System: Valve Index, HTC Vive
Price at Time Of Review: £7.19
Comfort Rating: Green
Genre: Music and Rhythm
Input: Tracked Motion Controllers
Best Playing Position: Standing
Multi-Player: No
Age Rating: PG
VR Shop Score 1/100: 30
Description: Melody is a musical VR experience in which the user plays the African / Central American instrument: marimba, in different environments; merging creativity with the presence of VR simulation. A low latency audio engine allows players to experience very little lag and jitter in their audio experience. We focused on creating a simulation instrument that is both expressive and realistic.
Like with the physical instrument, players can play with a combination of soft and hard mallets and currently, the experiences support play with up to 4 mallets (two per hand). There are also other features common to a musical workstation including a metronome, 4 track recording/playback, velocity and resonance sensitivity in the keys.
There are currently 3 levels to choose from. The Enchanted Forest is a fanciful forest scene where musical play generates excitement in the wildlife and the trees. The Practice Room is a true-to-life music room that serves a great sterile environment where one can focus and hone their skills. Lastly, The Tron Room is a futuristic environment that makes for a dynamic performance arena.
Review: Melody is little more than a virtual Marimba (Or you might know it as a Glockenspiel or a giant wooden Xylophone). But that is all this experience is. There is no tutorial, no game, just a virtual musical instrument in a nice relaxing environment. I’m no expert on the Marimba but I found double hits works and the sound and feedback was oddly satisfying. You can then record your own tracks to playback later. There might be someone out there willing to pay £7.19 for this, but unless you have a use for a virtual Marimba it is kind of pointless even to those wanting to learn.
