Gear Wire’s Coverage of the You Rock Guitar at NAMM’10
January 19, 2010 by JR · Leave a Comment
GearWire stopped by our booth at NAMM to check out the YOU ROCK GUITAR. They were impressed and put together a little article & video Inspired Instruments You Rock Guitar In Action At NAMM NAMM was an incredible event for Inspired. Several renowned musicians stopped by to see it. Nuno Betterncourt, Les Robot, Yogi Lonich, and Peter Tork, and others spent a little time with us. So did the crew from Sepultura. Everybody’s getting it right away. We thought there might be resistance from skeptics, but there were few of those and the skepticism changed into smiles once they tried it for themselves. We’re posting images & video on our Facebook & You Tube Pages.
“>video. Check it out.
NAMM coverage of the YOU ROCK GUITAR.
January 18, 2010 by JR · Leave a Comment
GearWire stopped by to check us out. Here’s the coverage.
http://www.gearwire.com/inspiredinstruments-yourockguitar-wnamm2010.html
You Rock Guitar Shines bright at Consumer Electronics Show
January 12, 2010 by JR · Leave a Comment
Inspired Instruments / You Rock Guitar
Print/Web Coverage
Tues., Jan. 12, 2010
USA Today, Sound, motion and nostalgia get their video-game licks in
(print content and online video feature)
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2010-01-11-cesvidgames11_ST_N.htm
SDRNews.com/Geekazine.com (podcast, JR interview; Techpodcast Network at NBC Universal Show #2, begins around 21:30)
Gaming Nexus, You Rock Guitar @ CES 2010
1/7/2010
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/You-Rock-Guitar–CES-2010/Item15760.aspx
PC World, CES 2010 Rewind: A Look Back at the Gadgets (slide #14 of 41)
1/11/2010
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186592/ces_2010_rewind_a_look_back_at_the_gadgets.html
Appletell.com
Gamertell.com, CES 2010: Inspired Instruments to show off You Rock Guitar usb string guitar controller
1/4/2010
GamePro, You Rock Guitar is hybrid of real guitar and controller
1/8/2010
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/213504/you-rock-guitar-is-hybrid-of-real-guitar-and-controller/
The Adrenaline Vault, CES 2010 Highlights a “real” guitar
1/12/2010
http://www.avault.com/news/ces-2010-highlights-real-guitar/
N4G.com
http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-452303.aspx
Nasdaq.com
Ars Technica, Guitar Hero gets real: the hidden genius of the “You Rock”
1/10/2010
The Tech Herald, You Rock Guitar offers gamers genuine musical greatness
1/11/2010
MWD Technology News, CES Showed Brand New “You Rock” Guitar for Guitar Hero or Rock Band Coming in February
1/10/2010
Gadget Review, CES 2010: You Rock Guitar Hands On
1/9/2010
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2010/01/ces-2010-you-rock-guitar-hands-on.html
Gearlog, You Rock Guitar: Like Guitar Hero, Only Less Fake
1/8/2010
http://www.gearlog.com/2010/01/you_rock_guitar_like_guitar_he.php
The Money Times, ‘You Rock Guitar’ to better gaming experience!
1/11/2010
Geek Sugar, You Rock Guitar Brings Your Gaming to Life
1/11/2010
http://www.geeksugar.com/6994504
Gearwire, You Rock Guitar: Six “String” Controller Is A Gaming Device AND A Real Instrument (NAMM)
1/6/2010
http://www.gearwire.com/yourockguitar.html
Fretbase, A Real Guitar and a Guitar Hero Controller in One
1/12/2010
http://www.fretbase.com/blog/2010/1/a-real-guitar-and-a-guitar-hero-controller-in-one/
SmartHouse, Real Guitar Controller For Guitar Hero
1/5/2010
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/CES_2010/S3E7B9G3
ChannelNews, Real Guitar Controller For Guitar Hero
1/5/2010
http://www.channelnews.com.au/Events_And_Associations/CES_2010/S3E7B9G3
GameBetties, Rock Out For Real: You Rock Guitar
1/11/2010
http://www.gamebetties.com/?p=1317
GameCulture, It’s a Game Controller, No It’s a Real Guitar: You Rock Wants to Do It All
1/11/2010
Portfolio, Taking Guitar Hero To Another Level
1/11/2010
TrustedReviews.com
http://www.trustedreviews.com/video-games/news/2010/01/08/CES-2010–YouRock-Guitar-Rocks-Out/p1
2d-x.com
http://www.2d-x.com/ces-2010-you-rock-guitar-feels-like-an-instrument-madd-skills-not-needed/
GearDiary.com
GuitarInfoZone
http://www.guitarinfozone.net/ces-2010-you-rock-guitar-hands-on-gadget-review-blog/
Production Update
December 1, 2009 by Kevin · 2 Comments
We’ve had some major decisions to make. We heard, “you get one chance to make a first impression” so we changed the string triggering mechanism for maximum sensitivity. (Cost 4 weeks) We were told “if the ’strings’ on the fret board were softer, it would feel so much better”… that cost us over a month… but that is what we will be showing up at CES and NAMM with
Then there was going to 10 to 25+ guitars, 50 synth sounds, 10 to 50 Open guitar tunings, 5 to 15 Capo settings, 25 on-board songs (Custom jam-friendly Wav loops to jam within the You Rock mode), The You Rock programming and testing, then it has to work together, tack on another few months. We missed the year 2009, and that is very painful, but in fact you do only get one chance to make a first impression and we knew we could do better. And we have.
We made some tough choices. We apologize for the delays, and we will start delivering to the pre-order lists, friends, family, reps and the press in January after CES and NAMM.
So now we focus our attention on the CES, final coding, some big surprises at CES and our ability to re-invent what was often considered to be just a hybrid game controller or a digital guitar… the You Rock Guitar is much more than that. It is a game changer, it is a guitar that every guitar player will want to have for so many reasons. You’ll still want your Strat, your big body acoustic, your nylon, maybe even Les, but you’ll also want a You Rock Guitar, and for reasons you don’t even know yet.
The response to the $179 high-speed MIDI guitar has been outrageous. The sheer joy of going from mere buttons and a paddle to strings and frets for the gamers is a leap toward real music. (BTW, don’t buttons and a paddle sound like something you get when you’ve been bad?)
Ultimately we apologize for not being able to be under the tree for Timmy this year for the holidays. It pains no one more than us!!! We made some major improvements for the long term viability and flexibility of the You Rock Guitar and it cost in time and money, but we believe it was well spent. And as tough as the decisions were, we made them in the best interest of the gamers the rockers, the mom’s and dads and those who want to rock… anywhere, anytime.
Thanks for your patience and support,
Kevin Kent
CEO
P.S. Its my birthday so please don’t bash me for being honest!
The You Rock Guitar Pre-Sale Deal
September 14, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Here’s how it works:
1. You place your order for a You Rock Guitar
2. You tell some friends and give us their email address.
3. We do the rest. We’ll email them referencing you.
4. If they also place a pre-order, you get a $10 discount on your order.
Here’s the totally cool part, you can refer a bunch of friends and save big on your purchase. All they have to do is ultimately buy a guitar and you had to refer them first.
What’s the hitch? No hitch. Your friends can do the same thing. This is that viral “friends-only” thing gone rock and roll gamer. Everyone wins.
The You Rock Guitar is the first guitar that connects the world of video games and playing real music by combining the best of both worlds. Plug it into an amplifier, a computer, headphones and play it like a musical instrument, or with GameFlex™ cartridges to any of the console video games. It’s ideal for the millions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band guys tired of being told, why don’t you learn a real guitar… OK, this is better than real.
With Guitar Hero – you became one.
With Rockband – you joined the band
With You Rock Guitar – YOU ROCK!
You can learn more at our website: www.YouRockGuitar.com, including links to several videos:
This video will show the major features and benefits of the You Rock Guitar.
http://www.youtube.com
This video is an interview with the Guinness Book of Records holder for Guitar Hero, Danny Johnson.
Danny Johnson Video
This last one is older, but it features George Pajon Jr. of the very popular band the Black Eyed Peas, playing a Rev 1 version of our guitar.
http://www.youtube.com
Our YouTube site
http://www.youtube.com/user/YouRockGuitar
Follow our tweets about gaming, the gaming market and guitars.
http://twitter.com/yourockguitar
Our pre-order form
http://www.yourockguitar.com/order-form/
Please become a fan on Facebook. Search for the “You Rock Guitar” fan page.
Have fun, Rock will happen.
The Inspired Team
info@inspired.com
Get on the Pre-Order List to Secure Your Guitar
August 31, 2009 by Kevin · Leave a Comment
OK, we understand it’s time to get rockin’. We’ve got a list and were checkin it twice. If you name is on it when the You Rock Guitars start arriving, you get one. If not, good luck. We’re definitely going to be in short supply. But there’s some other great benefits in Pre-Ordering:
FREE SHIPPING
REFERRAL DISCOUNTS (Get $10 off every person you refer to pre-order who actually orders)
BECOME OUR ROCK AND ROLL FRIEND FOREVER as an early adopter
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PRE-ORDER PAGE
The You Rock Guitar
Guitar Hero Phenom Danny Johnson visits Inspired Instruments to try the You Rock Guitar for himself and provide input into it’s final stages of development.
August 26, 2009 by JR · Leave a Comment
Guitar Hero Phenom Danny Johnson, checks out the You Rock Guitar
Irvine – September 2009 – World-renowned 5-time Guinness World Record holder Danny Johnson stopped by Inspired Instruments this past week to try the YOU ROCK GUITAR and provide valuable insights into the final stages of product development. “Danny is undisputedly the best Guitar Hero player in the world, but he’s also a musician. That qualifies him uniquely to test and help us review the finishing touches on the YOU ROCK GUITAR” said Kevin Kent, Inspired’s CEO. A 5-time record holder, with 3 more records awaiting approval, Danny is the only player in recorded history to score 100% on every Guitar Hero game ever made by Activision, earning him records, the title of Guitar Hero Guru, and featuring him at the forefront of a growing number of players that are continuously striving for challenges and excellence in the world of musical video games.
Danny’s sizable following exemplifies the shared passion by millions of gaming enthusiasts around the world. Like many players, Danny progressively mastered each of the songs, games, and levels. After hearing about the You Rock Guitar at E3 in Los Angeles this summer Danny decided he had to see it and play it for himself. Here’s what he had to say.
“The YOU ROCK GUITAR is awesome. It goes far beyond what a traditional gamer can do, but it’s so much more. It feels completely amazing,” said Danny after trying it for himself. “When I first started playing Guitar Hero, I thought about playing real guitar, but I couldn’t do it with what was available.”
“As an aspiring guitar player I never found enough opportunities to truly enjoy playing on my own.” Says JR deSouza, Inspired’s executive VP. “The guitar was often too loud or out of tune, and there were few digital tools at my disposal back then. There was a big gap between my aspirations and my reality.” The YOU ROCK GUITAR is designed for just that. It combines the instant gratification and ease of use of video games with the ability to play, create, and share real music of the digital instrument. “It’s the best of both worlds, guitar gaming and guitar playing.” says the original inventor Cliff Elion.
Cliff went on to say, “in addition to the feedback, Danny’s input helped with the final tweaks of the gaming aspect of the neck – hand positioning when playing as fast as Danny does is critical. Gamers will be glad Danny stopped by.”
“The YOU ROCK Guitar is flat out amazing” says Danny. “It teaches kids how to play real guitar by playing real strings and frets, not just buttons and a paddle. Now that I’ve seen it, I realize this is what I’ve been waiting for!”
“It’s interesting to see the exact same passion and desire coming from both ends of the spectrum, the video gaming and music playing worlds. The YOU ROCK GUITAR allows players anywhere on that spectrum, from gamers to professional musicians, to benefit from all that a digital guitar has to offer,” says Kevin Kent, CEO.
JR adds “I’ve been involved with a number of new-to-the-market products in my career, but few with as many immediately recognizable benefits. And it’s not just Danny. People look at this product and they get it. We’re hoping Danny will help us spread the word, passion is infectious.”
YOU ROCK GUITAR… Have Fun, Rock Will Happen.
About Inspired Instruments
Inspired Instruments is dedicated to providing customers with innovation at every opportunity, real music for real gamers. You Rock Guitar and GameFlex™ are registered trademarks of Inspired Instruments, Inc.
Guitar Hero Phenom Danny Johnson talks about playing with the You Rock Guitar on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/YouRockGuitar
Get ready to rock – The Pre-Order List is here. For you and your friends. http://www.yourockguitar.com/order-form/
Music Made Mobile for the Masses
June 30, 2009 by JR · Leave a Comment
First Timers:
• The You Rock Guitar is a great learning tool for anybody that wants to play because:
• No stringing required offers a smoother learning curve while maintaining the feel of frets & strings all the way up & down the neck.
• No tuning – Chords don’t sound ‘off’ because of the constant retuning requirements of strings. The two features combined allow you to pick it up and play right away – no wasted time setting up or adjusting. It’s truly plug & play.
• Ease of Use – Between the strings and the You-Rock Mode that auto-corrects common finger-positioning mistakes, early practice is a lot more rewarding as users sound good from the get-go.
• Versatility – It can emulate almost any instrument, providing the user with a wider choice of songs to play. The Chord-progression modes help the player growth and expand his/her musical horizons at their own pace.
Composers/Musicians:
The You Rock Guitar is a great compliment to any guitar player because:
It is small, lightweight, and portable – perfect for travel/on the road playing
Versatility of multiple sounds/instruments in one – don’t have to carry multiple instruments with me to write/compose different sounds on different instruments.
Plugs into headphones or amps so I can use it anywhere (plains, trains, automobiles)
Long battery life (~8 hours) – compose from LAX to Heathrow airports.
Fun; all the different effects, sounds, recourses of the instrument push the boundaries of creativity.
Video Gamers
The You Rock Guitar is the first instrument to truly bridge the worlds of gaming and real music, enabling you to use an actual instrument right from your game.
In 2009, those benefits are limited only by the games themselves. While the instrument (combined with the Game Flex Module) works out of the box with existing games, there is no additional/incremental functionality to the experience other than hitting strings instead of buttons.
But as game developers/publishers takes advantage of a new peripheral that begins where today’s accessories end, there’s no limit to what kinds of innovation will be possible through the You Rock Guitar. Here are some obvious examples:
Games will be able to offer modes that increase in degree of difficulty by more closely associating in game notes to real notes played in any song.
Speed, rhythm, number of notes, complexity of notes, chords, and songs, will enable a continuous transition from simple/easy beginners, to ‘playing along-side the real music’ as the actual performers would see fit.
Both developers’ and gamers’ creativity will drive game development and a natural evolution between 100% game (role play) and 100% performance (music play).
The game’s appeal will broaden, as more people of all ages & skills will relate to the experience.
Teachers/Educators
The You Rock Guitar makes teachers’ roles easier:
• The properties of the guitar inherently make it easier for students to immediately see results – the satisfaction comes quicker and hurdles are overcome more easily.
• Measure progress – when connected to a computer, the instrument can keep track of every note and chord that you play, and will provide you with ‘reports’ on what/how you did, what errors/mistakes were ‘corrected’, along with behavioral trends.
• Custom learning – The instructor can utilize the SDK to create customized learning plans that meet the specific needs of their students and that assist in measuring and analyzing their progress.
• Fun will drive more players into the market for real instruments; driving demand from more students and the desire for more lessons – translating into increased revenues.
About the Founders
June 25, 2009 by Kevin · Leave a Comment
Cliff Elion, President
Cliff Elion, President and Kevin Kent, CEO have known each for almost 3 decades. Meeting at Linn Electronics in the early 1980’s– both brought on to launch the Linn 9000. Cliff was in the engineering department and Kevin Director of Sales and Marketing. Even during the trying time of launching the ill-fated the Linn 9000, the two shared a common love of music and technology and they both shared a similar quirky sense of humor. One from the south of California, one from the South of Africa. They left Linn to launch K-Muse with a patented guitar pick-up technology. That product came to be the Photon guitar, used by luminaries such as John Mcglaughlin, Bunny Brunel, Larry Coryell, Brian Bromberg, Carlos Alomar, etc. They later sold the company off to Gibson Guitar Corporation.
Getting back together after almost 20 years to complete the development and launch the You Rock Guitar. Taking the original G-Stik concept and creating one of the world’s most versatile musical instruments they are very pleased with the progress of the You Rock Guitar. “There has never been an instrument that touches so many consumer electronic customers.” states Kent.
Kevin Kent, CEO
E3 is this week – You Rock Guitar
Inspired Instruments introduces the world’s first all digital guitar that is a musical instrument a video game controller and a hi-speed USB/MIDI controller.
Los Angeles – June 2009 – Inspired Instruments, Inc. announced the introduction of its hybrid guitar the ‘You Rock Guitar’ designed specifically for those who want to migrate from video games like Rock Band and Guitar hero to playing real guitar music. The You Rock Guitar’s patented technology bridges the gap between rhythm based video games and real music.
According to Kevin Kent, CEO of Inspired Instruments “The transition between video games and real music performance has been elusive and real holy grail for the millions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band players who want to step out of the game box and onto a real stage. Playability must be immediate. Never having to tune the guitar is essential. The feature set must include incredible sounds and game-like fun in the jamming. The integration of multiple levels of technology makes the You Rock Guitar the most advanced game and music controller in history – all at an incredible value. This is guitar 2.0”
Precision Musical Instrument – Guitar Mode
The Your Rock Guitar is the perfect complement to any guitar-player’s collection, adding fun, convenience, versatility, and range. It never requires stringing and never goes out of tune, perfect for the first time player. It connects to your existing amplifier for jamming sessions, or headphones for quiet time. Its USB interface connects to MP3 players & cell phones, so you can record & playback on an iPod or phone. The same connectivity makes the perfect companion for computer programs like Garage Band on Mac or Cakewalk on Windows™. So it’s a great learning tool for those just getting started, or casual players looking to improve. The guitar’s connectivity makes it an incredible platform.
For gamers and first time guitar players, the “You Rock Mode” auto-corrects finger positioning mistakes and digitally filters out wrong notes, making you sound like a real rocker from beat one. It encourages a player to practice and learn the guitar while playing. It takes you from a simple A-chord jam and then migrates you through the chord progressions that changed the world of rock and roll. These chord progressions are the building blocks for creating music and being able to jamming with your friends. The USB/MIDI controls are fast enough for professional studio song writing, sequencing, and professional composition. The built-in sampled guitar sounds are 16 bit and include acoustics and electrics, over ten thousand dollars worth of great guitars. They will keep you rocking all day and night no matter what your mood is; Stratocasters, clean and electric same for Les Paul’s, acoustics, 12 strings, even a 12 string Rickenbacker, some great rock and punk guitars, even power chords and mutes.
“What’s amazing about the You Rock Guitar is that it grows with you. I’m no musician, but have always wanted to play. This product is so much fun, it seamlessly improves my playing skills. That’s why we say; Have fun, Music will happen!” says, JR deSouza, Inspired’s VP of Marketing & Business Development.
Video Game Controller – Game Mode
The YOU ROCK GUITAR’S GAMEFLEX™ plug-in cartridges allow a single guitar to connect to any of the video game consoles; Nintendo Wii, Xbox360, or Sony’s PlayStation, making it compatible with ROCK BAND™ and GUITAR HERO™ games, and helping protect your investment against obsolescence as new games & consoles come to market. The You Rock Guitar picks up where today’s products reach their limits. It eliminates the barriers that exist between the video game & music worlds. And as game developers & publisher take advantage of this new platform they’ll be able to develop games that exploit musical gaming with no boundaries.
Cliff Elion, President of Inspired Instruments states “Gaming requires something beyond a MIDI guitar, in fact, you cannot play any of the popular console music games with a MIDI guitar, that’s why we invented the multi-touch fret board technology. The future of music gaming can now be in your hands.”
Market Availability
The product will be available online and at retail stores across the country in the fall of 2009.
YOU ROCK GUITAR – Pre-production proto-types will shown at booth 407 at the E3 show, June 2-4th, 2009.
About Inspired Instruments
Inspired Instruments is dedicated to providing customers with innovation at every opportunity, real music for real gamers. You Rock Guitar is the registered trademark of Inspired Instruments, Inc.
