Orange launches new improved Musicboard

Orange is targeting the education section with the launch of a new version of its interactive musical whiteboard, the Musicboard2. 

The whiteboard allows students and teachers to hear the notes they have written on it. It was built partly as a practical response to OFSTED concerns about the teaching of music theory in British schools, according to the firm.

Orange CEO, Cliff Cooper, creator of the Orange Musicboard2 said: “The Orange Musicboard2 accelerates the music theory learning process by making it fun and interactive, allowing students to ‘see’ and hear their music. On an immediate level it breaks down psychological barriers to learning by being more fun, but on a deeper level it bridges the gap between ‘dry’ theory and the music that comes from it. We’ve been road testing in schools for the last year or so and it really is having a dramatic effect on our students. Put simply, more engagement breeds better results.

“In addition, many teachers have commented on how it makes teaching much more fun for them too, giving them more energy and enthusiasm to teach theory”.

It will retail at around £1,950 in UK.

Features include:

Command and note activation using unique remote wand

Board sensitivity adjuster – teachers can tailor the board’s sensitivity to the wands

Clef transposition – Each of the three Staves can be allotted to either Treble, Alto, Tenor or Bass Clef

Key transposition – Within each Clef, all notes may be transposed into any Key

Metronome implementation fully programmable via the remote wand

Large display indication for each Stave, indicating current Key signature and Clef; also current display of metronome speed

Physical 61 note fully polyphonic weighted keyboard for physical demonstration of hand playing positions etc.

Polyphonic multi-voice implementation using MIDI control

Guitar input with clean/overdrive facility

Large display instrument/voice tuner

Digital data input allowing audio streaming via improved Bluetooth link from Smartphone or media device 

Switchable microphone for voice / acoustic instrument tuning

Headphone Jack

Stereo power amplifier and speakers giving high quality reproduction