Build The StringStation!

My name is Jim Bartz, I’m an audio architect sonic scientist and music instrument inventor. I was deeply inspired as a kid by the creative art of music. The kind of music that summoned you into the future.
I became a guitarist at eight years old after apartment living made drumming very unneighborly. Through the ins and outs of recording my own bands, I ventured into the serious art of recording at twenty. I attended a vocational school for audio engineering and soon thereafter found myself hired as assistant to the engineer who recorded ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ for the Rocky films. It was an amazing world class recording studio and I was dropped right in the middle of it.

I was trained under fire with many major artists coming through the studio doors in quick order. I worked 24 hours a day it seemed but loved every minute! I was soon able to begin exploring the sound equipment during slow booking periods and studio management shifts. Those experiments in sound and composition showed me that music goes in infinite directions and imagination could bring you to the source of a completely new sound pallet. I went about learning all I could about the audio gear to be able to custom craft my own sounds.

I’m fascinated with the complex emotions that are stimulated with sound colors and moods in their various settings. I discovered a deep and unique sonic pallet within detailed experiments as a recording engineer/producer in that state-of-the-art facility. I was eventually validated in these esoteric pursuits when I was offered a record deal by one of my heroes, Larry Fast of Peter Gabriels band. Larry acted as a catalyst for my growing sonic forays and helped me to see that once skill is in place, imagination and honesty are what crafts great music.

At the time of making my first album, it was common to use keyboards to synthesize sound, I went about it very differently with the use of strings. I find strings to be much more expressive and tactile as a way to instigate sound. The touch of a finger on a string gives an instant full resource of color and nuance. The idea for my new music instrument focuses these dynamics and came about as I finished sessions for my first release. At that point, I was eager to hammer the instrument together and after a sudden demise of the record label, I moved from Wisconsin to Chicago where I built and developed several mock-ups of the idea.

I spent time growing it, teaching my self how to play it and keeping my head above water as an independent recording engineer. I finally had to demand a firm focus on my skills on the instrument as all other work kept pulling me away and leaving me artistically drained with long projects. I realized in one flash moment that I was indeed the only person on the planet who could make this vision happen... If I didn’t commit my effort to it now, it would keep fading into the background amidst all the other ‘normal’ music projects I was asked to be involved with.

No one said it would be easy to invent a new music instrument! I knew it may very well be a long lonely road. But, I’ve been on a constant climb getting the instruments playing techniques perfected and more importantly keeping my inner passions and motives for the idea alive and well nourished amid life's demands.

I now live in Seattle after visiting this innovative and technological city a couple of years ago. I moved here with my big dream in tow to encourage and inspire support to construct the culmination of my life's work; A new music instrument that brings further evolution of music art with the custom combination of strings and computers. It’s been my life's mission to realize a new music genre’ created from modern evolved passions over that of old world oppressions and repression. It allows complete creative freedom to venture into a new music world.

The instrument employs so many evolved technologies and performance techniques that it’s impossible to articulate its cumulative effects in words. The 3D sound it will make is as indescribable as it’s technology is unprecedented. I am seeking progressive minded partners in this artistic adventure that will enjoy and take pride in bringing such a beautiful modern music instrument to light.

I believe that honest music imparts inner truths and wisdom. It just wells up within when given the chance to be real. It has given me so much and I am compelled to share back the inspiration that found me on this fantastic music expedition. I live to bring a beautiful evocative music that stirs the very spirit of creativity in all who are sensitive to its magic. Please become involved to help make this new instrument and music come to life.