Color Probability Graphs

I've implemented the main parts of my probabilistic growth model for the color selection. There are a couple more features I would like to add, but here are some graphs that show how the probability for each color changes over 200 color-phases in a few different runs.

More Colors and Other Updates

I added a couple more colors and changed a previous one. I think this will be my final draft, and I will be making more changes once I see the colors being projected.

I'm also out of town this weekend, and I visited a vintage shop here to grab a few more objects. I will share a photo of all the objects in the upcoming days. I might now have all the objects I need. Lastly, I created 5 sound processing presets and have completed the color-sound interaction between Processing and Ableton. Processing now sends MIDI messages to Ableton to change the sound environment upon a color change.

Some of the next steps include creating more sound presets and figuring out the probabilistic adjustments.

Taking Apart a Cassette Player

Last week I took apart a 15 year old karaoke machine to extract the cassette player. I was surprised to see how many of the controls are mechanical, with the tape heads and motor being the only real electrical components.

For my installation, I intend to make all of the controls electrical, through an Arduino. User input will determine what PWM signals will be sent to the motor to control speed and direction of the tape. The play/record head will be wired to a 1/4" plug for use with a standard interface. Once I get controls functioning for one of these tape mechanisms I'll begin looking at adding more mechanisms to create a kinetic sculpture.

Collecting Objects and Experimenting with Sounds

I have been looking for objects that might bring subjective associations. I looked for objects that provide multiple ways in which one can interact with them to make distinct sounds. I've also searched for object combinations. For example, I'm planning on putting the cubes into the glass box. The spectators can shake the box to produce sounds from the cubes, or they can take out the cubes and interact with the box on its own.

I used a stereo pair to record. I'm still experimenting to figure out the kinds of textures and processing I'd like to have. I'm also planning on treating the left and right channels differently.

Unconventional Instruments

Hi everyone!

These are the instruments I found, although the first one (Hydraulophone) is not a digital instrument I found it quite interesting because it works with water and in my opinion it is a very complete instrument.

What I really like about the Infrared Sensor Shirt is that he uses it manipulate his voice. I've been finding myself thinking of instruments in a traditional way (notes, chords, scales) and this example moves away from that by working with an external sound source.

The Karlax is a controller that looks like a wind instrument, it has discrete and continuos sensors, and you can connect it to your sounds and effects modules through Max/Msp, or use an external input with a microphone, it also allows you to move the sound through an array of speakers. 

Unique DMI's

Unconventional DMIs

https://cycling74.com/projects/musical-gear-table

I showed this project in class. It is more visually interesting than sonically interesting, but I think it demonstrates the importance of having an engaging physical interface.

https://cycling74.com/projects/sound-globe
This project inspired an idea I had for what I will make. I like the idea of using a softspot membrane to control pitch.

This thing is just cool

Unconventional Performance Systems

Hello everyone,
Here are some of the performance systems I've found.

Eigenharp

There are a few different versions of the Eigenharp. I have one of the smaller versions which I will bring to class. The following demonstrates one of the bigger versions.



Here is a presentation about digital systems. It presents an Eigenharp and includes a few performances:

Stanford Laptop Orchestra

And here is a TED talk by the composer:

Intel's keynote

The following is a performance from Intel's most recent keynote. I'd like to think of the performance tools here as entertainment systems more than instruments.

Unconventional Digital Instruments

Wintergatan's Unconventional Performance Systems

Hi everyone! In looking for unconventional digital instruments/controllers, I found some videos from a YouTuber I've followed for some time, Wintergatan. He is a musician that builds many different homemade instruments. Two of his most well known creations are the Marble Machine and the Modulin. The videos are linked below! Although the Marble Machine is more of a mechanical instrument than a digital one, I found it interesting to think about how you could make a digital equivalent of the instrument.