Morrison Digital Trumpet

INVENTERS BLOW THEIR OWN TRUMPET
New Digital Trumpet “lights” up the stage

5 Aug 2005 Marshall Morrison Instruments have released a revolutionary Digital Trumpet.

The Morrison Digital Trumpet, or MDT, is a new brass-style MIDI wind controller invented and designed by Steve Marshall with the great Australian multi-instrumentalist James Morrison.

The MDT allows people with minimal trumpet playing skills to reach all those extremely high notes and play for extended periods, just like a professional musician. Professionals, on the other hand, who have mastered the acoustic trumpet, love playing the MDT for its expanded sound possibilities and expressive capabilities.

The MDT has been specifically designed for trumpet players to make it as easy as possible to transition from the acoustic trumpet. James Morrison, arguably one of the worlds leading trumpet players and multi-instrumentalists, has been working with a robotics guru and electronics wiz Steve Marshall for more than 5 years to create an instrument that feels right when first picked up by a trumpet player. While it has a funky look, in comparison to your standard off-the-shelf trumpet, it has a familiar feel due to the similar hand positions, standard valve movement and a normal trumpet mouthpiece.

Due to the much increased range and features that the MDT makes possible, there is a need for more controls than you find on an acoustic trumpet. After many prototypes and much research, Marshall Morrison Instruments, believe they have found the best way to incorporate these without making the MDT overly complex or strange to play. Although the MDT is completely electronic, its familiar feel allows an acoustic trumpet player to learn it quickly and start playing with the least amount of change from their trumpet skills.

The introduction of the Morrison Digital Trumpet has just added a new dimension to music.

Summary

What is it?
* The Morrison Digital Trumpet (MDT) is a MIDI wind controller designed to give acoustic trumpet players an easy “pick up and play” instrument to enter the digital age.
* It makes no sound on its own but “triggers” any MIDI capable sound device, such as a synthesizer, sound module or computer etc, to allow the player access to literally thousands of sound possibilities.

How do you play it?
* You don’t have to buzz, as with a regular trumpet, you just blow, dramatically increasing player endurance and resulting in perfect pitch.
* The harder you blow the louder the sound and the breath sensitivity is super responsive to allow for high speed tounging and smooth notes.
* Octaves are controlled with a series of buttons on the left hand.
* No tight lips are required to play the previously unheard of 10 octave range .
* The C scale fingering is identical to an acoustic trumpet and repeats for every octave too.
* The right thumb has access to three controllers. These are usually set to pitch bend up, pitch bend down, and vibrato, but are programmable. These allow super expressive playing of various sounds.

What are some of its features?
* 10 octaves of pitch perfect range.
* Even a beginner can sound like a professional.
* For the more advanced player it has awesome stage appeal and great players like James have crowds amazed at the sound capabilities, expressiveness and range possible with the MDT.
* At the press of a button you can switch between any of the sounds available like trombone, clarinet, flute, guitar, bass, mouth organ, piano, bagpipes etc. Sound possibilities are endless.
* Transposition is a button push away.
* Using headphones means you can practice without disturbing the neighbors
* The MIDI data generated by MDT can be recorded and manipulated in a MIDI sequencer.
* The MDT has the power to be completely programmed using the built-in backlit LCD

To schedule an interview with either James Morrison or Steve Marshall, please contact us.
Steve Marshall (Ph) +61 2 4945 0495 email: steve@steve-marshall.com
Morrison Enterprises (Ph) +61 299798524 email: office@jamesmorrison.com

This press release is avaliable for download in Word format by right clicking "here" and selecting download target.

Click on the thumbnail pictures below to open them at full resolution in a new window.

James Morrison and inventor Steve Marshall	James and Steve in "the Studio"	James showing off on the MDT
James and MDT showing left hand position	James relaxing in his studio playing the MDT	James and both the MDT and his accoustic trumpet
James recording a track on his Powerbook using GarageBand	Inside the supplied MDT case showing all the accessories	The MDT powered on with Blue Leds showing
CNC Machined Stainless Steel valves	MDT with white background	The master at work!
The business end of the MDT	The MDT powered on with Blue Leds showing	Stainless Steel valves and replaceable finger support