The AlphaSphere: Hong Kong invention to shake up digital music-making

Adam Place sits at an table at the Hong Kong Science Park in Tai Po, holding an object that looks like a soccer ball. But he's not playing games. Place is in the city to be closer to manufacturers in Shenzhen, and a potentially large market for the innovative musical device he invented - the AlphaSphere.

Place was studying music technology in Britain when he came up with the idea. The standard instrument used for producing electronic music was a MIDI keyboard, which every recording studio had. "But the keyboard didn't feel truly expressive. As a producer, you get caught up in the computer rather than playing an instrument," he says.

The AlphaSphere, on the other hand, is tactile and ergonomic with its 48 circular pads in easy reach of the fingers and thumbs. "It feels natural," Place says.

Each pad has 512 degrees of resolution - an improvement on the MIDI controller - that are set in a geometric notational arrangement, so different lines of scales or tuning systems can be mapped out around the orb logically.

"It's a different approach because you can put notes where you want, but it'll always make sense. You could set it up so that it's discordant," he says.

Place demonstrates by linking the sphere to software on his laptop and tapping out a bass line and drum beat. He adds melodic layers, including high-pitched bell-like dings, with an interwoven sitar sound. When he's finished, he has the makings of a complete techno tune.