Turn Your Phone Into A Musical Instrument With This USB-C Mouthpiece

Ever looked at your smartphone charging port and thought: "Hey, that'd make a great mouthpiece for a digital flute of some kind?" Well, an Italian company has done one better by creating a USB-C-powered MIDI controller with a mouthpiece users can blow into. When paired with a companion app, your mobile device turns into pretty much any popular wind instrument, from flutes to bagpipes and others in-between.

This unique musical gadget is called the Artinoise Zefiro (Italian for "zephyr" in English or "a gentle wind or a wind that blows from the northwest) and it comes from the same company behind the re.corder, which was a new digital take on the humble recorder that many of use used/hated back in school. 

The premise is quite simple: the portable kazoo-looking device plugs into the USB-C port of a smartphone or tablet (preferably something small and easy to handle, of course), and when used with the Zefiro app, you can emulate the sounds of many common instruments. Artinoise claims that the built-in smart sensors within the mouthpiece are able to produce a lifelike playing experience as they capture the strength and power of each breath, thus adjusting the volume, length, and pitch.


Instrument keys are mapped virtually onscreen where users can also customize the placement and sensitivity of the touch points by using the app. At present, there are 32 sound options available for the Zefiro, ranging from flutes and trumpets, to saxophones and violins. 

What Artinoise has created here is quite unique in that it bring MIDI-based digital instruments to the mass market for cheap. Even at its regular retail price of $44, the Zefiro is quite a bit more affordable and versatile than other MIDI breath controllers. Of course, you can't really replace actual instrument keys for virtual ones, but if done right, the Zefiro could be a game-changer.

The companion app also comes with some handy features that bring greater value to the Zefiro. Users can use the looper function, add audio layers, insert background sounds, record and share their musical masterpieces, and even have the app help with breathing exercises. 

If you'd like to support the Kickstarter campaign, the Zefiro can be had for a backer-only price of $24 (standard) and $42 (Pro, which includes an accelerometer in the mouthpiece). Shipping is expected to begin in February 2025.

Photo credits: Artinoise (via Kickstarter)