The device can turn any song into stems.
With the haphazard release schedule of his new record, there was bound to be something big in the works from the legendary hip hop producer and artist. Appearing online last night, the Donda Stem Player is a handheld remix device that can split any song into stems and comes shipped with Kanye’s new album Donda.
What you need to know:
- Kanye West has announced a handheld remix device with the DONDA STEM PLAYER.
- The device boasts being able to split any song into stems, which you can control via the four sliders and play through the built in speaker.
- Donda Stem Player is available for purchase now and will ship sometime in Northern Hemispheres Summer.
Read all the latest product news here.
AI software that can split audio into stems has been around for a minute, and while they have some applications, this is the first product that includes it into hardware. The Donda Stem Player is capable of splitting songs into stems which the website states “SPLIT ANY SONG INTO STEMS” and “CONTROL VOCALS, DRUMS, BASS, AND SAMPLES”.
The website lists the features of the device as being able to add effects, 4 channel lossless audio mixing, real time loop and speed control, tactile effects, save, playback and share mixes and customise colours.
Kano, a tech company from the UK specialising in buildable computer kits and coding lessons seem to be the collaborators behind the stem player with their CEO tweeting this image and info.
STEM PLAYER
CUSTOMIZE ANY SONG
SHIPS WITH DONDAhttps://t.co/l2kKvYBNaN pic.twitter.com/cg8HVXkEHX
— Alex Klein (@alexnklein) August 25, 2021
Donda Stem player connects via USB-C, has an inbuilt speaker capable of outputting 97dB, can connect via Bluetooth (not sure if it’s in or out) and a 3.5mm jack.
This is speculative as there aren’t any intro videos but you’d think the device would operate by moving your fingers along the four touch sensitive sliders that look like crosshairs. The website also lists haptics and tactile effects, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are interesting ways to interact with the Stem Player, similar to an Orba perhaps.
On the front end of the website there is no mention of the size of the unit, but digging through the website unveiled this picture below which shows that it fits comfortably in one hand. Unfortunately no video of this could be found, so we’re still in the dark about how it operates.
It’ll be interesting to see this product when it actually ships and if it performs as it promises. Only time will tell, that is, when Kanye decides to actually release his new record.
The Donda Stem Player is online now and available for purchase for US and UK customers with a price tag of US$200/£200.00.
Head to Kanye West’s website or the Stem Player website for more information.
