller that has just three 'strings'. These are positioned on a neck that's touch-sensitive but doesn't have any buttons. There's also a touchscreen in the centre of the body. Notes are played by holding them down on the neck and then pressing the touchscreen to add expression, effects and the like. There are additional playing modes, too.

Check out the video above to see the tri-bass in action. You can buy it now from the Misa website for $649.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.