digital theremins: interactive musical experiences for amateurs using electric field sensing by david

98 Pages·2011·5.99 MB·English

DIGITAL THEREMINS: INTERACTIVE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES
FOR AMATEURS USING ELECTRIC FIELD SENSING
BY
DAVID MICHAEL WAXMAN
A.B. Music
Univeristy of California at Berkeley
June 1990
Submitted to the Program in Media Arts and Sciences,
School of Architecture and Planning,
In Partial Fulfillment for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MEDIA ARTS AND SCIENCES
at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
September
1995
@ Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1995
All Rights Reserved
Signature of Author
Program in Media Arts and Sciences
9 August
1995
Certified By
Tod Machover
Associate P ofesso of Music and Media
Progr i edia Arts and Scinces
Accepted By
"f/V Stephen A. Benton
Chairperson Departmental Committee on Graduate Students
Program in Media Arts and Sciences
OF TECHNOLOGY
OCT 2 6 1995
LIBRARiES
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DIGITAL THEREMINS: INTERACTIVE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES
FOR AMATEURS USING ELECTRIC FIELD SENSING
BY
DAVID MICHAEL WAXMAN
Submitted to the Program in Media Arts and Sciences,
School of Architecture and Planning
on 11 August 1995
inp artial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science inM edia Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Interactive computer music systems can allow amateur users to participate in facets of the
musical experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible to them, such as performing,
improvising, and playing with others. In this thesis, we state why we think this new access
to music is worth persuit, and begin to explore how to make such interactive experiences
sucessful. Eight example projects, called Digital Theremins because of their common
electric field sensing user input, serve as a proving ground for ideas about interactivity for
amateurs as well as a concrete framework in which to discuss them. Video examples of
the projects and a diskette of the software accompany this document to aid the reader.
Thesis Supervisor: Tod Machover
Title: Associate Professor of Music and Media
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DIGITAL THEREMINS: INTERACTIVE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES
FOR AMATEURS USING ELECTRIC FIELD SENSING
BY
DAVID MICHAEL WAXMAN
The following people served as readers for this thesis:
Reader
Neil Gershenfeld
Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Sciences
Program in Media Arts and Sciences
r
#
Reader
Michael Hawley
Assist t Professor of Media Arts and Sciences
Program in Media Arts and Sciences
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Table of Contents
List of Figures and Tables 9
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 13
M otivations .............................. ......................... ...... 13
D igital T herem ins ................... ......... .............................. 14
Novel Interfaces............................... ........ 15
T he Process......................................................................... 17
Background 19
Professional System s ........................................................ 19
Traditional M usic for Amateurs......................................... 23
Interactive Music Systems For Amateurs........ ...... 25
The Projects 31
T oolbox ........................................................................... . . 3 1
Prehistory: Hand Gesture M usic......................................... 37
Collaboration: The Gesture Cube ............... . ................... 41
Combining Inputs: The Clappatron .................................... 45
Sound Design or Music Game?: MPONG.........................46
Timbre Control: The AFKAP Frame ...... ........... 46
V isual A ids: B arbie.pat ......................... .......................... 49
Conducting: The Bach-O-Matic ........................................ 51
Collaboration Revisited: The Sensor Frames .................... 53
Other Projects Using This Technology ............................... 57
Summary .............................. 59
Analysis 61
E valuations ........................................................................ 61
O bservations ....... ....................... ....................... 68
M usical Generalizations ... .......................................... 70
Future Work 73
G esture Sensing .................................................................. 73
Getting to Know the User ...... .......... ......... ..... 75
Integrated Public Spaces.................................................... 75
Conclusions..................................76
Appendices 81
A : Video Exam ples ............................................................. 81
B: Example M ax Patches.................. ................ ...... 81
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
FIGURE 1. Clara Rockmore performing the Theremin at New
York's Carnegie Hall........................ .20
FIGURE 2. The two modes of Fish sensor operation......... .32
FIGURE 3. Hand Gesture Music: Sensor Layout............ .38
FIGURE 4. Hand Gesture Music: Diagram ................ .39
FIGURE 5. The Gesture Cube .......................... .42
FIGURE 6. The Clappatron: interface diagram ............. .45
FIGURE 7. The AFKAP frame ......................... .47
FIGURE 8. Barbie.pat: visual representation (diagram)....... .50
FIGURE 9. The Sensor Frames: rehearsal at Roy Thomson Ha11 in
Toronto, 1995 ............................. .54
FIGURE 10. The Sensor Frames: configuration ............. .54
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