LiberLive C1: A better Guitar Hero controller or just a Stringless Guitar?
Rock Band aficionados, rejoice!
Just in time for the annual gadget fest CES, there is finally a gadget aimed explicitly at guitarists. Or at gamers. Or both. The Liberlive C1 is one futuristic-looking stringless guitar that seems to draw inspiration from the legendary controller from Guitar Hero. Can it replace an actual guitar?
From Zero to Hero
For those who missed it: the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series were big. In the first wave of streaming in the late ’00s, the competition among streamers was massive. To play through power metal anthems and lightning-fast solos without making a mistake became a sport.
There remains a small and dedicated scene for these guitar-themed games, yet many will fondly remember powering through some Imagine Dragons solos to this day. With the LiberLive C1, it’s looking a lot like you can get THAT feeling of artificial guitar playing but with actual sounds.
LiberLive C1: Get your Guitar Hero skills on
The LiberLive C1 Stringless Smart Guitar looks about as futuristic as it gets. And, as the name suggests, it does not come with strings. So, how does it create sounds? Guitar Hero fans will feel right at home. With your left hand, you just press the rubber fretboard between the frets.
And with your right hand, you either pick or strum. There are six rubber pads to tap at the end of the fretboard for fingerpicking. And then there are two “stumming paddles”. These metal paddles can be wiggled to create a strumming motion.
The LiberLive C1 comes with a built-in speaker system, so you don’t need any additional hardware. It consist of a 3-inch Mid-Woofer and 0.8-inch Tweeter. Through the dedicated app, you can switch between different chord sets (72 in total), change keys, and place different chords on the chord pads.
AI Busking?
It’s lightweight at 1.9 kilograms (4.1lb) and foldable, so you can easily but it in your backpack. So the LiberLive C1 might be the perfect busking guitar for when you can’t play loud. At up to six hours of battery life, you can spend the whole afternoon in the mall and play Wonderwall!
This smart guitar also includes a variety of drum sounds and a bass engine to accompany the guitarist—a whole band in one instrument! As for the actual sounds of the acoustic guitar, the C1 comes with a so-called MicroDAW Sampling Synthesizer Technology. This allows sounds in any tempo or key to still sound natural. And smart.
How much does the LiberLive C1 cost?
Innovation ain’t cheap. At 799 USD (currently on sale for 499 USD), you’ll get one very stylish, very tech-y guitar. It is available at LiverLive’s website.