Instrument 1

To this end, the Instrument 1 can be used like multiple conventional instruments (guitar, violin, drum kit or piano) or new instruments created using a companion app. The Instrument 1 was prototyped five times before its release and changed substantially throughout this phase. These changes were made partly due to feedback from a beta test in 2014, which resulted in the materials used for the Instrument 1 changing from wood to plastic. A year later, in 2015, the sixth design of the Instrument 1 was the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. This campaign produced over $1.3 million, making it the most successful musical instrument Kickstarter in the site's history. Critics received the Instrument 1 well; many compared it to other electronic string instruments, including the Gittler guitar and Omnichord. The Instrument 1 was nominated for multiple awards: it was named one of Time "25 Best Inventions of 2015" and was a finalist in Fast Company Innovation by Design awards. The Instrument 1 has been used as a tool for helping people with disabilities make music. The device's versatility lets people with lowered muscle control and other similar disabilities take part in music making. A 2022 study used the Instrument 1 as an accessible instrument for whole class ensemble teaching in British primary schools. The Instrument 1 has also been used as an instrument for elderly people with arthritis.

• Illustration — Butera's doctoral research at Virginia Tech (Burruss Hall pictured) led to the creation of Artiphon and, by extension, the Instrument 1. The Instrument 1 was conceptualised by Mike Butera, a fiddle (violin) player from Nashville, Tennessee. He holds a PhD in sound studies from Virginia Tech and had previously researched the relationship between music listening and technology. Butera, along with Jacob Gordon, is the co-founder of Artiphon, a Nashville-based startup company that was founded in 2011 off the back of Butera's doctoral research. The same year that Artiphon was founded, Butera had the idea of creating a "universal musical instrument" following a growing frustration with music software interfaces. While jamming with some of his friends at a Nashville dinner party, Butera noticed that people were using mobile devices to produce music. This led him to consider the ergonomics of musicians having their "fingers and hands contorted around a device that just begged to be dropped". This in turn led to the creation of the Instrument 1, which was Artiphon's first project. According to Butera, the Instrument 1's name was chosen to make the device a clean slate for the ideas of its user, saying in a conversation with Mic:

The Instrument 1 was heavily prototyped before its release. It was announced in 2013, following teaser images uploaded of a prototype design in December 2012. The third prototype designed was exhibited at the CES and NAMM shows the same year. This prototype of the Instrument 1 was hand-built from bamboo and various African hardwoods in partnership with a local firm, Cumberland Architectural Millwork. This design featured a dedicated docking station for the iPhone 5 or iPod Touch. The speakers of this design were commented on by testers, including James True of Engadget, who liked their "impressive 30W onboard sound". This prototype was the subject of a beta test in February 2014, with priority given to local testers around Nashville. Artiphon's announcement calling for beta testers read: Following feedback gathered from the beta test, the Instrument 1 underwent a year-long redesign. The redesign made the device more compact and increased compatibility with external software. It was during this period that the materials making up the Instrument 1 changed from wood and bamboo to plastic and rubber. This final design was the sixth revision made to the Instrument 1.

In 2015, the Instrument 1 was the subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Pledges started at $349 for the basic model, with the wood-backed Nashville edition requiring a pledge of $899. The campaign's goal was $75,000, which was achieved within six hours of the campaign starting on 3 March. The campaign was launched with the following pitch: At the end of the Kickstarter campaign on 12 April, the Instrument 1 had achieved $1,319,672 in funding from 3,391 supporters in 70 different countries. This result made it one of the most-successful Kickstarter campaigns related to music ever, and the most successful musical instrument campaign to have taken place on the site. Aside from the Kickstarter campaign, $700,000 in funding was supplied by angel investors. Shipping of the Instrument 1 began a year later in 2016. In May, Artiphon once again showcased the Instrument 1 at Moogfest 2016 as part of the device's post-Kickstarter launch. By November, the Instrument 1 was available for purchase by the general public. In 2017, Hal Leonard took over distribution of the Instrument 1 in the United States and Canada.

The Instrument 1 has four basic instrument configurations: guitar, violin, drum, and piano. It is controlled through a polyphonic touch-sensitive plate, which can act as a set of 12 drum pads, a keyboard, or fingerboard/fretboard. The plate is divided into 72 areas distributed across six "strings", in divisions representing octaves. The touch-plate is velocity and pressure-sensitive (using force-sensing resistors), and capable of polyphonic aftertouch. The Instrument 1 also has a bridge at the end of the touch-plate, which allows the user to pluck, strum and bow the strings. The bridge can be bypassed using a "tap mode". On each end of the touch-plate are speakers, the volume of which are controlled by a volume dial. Also present is a pair of buttons representing a capo, which are used to transpose the device. The Instrument 1 is a controller that supports the MIDI technical standard. It is capable of MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). It cannot produce sound on its own, only control external devices. It uses a mini USB output, or lightning connector for Apple devices, to connect to third-party music software such as GarageBand. The Instrument 1 also has its own companion app which can be used to fine-tune the instrument settings, or create new instrument configurations. The Instrument 1 also has connections for headphones and microphones. The Instrument 1 comes in three variants: black, white and the Nashville edition, which has a wooden back. The device is mainly composed of plastic and rubber. It is 60 cm long and weighs less than 2 lb. The design of the Instrument 1 is patented.

• Illustration — Michelle Starr of CNET commented on the Instrument 1's similarities to the Gittler guitar. The Instrument 1 was received well by critics and consumers alike. Critics commented on the Instrument 1's realistic and natural feel while playing. To this end, comparisons were made to other "realistic" digital instruments, such as the Roland V-Drums and Yamaha WX5. A point was made of the Instrument 1's price point; according to Vice, this price allowed the Instrument 1 to do what "Traktor Kontroller S4 did for DJs: break[s] barriers". Michelle Starr of CNET stated that the Instrument 1 bore a resemblance to the experimental Gittler guitar. The device's string-based design also led Jess Bartlet of Earmilk to liken the Instrument 1 to the Suzuki Omnichord, a 1981 instrument with a similar focus on strumming. Bartlet gave the Instrument 1 a positive review, saying that the technology has "immense potential". In a review of the Instrument 1 published by PCMag, Jordan Minor rated the device four out of five, awarding it an editor's choice award. Minor commented on the playing modes of the Instrument 1 in his review, highlighting the discrepancy between the quality of certain modes. According to Minor, the piano and drum pad modes "fall a bit flat" compared to the guitar and violin modes, although he acknowledged that this was due to the high standard set by the other modes.

The Instrument 1 has been used as an instrument for people with physical disabilities, specifically for those with impacted muscle motor control. This includes elderly people with arthritis and other related disabilities. The versatility of Instrument 1 lends itself to this function: the multiple modes available let it suit itself to a specific person's needs.