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Suzuki Omnichord is back to offer a fun and interesting way to make music

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When you think of musical instruments, you will probably first think of things like pianos and guitars. Electronic musical instruments, on the other hand, conjure up images of keyboards, electric guitars, and complicated synthesizers. Suzuki’s Omnichord, on the other hand, is an odd yet curious duck that stands somewhere in between these two extremes. First launched in 1981, this electronic device empowered anyone to make music or accompany a song even without previous musical experience or even reading notes. The Omnichord’s distinctive electronic sounds and novel design made it quite a hit, but the product faded into obscurity back in 1996. To commemorate its upcoming 40th anniversary, Suzuki decided to give today’s generation a taste of that unique experience with a new model that recreates the original so faithfully down to using the same analog circuits.

Designer: Suzuki

Imagine just pressing a few buttons and sliding your finger on a flat surface and then suddenly producing wonderful music. That’s pretty much the experience that the Suzuki Omnichord offered, presenting people, whether musically trained or not, the joys of creating music with ease and freedom. There are no wrong notes, just new harmonies and beats to be discovered and incorporated into your masterpiece. It’s like an adventure for novices but also a new territory for veterans who want to add a unique flavor to their music.

The new Suzuki Omnichord OM-108 tries to bring that 80s experience to the 21st century, reproducing the tonality that characterized that period while also adding modern features that cater to today’s more demanding audience. To accurately recreate the same tones of the OM-84, perhaps the most popular Omnichord ever released, Suzuki opted to go completely old school and apply the same analog circuitry that gave the original its distinctive electronic sounds. It also has that popular harp sensor or strumplate that lets you easily slide or tap your finger to produce the “notes” that will make up your music.

The new OM-108 model boasts 108 chords, hence the name, as well as many new functions, like a switch that changes the way chords and rhythms are played. There’s also a drum pad mode that turns the chord keys as well as the sturmplate itself into beats. And like with many modern electronic musical instruments, you can connect the Omnichord to external MIDI devices to mix tones to your heart’s delight. Plus, the built-in speaker can be turned on or off when you connect an external speaker, useful when you want to monitor your own sound during a live performance.

The Suzuki Omnichord OM-108 may look like a toy, but the unique sounds it lets you produce are pure joy, at least to fans of the electronica genre. Its revival coincides with the retro craze gripping many industries and is a perfect example of a design that manages to remain relevant decades after its last appearance. That said, you’ll have to wait a bit before you can get your hands on the newest Omnichord, as sales aren’t expected to start until July, with the price and market availability still unknown.

The post Suzuki Omnichord is back to offer a fun and interesting way to make music first appeared on Yanko Design.

This insanely detailed Hayabusa scale-down model is made entirely out of paper

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With a dizzying level of detail all the way down to the cylinders on the engine and even the needles on the speedometer, this tiny Suzuki GAX1300R Hayabusa model shows how versatile and powerful paper is as a material.

If you’re taking out 20 full minutes to watch the video above, be warned, it’s nothing short of sheer madness and devotion. The artist, a Japanese Hobbyist by the moniker of YoshiwoModels, goes into absolute thorough detail, constructing literally every aspect of the superbike just from scraps of paper found in sketchbooks, cardboard boxes, and receipts. If there’s ever been a video that captures true passion and perseverance, it’s this one right here. YoshiwoModels explains his process as he builds out every single part of the Hayabusa, relying on model schematics found online. He talks about his love for the environment and how waste paper can be such a versatile material to work with, while also highlighting his shift to starch-based glues because they aren’t bad for the environment. As he assembles the engine he reflects on how gasoline engines will be obsolete in the future. There’s an inherent respect for the Hayabusa as YoshiwoModels meticulously carves out every single gear and piston from scratch, and the entire video is a phenomenally humbling experience, watching how simple sheets of paper transform into easily the most thoroughly detailed physical model/replica I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Designer: YoshiwoModels

YoshiwoModels’ process is a simple yet painstakingly laborious one. He finds schematics online and meticulously creates plans and outlines of each and every single component, which he then traces onto sheets of paper. For a lightbox, he either uses an illuminated window or relies on the backlight of a computer monitor. The tools YoshiwoModels uses are relatively specialist too… he relies on a hole-punch to create perfect holes in cardboard sheets and uses scalpels and tiny scissors to cut out parts. Assembling the paper scraps isn’t easy too, as Yoshiwo relies on a pair of tweezers to carefully join paper elements together, building first the oil sump, then the engine, the wheels, the chassis, seat, outer body, exhaust, and finally the incredibly tiny elements on the dashboard.

The techniques used by Yoshiwo in this video have their roots Kirigami, a paper-folding style that lets you cut the paper (unlike Origami that only allows you to manipulate paper using folds). In a conscious effort to be as environment-friendly as possible, Yoshiwo doesn’t use any blank or fresh papers in his constructions. For the most part, he relies on boxes and sketchbook covers to create his models and even employs thermal paper found in used receipts, because they can’t be recycled. Once the model is completely ready, Yoshiwo finishes it off by adding the Hayabusa’s kanji logo on the fairing of the superbike.

While the Suzuki Hayabusa is associated with speed and power, this video is the polar opposite, displaying an almost meditative calmness in its slow craftsmanship. Sure, it’s easy to appreciate how beautiful a Hayabusa looks… but when you see every single part of it built and assembled from scratch, it allows you to appreciate the superbike’s design on an entirely different level.

The post This insanely detailed Hayabusa scale-down model is made entirely out of paper first appeared on Yanko Design.

I can’t decide if this custom Suzuki GT380 is retro or modern-looking, but I love it!

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Looking at Sean Pelletier’s reinterpretation of the Suzuki GT380, it’s clear that his inspiration stems from retro stylings… although if you do tend to look at the form, the angular cuts, and just the overall sleekness, it looks undeniably contemporary. The custom GT380 makes the case that not every modern product needs to be edgy, with blue LED accents. A modern-looking product can have an evergreen appeal, with a style that’s refreshing to look at yet still familiar.

It all starts with a donor Suzuki GT380, which Sean and his designer collaborator Jeremy Lacy strip apart to its bare-basics before creating 2D sketches of the new design superimposed on the old framework. The bike’s data makes its way into SolidWorks, where Lacy builds his custom parts directly on top of the existing frame and components. This process, according to Sean, makes creating the custom bike much faster, as the new parts can easily be fabricated and assembled onto the motorbike, knowing fully well that each new component will fit onto the bike seamlessly. “Since the pieces were all carefully designed in CAD, no time was wasted in reworking things once they were built,” says Sean. “For example, we didn’t have to worry about the front fender hitting the fairing because we already moved the parts around in CAD to make sure there was no interference anywhere within the range of travel.”

The custom bike comes outfitted with a bunch of new parts, including fiberglass bodywork, an aluminum fuel-tank, HID headlamp, a plush leather seat that cantilevers beautifully off the back, right above an Öhlins shock fitted in the rear, slotted in a custom linkage. The end-result looks far from the original, but that’s the fruit of 6 months of labor on the part of Sean and Jeremy who both worked 20-hour weeks to come up with the final result. The final bike looks stunning, with an understated color scheme that feels comfortably vintage, rather than edgy. The pearlescent warm-white body, brown seat, and golden accents have an old-world touch, but the silhouette and cantilever rear really do give the custom model a novel appeal that definitely feels contemporary.

Designers: Sean Pelletier (The Motoworks) & Jeremy Lacy

Maruti Suzuki welcomes PM’s call to ‘Make in India’

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Maruti Suzuki is the biggest car maker company in India. Maruti Suzuki India's MD and CEO, Kenichi Ayukawa, said that his country has the capability to become the world's biggest car manufacturing...

Garmin partners with Suzuki for company’s first in-dash infotainment system

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Sure, the portable GPS may still have a home among multi-car families, or drivers that have yet to make the jump to a smartphone, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the dedicated device's share decline over the next few years. At the same time, in-car infotainment systems are clearly gaining in popularity, so it only makes sense for one of the world's largest handheld GPS makers to make the jump to in-dash. Garmin's partnering with Suzuki for its first factory-installed infotainment system, which includes a 6.1-inch "high-res" touchscreen, a CD player and AM/FM radio, internal flash memory, along with USB, AUX jack and Bluetooth connectivity. The voice control-enabled system also includes backup camera support, Pandora integration and an SD card slot for loading updates. One benefit of vehicle integration is access to the car's speed sensors, allowing the GPS to follow along accurately when it doesn't have a signal, such as in enclosed areas or tunnels. You can also use Garmin Smartphone Link to access traffic, weather and fuel price info. The in-dash system will ship with most American 2013 model year Suzuki vehicles, along with select cars sold in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Russia. I'll also be on display at Suzuki's New York Auto Show booth next week, if you happen to be planning a trip to the Big Apple.

Continue reading Garmin partners with Suzuki for company's first in-dash infotainment system

Garmin partners with Suzuki for company's first in-dash infotainment system originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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