Tone Explorer Technology Preview / Roland Future Design Lab
Development of AI-Based Tone Search
Qosmo was responsible for AI co-development and UI/UX design in collaboration with Roland Future Design Lab, the R&D division of Japan’s leading electronic musical instrument manufacturer Roland Corporation.
The jointly developed “Tone Explorer” is a next-generation tone recommendation feature that automatically searches for the most compatible sounds based on an input MIDI phrase. It assists in finding the optimal tones from the vast number of presets available in GALAXIAS—an instrument that fuses Roland’s signature sounds into a single device.
To determine the compatibility between an input MIDI phrase and the presets, we developed a multimodal AI model capable of processing both the tonal characteristics of presets and the structural aspects of MIDI phrases. This model was trained using Roland's proprietary data and leverages a machine learning technique known as metric learning. By embedding MIDI phrases and their corresponding presets into a shared vector space, the model ensures that tones closely related to a given phrase are positioned near each other. Based on this proximity, a compatibility score is defined, allowing users to prioritize the most suitable tones.
For the UI design, we drew inspiration from space, in reference to GALAXIAS, and incorporated two distinct views: “Solar View”, modeled after the solar system, and “Constellation View”, inspired by constellations.
Solar View enables users to explore the most similar tones within each category, represented as planetary orbits. This intuitive interface allows users to discover highly compatible sounds through an interactive, visually engaging experience. Constellation View provides a bird’s-eye perspective of the vast array of presets, facilitating large-scale exploration across a two-dimensional space.
By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology with innovative design, “Tone Explorer” is a revolutionary tool that expands new possibilities in music creation.
Links
Client
Roland Corporation Interview: “Designing an experience together” rather than simply “creating AI.”
Credit
Creative Direction: Nao Tokui (Qosmo) Machine Learning / Technical Direction: Bogdan Teleaga, Naotake Masuda (Qosmo) Interface Design: Naoki Ise (Qosmo), Liu Jinhe (Qosmo) Icon Design: Mike Sekine (Qosmo)