Design team members: Yannik Thomas and Nick Dyment
Supervisor: Professor Carol Hulls
Background
Electronic technology is utilized in a vast array of contemporary music. Several modern genres of music have electronic sounds and effects at the heart of their style. Increasingly sophisticated software allows music creators to create and modify sounds in complex ways. However, this sophistication often comes with the cost of reduced usability. Musicians that utilize the software have few intuitive mechanisms available with which to control the music in a live performance. Existing solutions include piano-like keyboards or boards that feature vast arrays of knobs and sliders. These devices are non-intuitive and require extensive practice before they can be fluidly used for their intended purpose. More importantly, the use of knobs and sliders to create sound lacks the expression and artistic freedom that is associated with traditional musical instruments. For this reason, electronic music remains the preserve of enthusiasts and specialized professionals, despite the widespread availability of low cost software that can be used at home.
Project description
What is proposed is a device that can control computer-based music software remotely. Furthermore, this controller will be outfitted with an array of sensors to interpret different kinds of human motions. These motions are sent to a receiver using a wireless bridge, and then converted into messages that are understood by the computer. These messages are in MIDI format, a standardized music control format. This device will be in the form of a glove, and will allow the wearer to create or control music by tapping their fingers, extending and contracting their fingers, moving their hand up and down, and positioning their hand close to external objects. Each of these motions will be separately understood by the computer, and can be recorded and manipulated by off-the-shelf software such as Reason, Ableton Live, and Cubase.
The popularity of the Nintendo Wii and the different interactions it allows players to have with video games is a major inspiration to this project. Already, there have been some people who have modified a Nintendo Wii controller to manipulate music software. The design of our wireless controller will expand the functionality what what is shown in the video below by including sensors for touch, proximity and the movement of fingers.
Design methodology
These stages bring the design from its most basic form, to a fully integrated, multi-faceted music controller. In order to make effective use of the group's time and to avoid bottlenecks, the progression of the project was broken down in to six major milestones. Of these milestones, which are listed below, four of them are complete as of December 3rd, 2007. The remaining two, which build off of the completed milestones, will consume the majority of the time in the Winter term.
Completed objectives
1.
Selecting
the
microcontroller
2.
Selecting
the
sensors
3.
Selecting
the
Wireless
protocol
and
hardware
4.
Creating
the
device
and
connections:
circuits,
programming
and
configuration
Work that will need to be undertaken in the Winter term:
1.
Implementing
wireless
connectivity
2.
Designing
for
increased
usability