orit dolev creates NOMAD, a digital music instrument for travellers

award-winning designer orit dolev reveals NOMAD, a digital instrument that creates music on the­ go. from trekking through asia and south america to living in a hacker home in the bay area with fifteen other people, dolev knows the pain of dragging a guitar around. based on that, she started questioning how one can improve the global music culture through design. 

‘on one of my trips, I decided to bring a guitar and finally learn how to play it’, she explains. ‘I thought to myself: this would be a great way to meet new people by bridging gaps of culture and language through music. but the experience of traveling with this musical instrument turned out to be frustrating. the shape of the resonance box prevented me from putting it in my backpack and the strings would constantly break and get out of tune’. 

designed to encourage mobility and adventure, the minimalistic form makes NOMAD portable and durable

orit dolev has developed NOMAD as an instrument that can be thrown in a backpack and used practically anywhere and anytime. the wooden neck creates a familiar feel, while the minimalistic form enables artists to take their musical instrument anywhere they go. the pressure sensitive frets and flexible rubber strings preserve a traditional playing experience. however, thanks to their soft tactile material, they will never break or get out of tune. it is a combination of both digital and analog features – maintaining the familiarity of a classic guitar, yet adding the possibilities hidden within a digital musical instrument. 

pressure sensitive frets and flexible strings that never break or get out of tune

paired with an app, NOMAD can play an endless variety of sounds and frets can be turned off for ‘fretless mode’ while a digital capo controls the pitch of the strings. users can play music through headphones or connect wirelessly to the portable amplifier to share tracks with other people. designed as a pair, the amplifier doubles as a case cover which protects and complements the instrument. the final product reveals distinct qualities of internal and external, low-­tech and hi­-tech, traditional and modern.

NOMAD is born from the desire to create music on-the-go 

NOMAD create music on-the-go
video © NOMAD

designed as a pair: the amplifier and NOMAD instrument

a musical instrument for the modern nomad

the instrument is designed to age gracefully and overtime, becomes personalized 

‘create music wherever life takes you’

Designed to live

NOMAD combines low-­tech and hi­-tech, traditional and modern features

initial prototypes of the NOMAD instrument

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edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom