Hardcore readers of RocketNews24 may have caught the very few instances where Mr. Sato has pulled out a guitar and started playing. It’s easy to miss, though, as Mr. Sato is what’s known as a bochi gitarisuto (lonely guitarist) who plays alone at home solely for his own satisfaction.

But now our reporter is all too eager to show of his guitar stylings after discovering the Trio Band Creator by DigiTech. It looks just like a normal effects pedal but actually adds an automatic bass and drum accompaniment based on your own playing.

The Trio is quite simple to operate. Just use the footswitch to alternate between “Learn” and “Play” modes. While it’s set to Learn you just play in the chord progression along with the rhythm you want. Then when you switch to Play, a bass and drums instantly start playing based on what it previously heard.

In addition you can choose between seven different genres from country to jazz, each having 12 different playing styles with either 4/4 or 3/4 time. You can also fiddle with the tempo and volume of the accompanying instruments for just the right sound.

▼  It even has a USB jack for potential firmware upgrades.
bandcreator6

Alright, enough shop talk. Let’s let Mr. Sato provide a demonstration, shall we?

However, be warned that this is a long video, but it’s also interesting to hear how the Band Creator makes a difference in Mr. Sato’s sound. Still, if you want just a small taste, I recommend skipping ahead to the eight minute mark. That’s when he does some of his best jamming.

There are many other reviews of this device but personally, I prefer Mr. Sato’s showcase. Nothing against the others, but usually the people demonstrating are too good. As a bochi gitarisuto myself, I relate more to Mr. Sato competent but limited style, and I think we are the type of people who would benefit the most from virtual bandmates.

The guitar-teaching game Rocksmith on consoles has a similar feature, but with the easy set-up and control of the Trio Band Creator, it’s a valuable tool in its own right.

So, if you’re in Japan and are looking to pick one up, you better hurry. These pedals were released in this country only a couple of weeks ago, but are already very hard to come by. Mr. Sato had to call around to several stores before finding a place that had only one left in stock. It’s a challenge to get one, but worth it to never be a lonely guitarist again!

Original article by Mr. Sato
Photos © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]