Traditional musical instruments rarely require the artists to engage their entire body. Dodecaudion, a Polish invention, challenges this stereotype and brings a new quality into the world of professional music.              

What is Dodecaudion? It is the effect of collaboration of panGenerator group and the Hedoco brand. In a nutshell, Dodecaudion is a a spatial music controller in the form of a regular dodecahedron. Each face of this device has an ”eye” with integrated infrared sensor which collects information on the presence and distance of the musician’s hands. Therefore, Dodecaudion is a gestural instrument which requires the artist to move his/her hands and the entire body, get the palms closer to the device and take them away, and shape them in various configurations. In this way, Dodecaudion offers novel, extraordinary stage possibilities: while generating sounds, the user moves and at the same time creates a new dimension of music during a performance or concert.

In the future, we are going to experiment with Dodecaudion’s platform software, so that it could really control daily chores,for example in the integrated house management system. We believe the device will soon be calling the tune. FollowingHedoco’s motto - “Design. Innovation. You  - we aim to discover other applications of Dodecaudion and we already see its great potential– says Piotr Grabowski,  President of Modern Arts Management, and Hedoco brand co-owner.

The heart of Dodecaudion is Arduino, an electronic platform integrated with the device, which could be used thanks to the idea of open technologies (Open Source as well as Creative Commons and MIT licences). Arduino collects data from all sensors and transfers them to the computer, so they can be used not only during live concerts, but also in any other way, from sound processing and synthesis to creating visual effects.

The use of open Arduino platform gives artists unlimited access to the instrument's functions and allows for its reprogramming and customization to answer individual needs. It is the asset of Open Source which allows users to search for new solutions and applications themselves.

We have just finished production of the first batch of Dodecaudions intended for sale. Target clients are professional musicians from all around the world, DJs, performers, and people fascinated by this unique electronic instrument. The product will be available for purchase from February 7, 2012, when we launch our website and our online shop at www.hedoco.com as well as Hedoco  fanpage on Facebook. There, we will present Dodecaudion and other extraordinary inventions from the world of art, fashion and design –  explains Paulina Jędrzejewska, Vice-President of Modern Arts Management.

How was Dodecaudion created? The concept, developed by four visionary artists forming panGenerator group, emerged in autumn 2010. Six month later, Modern Arts Management company joined the project and the work accelerated. Financial support of Hedoco brand owners brought results: in July 2011, panGenerator constructed the Dodecaudion’s prototype, and in August the first concert to test the instrument was held.

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Hedoco is a new brand created in 2011 and owned by Modern Arts Management. It comprises unique, high-quality products designed by young Polish artists and designers. The offer includes inventions based on open technologies, fashion collections and accessories, as well as industrial design items. For more information, visit: facebook.com/HED0C0 and www.hedoco.com

panGenerator is an interdisciplinary new media art group, established in 2010by Piotr Barszczewski, Krzysztof Cybulski, Krzysztof Goliński and Jakub Koźniewski. Their goal is to combine design and artistic expression with new technologies, but also to cooperate with specialists in diverse fields – engineers, fashion designers, musicians and programmers. pangenerator.com