Driving the virtual orchestra with a conductor gesture interpreter
Frederick W. Bianchi, Richard H. Campbell · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1999
The interactive multichannel computer music system known as the ‘‘virtual orchestra’’ (VO) has been used several times in professional opera and theater as an alternative to a live pit orchestra. In each case, the VO has been operated by a ‘‘tapper’’ who follows the conductor and operates the computer which controls the VO. Recent research in noncontact, video-based conductor gesture interpretation has shown interesting possibilities in tempo and limited musical dynamics management when the gesture interpreter is directly connected to the VO controller. Two different approaches to conductor gesture detection will be discussed and the virtual orchestra will be demonstrated.