You know how they say it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a creative skill? Mike Butera thinks that’s bullshit–at least when it comes to playing music. Butera says one of the biggest barriers to entry for regular people is the physical layout of traditional instruments. But like so many things in life, he thinks technology can free us from the rigid tyranny of black-and-white piano keys or of a six-stringed guitar–and in so doing, it might make music more accessible.

If this sounds like some kind of high-minded utopian vision from somebody at technology’s bleeding edge, well, it is. Butera is not only holds a PhD in sound studies, but he’s now a tech entrepreneur. Last year, he and cofounder Jacob Gordon launched Artiphon, a consumer hardware startup born out of the New Museum’s NEW INC incubator. After launching their first creation, the Instrument 1, on Kickstarter, they amassed $1.3 million in what turned out to be the the most successful Kickstarter campaign for a musical instrument ever. And now, it’s finally ready to ship.

The Instrument 1 is an attempt at creating a musical instrument that adapts to its player’s needs. It isn’t just strummed, tapped, or played horizontally like a piano; It is played in all of these ways and more. Its interface, which kind of resembles a shortened, rubberized guitar neck, can be played like a guitar when you’re holding it like one. Or you can bow it like a violin on your neck. Or you can play it in your lap like a piano. The result is a sort of universal instrument, untethered to the conventions of more familiar-looking music-making devices.

“Where we’re headed is toward instruments that change their gestalt, depending on how you want to use it,” says Butera. “Whether it’s actually shapeshifting or adapting to your expectations in other ways.” While future advances in material science may enable interfaces that physically change before our eyes, Butera and Gordon are happy to take an early crack at the concept with a hunk of plastic, rubber, and electronics.

Mike Butera

The Instrument 1 plugs into your phone or computer, where it can be paired with music-making apps like GarageBand or many of the various virtual synthesizers and other software-based instruments that developers have built. Like MIDI keyboards and other controller devices, the Instrument 1 provides a physical interface for music apps so your mobile music-making isn’t limited to tapping on a glass screen. But unlike existing devices, the Instrument 1 can be played in a variety of ways. That makes it a really nice supplement to GarageBand, which features a wide range of virtual instruments like guitars, drums, synthesizers and even a new package of traditional Eastern instruments.

Since the Instrument 1 supports the MIDI standard, it works with a variety of mobile music apps, such as the recently released Model 16 modular synthesizer app from Moog. “Now I can use a violin technique to control a modular synthesizer,” boasts Butera. “That’s never been done before.”

Thanks to this interoperability, the Instrument 1 can easily go beyond the amateur musicians that Artiphon is hoping to entice and allow professionals to work a new piece of hardware into their music production repertoire. The company is already working with some well-known musicians (Beyonce’s tour manager reportedly pre-ordered one on Kickstarter), but they’re shy about rattling off names. They say that’s because they want to avoid the appearance of professional endorsements, lest they discourage the more casual musicians they’re aiming for.