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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

1913.0. "BioMuse Controllers" by HPSMEG::LEITZ (kumquat, drum squat) Wed Feb 15 1989 08:40

                                 Biomusic

    Musical instruments started acoustic, were electrified in the 50s,
    synthesized in the 70s, and in the 80s computers can compose and play
    music. Now an electronic system called Biomuse, developed by a pair
    of scientists at Stanford University in California, detects electric
    signals generated by muscles or brain activity, and uses them as
    control commands for electronic instruments.

    Biomuse has eight channels, one for voice input by microphone and
    seven for input from the musician's body. A headband includes four
    electrode pairs, two for electroencephalograms (EEG), which record
    electric brain waves, and two track eye movement. The other three
    pairs are for electromyograms (EOG), which pick up muscle activity.

    The heart of Biomuse is a TMS320C25 digital signal processing chip
    from Texas Instruments which extracts certain aspects of a signal.
    For example, the chip the performs a fast Fourier transform on EEG
    signals to detect the 10 hertz component of brain activity; this
    is an alpha wave, which can be created by closing your eyes or thinking
    black. Turning alpha waves on and off can be used as a switch,
    commanding a shift from trumpet to a violin sound, for instance.

    The system can be used with any electronic instrument that uses the
    standard Musical instrument Digital Interface (MIDI); it also has
    an IEEE RS-232 interface port to plug into personal computers.

    The inventors say that the Biomuse will soon be licensed by Stanford
    to a manufacturer.
    {IEEE Spectrum Jan 1989}

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1913.1		MIZZOU::SHERMAN	quality first cause quality lasts	`Wed Feb 15 1989 10:42`	4
	How about that? Now I can do my best compositions while I'm asleep ... ;^) Steve
1913.2	Dreams with soundtracks?	CTHULU::YERAZUNIS	Smurf _Terminator_	`Wed Feb 15 1989 11:04`	10
	Always has been that way- the best creative work is done while dreaming. Aside: Does anyone else ever have these _really great_ soundtracks in their dreams? I do, every few weeks. The only way for me to capture these great 'tracks is to IMMEDIATELY get up, power up the synth rack, and pick the themes out. Usually at 4 AM, too. :-( -Bill
1913.3	ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz .......	MIZZOU::SHERMAN	quality first cause quality lasts	`Wed Feb 15 1989 11:14`	9
	Yup. I often wake up with a new tune. Have to save it then, or it wipes out. Sometimes, I 'wake up' while I'm working and realize I'm humming a new tune to myself. I find that there is a natural process that goes on to that causes me to forget ideas that are, well, forgettable, so that I tend to remember hooks. Most of my composition is done away from the keyboard. Oh, well, back to work ... Steve
1913.4	even better	SUBSYS::ORIN	A waist is a terrible thing to mind	`Wed Feb 15 1989 14:33`	10
	< Note 1913.0 by HPSMEG::LEITZ "kumquat, drum squat" > -< BioMuse Controllers >- You beat me to it Butch! ;^) Thanx for posting anyway. Len brought up this topic back in 1707 and I posted the same stuff in 1707.11. Mr. Moderator may want to move this topic to 1707 or delete my reply in 1707.11. This biomuse thing sounds even better than the "Light Harp". dave
1913.5	Zen Midi	YUPPY::GEAL		`Tue Feb 28 1989 09:13`	13
	-< 6 million Yen Man >- I have heard that music dealers are now offering an operation which involves implanting 2 or 3 midi sockets (depending o{ how sociable you are - only 1 is required if you play the drums) in the side of someone's head using a gold-plated alloy mounting plate. This has the advantage of doing away with any other external devices since the midi is processed directly. However a thorough understanding of midi code is required as most of your thinking has to be done in hexadecimal. There is no fixed price for the operation since each person presents a different problem. I understand that BROS have already had sockets fitted although not in the side of their heads . . . .