[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:	* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:	Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:	DYPSS1::SCHAFER

Created:	Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:	Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2852
Total number of notes:	33157

1707.0. "The Ultimate Instrument?" by DRUMS::FEHSKENS () Mon Oct 03 1988 14:41

    
    Some of these discussions abou the long term future of "traditional"
    acoustic instruments sent me off wondering just how many ways the
    human body could express itself to a musical instrument.
    
    First off, there are six mechanical "degrees of freedom" available
    for exploitation.  They are the three translational axes of x, y
    and z, or left/right, up/down, and forward/backward (assigning them
    one of many ways possible; the actual assignment doesn't matter
    for the sake of this discussion), and the three rotational axes
    of pitch, roll and yaw (around the left/right, front/back and
    up/down translational axes respectively).
    
    Now, the way the human body's put together, these six degrees of
    freedom are often not all available to a given limb/appendage
    system.  So what combinations *are* available?
    
    What resources do we have?  Well, there's
    
    	fingers
    	hands/wrists
    	elbows      
    	shoulders
    	toes
    	feet
    	knees
    	hips
    	head
    
    These can interact quite a bit, and there are limitations on the
    contortions applicable to an arbitrarily supple body.  I came up
    with about 50 or so possibilities fairly readily.
    
    Also, the mouth, face and lungs offer the possibilities of expression
    via wind pressure, bite (teeth), "kiss" (lips) and squint
    (eyes/cheeks).
    
    Lots of expressive opportunities.  The "instrument" would be some
    sort of sensor harness.  Similar sorts of things are being developed
    for man/machine interaction.
    
    Any ideas about whether this is a worthwhile direction for exploration,
    and where it might lead to?
    
    len.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1707.1	Brief comment.	DYO780::SCHAFER	Brad ... DTN 433-2408	`Mon Oct 03 1988 15:05`	15
	I don't think I've ever heard of anyone trying to "put it all together", but there are many "partial" (sorry, Roland) implementations of just such an idea. There have been several small spots in Keyboard from time to time on alternate control systems using MIDI - everything from attaching sensors to a tap dancer's shoes to a bizarre thing called "airdrums" or something, which responds to changes in position and velocity (waved using hands or something). I can't imagine how one could develop an instrument to incorporate this type movement on the physical whole, much less a discipline to pass on the technique. -b
1707.2	set note /temp=warm	ANT::JANZEN	Performance Art is Life with Publicity	`Mon Oct 03 1988 15:06`	10
	There was something on the boob tube about jet pilots training with headgear that projected a 3-d image and gloves that tracked all finger motion. You could project an image of any mechanical interface at all and play it in thin air. In 5000000 years, this is how people will play the violin; in addition, a hologram will be projected for the CD audience (there will be no live concerts then). Gee, this discussion is getting kind of sensuous. How about an instrument that you have to ... oh never mind Tom
1707.3		ANT::JANZEN	Performance Art is Life with Publicity	`Mon Oct 03 1988 15:08`	5
	someone in la put sensors on their tap shoes. Laurie Anderson put trigger sensors all over her body. When she hit herself, drum sounds were triggered. It's old hat now, all the drummers do it. TOm
1707.4	Organs, old and new...	FGVAXY::LAING	Soft-Core-CuddlerJim Laing261-2194	`Mon Oct 03 1988 15:16`	22
	The organ, in both its traditional form and the form of some of the newer electronic "organ-like" instruments, offers some ways of using the body to control the sound ... some of which I want to incorporate into my keyboard setup. The good ol' pipe organ has, in addition to several keyboards, pedals for both feet to play notes, "toe and thumb" pistons for controlling one or more stops, one or more swell shoes ("volume pedals", sort-of), etc. I've played a couple of newer, electronic organ-like instruments (I mention one in Note 114). In addition to the controls found on a pipe organ, there are knee levers, and small switches that can be controlled by moving your foot from side to side, while your foot is on the volume pedal(s). I've wanted to try to rig up these kinds of controls (knee lever, foot-from-side-to-side), as they seem like natural ways to control something. The knee lever, I believe, was pressure-sensitive (push your knee further-sends a different MIDI signal). Add into that something that lets you use your bite/lips, and a few other controllers, and you've got a LOT to control all at once! -Jim
1707.5	Slight digression.	DYO780::SCHAFER	Brad ... DTN 433-2408	`Mon Oct 03 1988 15:49`	9
	RE: .4 Our circa 1850 pedal organ (pedals to drive bellows to drive reeds) has just that - two knee controls. Moving the knees out make the different divisions (lower/upper) increase in volume. Try doing that while you're pedaling AND playing AND thumbing AND ... -b the_uncoordinated
1707.6	MIT wannabee	SALSA::MOELLER	Only serious 'pers.names' from now on.	`Mon Oct 03 1988 16:11`	9
	MIT MediaLab has/had a setup with LEDs on a body suit for a system to learn about human body movement patterns. Once the body movements are accurately tracked by a computer, interactive software could interpret the motions into almost any musical output imaginable. A more promising direction of research might be brain-wave-to music conversion. You know, a MIDI jack in your forehead.. karl
1707.7	Completely MIDIed!	LEDDEV::HASTINGS		`Mon Oct 03 1988 16:20`	15
	re: .6 Karl, Wouldn't it look better hidden in the back of your head, or would you see it as some kind of status symbol. Would it be MIDI in and thru as well? Could I patch into other musicians??? :-) ;-) 8-} \| \| .----- \| \| ----- Mark
1707.8		SALSA::MOELLER	Only serious 'pers.names' from now on.	`Mon Oct 03 1988 16:23`	2
	Actually, as I hear music in my head clear as anything, why output digital MIDI protocol.. just go direct analog..
1707.9	The guy in the third row made a mistake...	WEFXEM::COTE	Blind Lemon Pledge	`Mon Oct 03 1988 16:25`	8
	> Could I patch into other musicians??? That would be cheating!!! I can just see 'telepathic MIDI' now. You give a concert, and all the musicians in the audience jam on your equipment... Edd
1707.10	FKB	BENTLY::EVANS		`Mon Oct 10 1988 18:42`	9
	Has anyone seen the Flying Karamozov Brothers?? They performed a rather interesting skit: while juggling, 3 of the performers wear special drum pads strapped to their back (they look like large, black butterflies!), and syncronize the various strikes of the juggling pins -- the effect is entertaining, to say the least!! Just thought I'd share that with the world..... -bwe