Projects
Feedback Sensing Musical Instruments
David, Jeff, Mike, Peter, Spencer
Download the PDF
CONCEPT
Develop a environment in which free-moving balls interact with each other’s tones and their internal feedback.
As the balls hear themselves and those nearest them, they alter the overtones of their feedback, organically changing their overall tonality as independent instruments. As individuals, they start off with certain characteristics which can change throughout the course of the musical performance.
IMPLEMENTATION
As these balls are released into our environment, our goal is to produce instruments which will learn and change as they interact with each other.
Beginning with specific traits and characteristics, they will begin to change, exchanging characteristics with others and changing how their sound works with others within the space.
SPECIFICATIONS
Each ball will have sensors and actuators internally for hearing and sending sound. Additionally, these balls may have additional sensors including, but not limited to, magnetic sensors, light sensors and pressure sensors.
Each of these additional sensors would allow for interesting patterns and responses from outside stimulus, for use in the musical construct.
Additionally, the space in which these balls exist may exhibit some sensors and actuators for the purpose of feeding data to the devices.
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November 2nd, 2005
Finally finished this piece, at least for the time being… minor tweaks to be done, like transfering the main logic of the board off a breadboard and onto a printed circuit board, and things of that nature.
For the time being, its a straight one to one relationship between tone and color. As you play notes on the keyboard, they are converted into different spectrums of light exhibited on the Empire State Building model. After a series of tones are played, they “waterfall” down the side of the building, giving way for new tonal color to announce itself on the building.
Check out the code, if you’re of the technical persuasion.
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October 4th, 2005
I’m working with Peter Coffin on a project connecting sound with color. In the first phase of the project, we’re designing some small scale models of the building. These show an interaction with tone and color of the three top tiers of the building.
Here is a small video showing the connection between the tones and the color on the top tier.
Streaming flash 7 required.
Top Tier
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September 23rd, 2005
It was shot in one day, simple short video for a class called “The Creative Act”. I had fun with it, and I think it turned out pretty well (considering the time I was working under).
Its a real challenge to make something humorous, and I even cheated and used some old school site gags to try and make it happen.
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September 13th, 2005
I was helping some friends, (Gorilla Kingdom) Gabe and Dana, with a project they are developing. We shot for two days in a blue screen studio in Queens. It was quite an intricate process, and everyone on the set seemed to be learning a lot.
I was particularily interested in the minute details one had to keep track of when lighting the scrim (the back wall of the blue screen), as well as the attention to spill on the actors. Any blue that appeared on the actors may not get taken away by the post production, leaving a blue discoloration on the final product. This led to a wide variety of lighting and flagging techniques, which were all quite fun to troubleshoot and watch others troubleshoot.
The first and second days of the shoot are linked here and here , as flash streaming movies. Enjoy.
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September 7th, 2005