Bebot- Robot Synth

Bebot is a versatile musical synthesizer with a unique multitouch control method, built into an animated cartoon robot.

iOS Link

Features

Bebot can be customized in various ways according to timbre, available pitches, and additional effects.

Timbre

Timbre can be adjusted through the Synth Controls feature. Different kinds of waves can be combined and cutoff, resonances, and oscillation can all be adjusted. Their are a number of presets also available that can save someone the work of finding a balance that they like.

Pitch

One can select a number of scales and chords that bebot can be based upon. It can be set to Major, Minor, Pentatonic, Dorian, Hexatonic, Chromatic, or chord arpeggios. The range can be adjusted as one can either zoom in or out or move the available pitches up or down.

Effects

Echo, Overdrive, and Chorus effects can all be added into your settings in Bebot. They can also be customized according to a user's preferences.

School Music Applications

Elementary School

In an Elementary School General Music setting, Bebot can be used alongside traditional classroom instruments in Orffestrations of songs. Bebot has a very easy to understand and intuitive interface that is based on tapping the screen. For children with limited motor capabilities, this can be easier than properly hitting a xylophone or metallophone. It can be an exciting way for students to produce new kinds of sounds that are more like what they will hear on the radio and in daily life. The added visual stimulation is also a plus. If using Bebot in this kind of setting, speakers are necessary to make Bebot heard over other instruments.

Middle and High School

Bebot could have a place in a Music Technology classroom. The features that allow one to create one's own timbre are somewhat sophisticated. However, they are less overwhelming than what you would find in more professional software like Reason or Pro Tools that are often introduced in these kinds of settings. It could allow an instructor to introduce students to the idea of blending different kinds of waves to produce a sound without getting so hung up on the topic that students never get around to making music.