SOME UPDATES

this is where we are today, the work we have been doing last weeks and some of our decisions.

drawing music

drawing graphics is working. sound is coming… hopefully!

we are still picking brushes and sounds, but at lest we agree on neon/glow brushes on a dar background, and synths midi sounds.

the next videos shows a  prototyping test.

 

invisible instrument

JAM SESSION / PHOTOSHOP+GARAGE BAND LIVE

Today we had a Jam session in our classroom. The goal was to define and link graphics (strokes) with music. For this, we used 2 computers at the same time : one connected to the loudspeakers, playing different sounds in GarageBand… and other connected to the projector, creating graphics in real time.

This are some the results we could catch on video, but as every Jam session, the best was live!!

DEFINING CONCEPTS

Laser Field

The Laser field is an invisible instrument concept. The actual instrument consists of several light beams (IR or laser) that each can activate a specific sound (like strings on a harp). To activate a sound the user has to disrupt one of the invisible light beams. Knowing this the user can now play the instrument by moving in the assigned space while learning which light beam plays which sound and where it is placed in the three dimensional space. To give the illusion of an invisible instrument the light emitting instruments and sensors would be hidden in the roof and floor. The only thing telling the user that the space is occupied by an instrument and the extent of the area would be subtle graphic depictions, lit areas or subtle three dimensional shapes placed on the floor.          

 

 

Inspiring videos…

 

Drawing Music

Drawing music is a concept where you can draw or write on a wall. What you draw is then depicted and interpreted into sound. When you draw you add sound to a music piece that is constantly being looped in a linear manor from left to right on the wall, but what you draw doesn’t stay forever in the piece or on the wall. For each time the loop starts the drawing and sound volume fades resembling an echo. This gives the user the ability to compose music within a short timeframe and should also give the sensation of a continuous music piece. Where you draw on the wall also affects the sounds pitch and place in the timeline.

When drawing you don’t actually leave a mark on the wall, instead you draw using a pencil shaped instrument that when activated emits an infrared light. This is then picked up by an infrared camera, processed and projected on to the wall giving the user the ability to see what he or she has drawn. The idea here is that more than one person can draw at the same time and that different pencils draw or represent different sounds or instruments.

inspiring videos…

WORKING ON THE CONCEPTS

Last week we worked on 6 concepts, but we finally decided for 2 of them. We have named this concepts for now the “drawing music” and the “laser field”.

We have make some sketches to get the feel of what we are talking about, but we still have long way of decisions to make, what kind of interactions do we want, and also technical details … But we are on our way!

this is an evidencing video and some evidencing pics for the drawing music, and also some shots from the first ideas of the laser field, when it was still though as a room…