Joue Music Instruments 'Joue Play MIDI controller' brings color and customization via swappable silicone mat control surfaces. Now your control surface can be just as creatively inspiring as any physical instrument or musical software!  Joue Play is an ultra-portable, customizable MIDI controller with swappable and velocity-sensitive silicone mats - representing different control surfaces: piano keys, drum pads, a 17-key chromatic keyboard-like module called Scaler, and a guitar fretboard (with aftertouch and pitch modulation). It's available in multiple configurations, with either two ($245) or four pads ($295), and in two color schemes, Fire (tested) and Water. In the box you'll find a USB-C cable with a number of adapters for connecting to your computer (both macOS and Windows are supported) or an iPad. Don't worry, it's class-compliant so no additional power source is needed. This is a controller as convenient to pack in a backpack, as it is a means to unpack the sounds in your head.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The JOUE PLAY's design:  A musical instrament should be inspiring to touch and although Joue Play is essentially a controller, it certainly fits the bill. The base is made of beech (real wood) and metal, and the rubber modules are smooth and surprisingly responsive. Therre's a satisfying heft to the whole thing. It won't go scooting away down the desk no matter how much you get into it. The overall design aesthetics is lovely as well.  From the moment you pick it up, you're aware that this is something special, a real labor of love for the creators, a pair of French innovators-one of whom previously developed Lemur, one of the first touch-based control surfaces for music-making (adopted by Bjork, Daft Punk, and Nine Inch Nails, among others).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The other half of Joue Play is a free bundled app (Mac/PC/iOS). With it, you can load sounds to play from the controller and record short passages of up to four audio tracks and 32 bars. These can then be exported as audio or MIDI files. Just plug in the USB cable and it instantly works with the app or software instruments in your "digital audio workstation of choice (I typically use Apple's Logic Pro X for my DAW, but the Play would be a great tool for Ableton Live, Bitwig, etc.) .  Integration is especially smooth with the app. To change to a new category of sound (piano, base guitar, synthesizer, drums), just swap out the rubber mats for another; the base board uses RFID chips in the rubber mats to recognize when to change app tracks and machines. Along with the main musical input part of each Magic Module (as Joue Music Instruments calls them), the mats have transport controls, arrows for moving up and down octaves, a bubble button, and other features. Some are purposely vague--Joue Music Instruments wants you to explore their functionality, which uniquely changes with every new sound in the app.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             If Joue Play has a downside, it's the app. While it's impressive sonically, it feels half-baked, with limited editing features. While functionality is identical, the iPad edition is a slightly better experience just because it's more conducive to touch. So, who should buy the Joue Play?  With its unique approach, I'd recommend Joue Play to anyone looking to widen their musical horizons. Beginners will enjoy exploring the intuitive modules and app, while pros will appreciate the way it can disrupt habits and inspire out-of-box creative thinking. None of the others offer a modular approach like Joue Play. It looks good, feels good, and will have you thinking about music composition in a whole new way. Joue offers a Pro firmware upgrade ($50.00) that adds MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and deep customization of the controller's Edit port. MPE is the current pinnacle of controller expression, with per-note modulation, something that I could only dream of having access to before without shelling out hundreds of dollars. Fifty dollars is an absolute steal.