that, I had a good few hours to really
dig into this software. There is not
much of a learning curve if you are
used to using these types of programs,
and I really loved the great level of
control and general “feel” of this
software. It feels good to use, and
it makes learning solos a little less
tedious.
While Slowhand is still in it’s infancy,
helmsm an Bob DeKett has big plans
for this software, and I spoke to
him about his influences behind this
project, his inspiration for it, and his
big plans for the future.
TONE REPORT WEEKLY: Why did you
decide to create Slowhand?
BOB DEKETT: I first got the idea when
video and DVDs hit the market in the
mid ‘90s. I attempted to make a foot
controller to take the place of the hand
remote but it was too expensive and
there was no transparency between
the technologies so I put the idea on
the shelf. I was working in the video
game industry at the time and over
the subsequent years I followed the
advancements in video and audio. I left
the video game industry after 26 years,
started MasterMind Design and took
my idea back off the shelf.
TRW: What does Slowhand offer that
other software of its kind does not?
BD: Slowhand offers a very userfriendly interface and is super simple to
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INTERVIEW //
use, but very powerful. With Slowhand
you can not only create Projects with
Loops, but you can also zoom, pan,
and slow down the video and audio
(while it all stays in sync and pitch).
You can also build a custom Project
using Loops from other Projects you’ve
created. This is especially cool for
teachers who want to build a lesson
plan with a variety genres of music
using various loops from different
performances. A big feature is the
ability to download pre-made and
already created Projects to your device
from within the app. You can also use
the Upload Tool to upload Projects
that you’ve created to share with
other Slowhand Users. This Upload
and Download feature in Slowhand is
something no other software program
has or does. We also have patents filed
for Slowhand as well as the Slowhand
Controller Pedal.
TRW: Do you perceive a hole in the
market of guitar learning software
that was plugged by Slowhand?
BD: [It’s] not so much of a hole as a
different and better way for people
to learn how to play an instrument.
This is the age of video and there
are hundreds of thousands of music
performance videos, lessons and
tutorials existing, so it makes perfect
sense to provide a tool that makes any
video a personalized lesson where the
user can learn at their own speed.
The Man With The Slow Hand: A Chat With Bob DeKett of Slowhand