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Pendulum The movement of a pendulum is tracked by a spiral of 64 sensors. When the pendulum passes above a sensor, a sound unique to that sensor is triggered. As the pendulum tracks to and fro, repeating sequences of notes are revealed, but these motifs are in a constant state of change. As the pendulum slows, the time gap between sound events lengthens (the sounds also become softer). As the range of the pendulum's movement decays, sound events are lost from the sequence but new sound events can also be gained as the circling movement of the pendulum contracts to include sensors closer to the centre of the spiral. The sounds heard in this incarnation of the Pendulum are of a prepared classical guitar. |
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Light Sensor Box A circle of light sensors react when light is blocked from reaching them. In this movie several sound producing programs written for this instrument are demonstrated. The design is intended to allow several people to interact with the device from different angles simultaneously. |
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Laser Wheel A circle of laser beams acts as virtual strings, each triggering a unique sound when plucked. Strings are velocity sensitive, responding through sound intensity and tone to the speed with which the hand is moved through them. Notes can also be damped by holding the hand within the beam. A smoke machine or hazer would make the beams visible, in the absence of either of these I hold a smouldering piece of paper in a beam towards the end of the movie reveal a beam. Currently only the outer ring of sixteen lasers has been installed but the holes where the remaining 48 lasers will be installed in three increasingly small concentric rings, are just about visible. This arrangment will result in sixteen groups of four lasers. My intention is that each of these groups will features similar sounds / different notes of a particular chord / different notes from a unique instrument etc. The sounds in this demonstration are of a prepared piano - thanks to Simon Mawhinney in the preparation of these sounds. As with the light box, the design is intended to allow several people to interact with the device from different angles simultaneously. |
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Gyroscope The Gyroscope tracks rotational movement of the ball and transmits the data to a laptop which interprets the movement as sound gestures. Both orientation and speed of rotation are tracked. Orientation tranlates to what particular sounds will be played back. Speed of rotation is interpreted as loudness and brightness of tone. |
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Music Labyrinth Switches are constructed within a labyrinth using tin foil and a ball bearing. The intention here is to explore the relationship between play and musical improvisation and to conceive melodic invention as analogous to exploration and route finding. This is a very small and rough and ready prototype intended just to test the design concept. |