A look at the design and creation of a graphically controlled digital musical instrument (original) (raw)

New Tendencies In The Digital Music Instrument Design: Progress Report

Proceedings of the SMC Conferences, 2009

The group activity is focused on the development and design of computer-controlled instruments-digital music instruments [5]. We will describe three digital music instruments, havedeveloped at the Computer Studio. These instruments are mostly unified by the idea of human gesture and human interaction using new technologies to control the interaction processes. At the same time they were built upon the consciousness of musical tradition taking a fresh approach on everyday objects.

ETHERACTION: PLAYING A MUSICAL PIECE USING GRAPHICAL INTERFACES

This paper introduces the use of graphical interfaces to interpret an electroacoustic piece, Etheraction. Electroacoustic pieces, commonly created for tape, can now be interpreted in live performance with dedicated interactive systems; the interaction between the performers and these systems can use graphical interfaces, largely implemented in nowadays computers. When using graphical interfaces for real time sound control, the tasks consist in controlling sound parameters through the manipulation of graphical objects, using pointing techniques or direct control with additional devices. The paper presents how I have designed two interactive systems dedicated to interpret in live Etheraction, a multichannel piece I have initially composed for tape. The piece is based on the motion of physical models of strings that control sound parameters. The two devices control both synthesis parameters and spatialisation parameters, are based on interactions with graphical interfaces, and use specific controllers.

Interfacing Sound: Visual Representation of Sound in Musical Software Instruments

Musical Instruments in the 21st Century, 2016

This chapter explores the role of visual representation of sound in music software. Software design often remediates older technologies, such as common music notation, the analogue tape, outboard studio equipment, as well as applying metaphors from acoustic and electric instruments. In that context, the aim here will be study particular modes in which abstract shapes, symbols and innovative notations can be applied in systems for composition and live performance. Considering the practically infinite possibilities of representation of sound in digital systems-both in terms of visual display and mapping of gestural controllers to sound-the concepts of graphic design, notation and performance will be discussed in relation to four systems created by the author: ixi software, ixiQuarks, ixi lang, and the Threnoscope live coding environment. These will be presented as examples of limited systems that frame the musician's compositional thoughts providing a constrained palette of musical possibilities. What this software has in common is the integral use of visual elements in musical composition, equally as prescriptive and representative notation for musical processes. The chapter will present the development of musical software as a form of composition: it is an experimental activity that goes hand in hand with sound and music research, where the musician-programmer has to gain a formal understanding of diverse domains that before might have been tacit knowledge. The digital system's requirements for abstractions of the source domain, specifications of material, and completeness of definitions are all features that inevitably require a very strong understanding of the source domain.

Design and Use of Some New Digital Musical Instruments

2003

This article presents some facts about the use of gesture in computer music, more specifically in home made instruments dedicated to performance on stage. We first give some theoretical and practical ideas to design an instrument, in the following areas: the sound, the gesture and the mapping. Then, we introduce three examples of digital instruments we have created, focusing on their design and their musical use.

From controller to sound: Tools for collaborative development of digital musical instruments

Proceedings of the 2007 …, 2007

This paper describes the design and implementation of a system for collaborative development of a digital musical instrument mapping layer. System development included the design of a decentralized network for the management of peer-to-peer data connections using Open Sound Control. A graphical user interface for dynamically creating, modifying, and destroying mappings between control data streams and synthesis parameters is presented.

Real-time Interactive Musical Systems: An Overview

2006

We present an overview of developments towards interactive musical systems. A description of an interactive system is given and we consider potential uses for the automation of creative processes within live performance. We then look at the history of research into the problem of automatic accompaniment, discuss a variety of current interactive systems and present some ideas for future research.