You say you want to rock out differently but that old-school keytar is just a little too old-school? You could try the iTar - that is, hopefully. The iTar is new product on Kickstarter.com that the folks at Starr Labs are looking to have on the market.
The basic idea behind the iTar is pretty simple: it combines the functionality of a button-based guitar fretboard with a docked iPad to allow users to launch apps and shred away.
According to the reps at Starr Labs, "Our project is designed for musicians, guitar heroes, electronic artists, iPad junkies and hackers looking for a fun and easy way to take their show on the road. At its heart the device is a button-based guitar fretboard (Starr Labs patented fingerboard) integrated with a dock for the iPad which will transform the tablet into a 21st century musical instrument we call the iTar.
"One of the coolest features is that the iPad's touchscreen interface will allow you to strum a guitar, tap on keys, bang on the drums, shake the maraca and more. You will literally have a full band at your fingertips. Imagine you start by looping your drum pattern, then you play over that with a bass-line, now bring in a little soulful trumpet and back that up with some piano. Nice. Or, you can set up some beats or samples, modify and jam over them with wild abandon. A DJ's dream!"
Hey, it's a good pitch. If you want to help jump-start, erm, "kickstart" the iTar, Starr Labs is looking to raise $50,000 by 6 December. As of this writing, they've bagged $5,426, so there's a ways to go. You can donate as little as $1, but $200 will get you a first-run iTar. Visit Kickstarter.com for more info.
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