The Soundbeam has been around in various forms for a long time – since 1989, so nearly 40 years! It works by sensing the distance from an ultrasonic sensor, and converting the distance in various ways to a musical output.
The full, current version (Soundbeam 6 big band kit) sells for around £5500, inc. VAT (https://www.soundbeam.co.uk/pricelist – 26/03/26) – but components to make a simple working setup could be as little as £2500. Currently, Soundbeams can be funded by the UK government (26/03/26).
Pros
The current iteration of the soundbeam is easy to get started with thanks to factory-supplied presets. It can be configured to be used in many ways and is sensitive to very slight motions, or large gestures. The associated wireless switches are very sensitive and can be triggered with very little movement, and connect painlessly.
Cons
As you are interacting with an invisible beam, there is no haptic feedback – meaning you can’t feel the instrument in the same way you can many instruments. e.g. You can feel when you slide up a fret on guitar, or when you press a piano key.
It also could be considered very expensive! This is out of reach for most individuals, and can usually only be bought by an organisation.
Quick Start Guide
Unpackage the Soundbeam controller and power supply. Connect the number of sensors you need (We suggest starting with 1 – these are the red microphone-like devices), and also connect suitable speaker(s) to the OUT 3.5mm jack. Then you can connect and turn on the power supply.
It’ll take 30 seconds or so to start up.
You’ll then see a menu with many musical presets (soundsets) – simple select one and start playing the sensor. Imagine an invisible beam projected from the end of the sensor – breaking this at different distances will result in different notes.
At this point, you can also unpack and turn on (switch at the rear) the wireless foot switches – although they don’t have to be triggered by feet. Each footswitch will control a sample or backing track.
A more detailed intro can be found here:
The soundbeam 6 has many more functions, including creating your own soundsets and recording samples.
Further Reading
Manufacturer’s website: https://www.soundbeam.co.uk/soundbeam-6-product-page
BBC resources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/articles/znrtcxs
