Sound and Interaction Design of an Augmented Drum System
Jeff Gregorio, Peter English, Youngmoo E. Kim · 2017
We present ongoing developments in the design of an augmented drum system that expands the timbral and expressive range of the acoustic drum using electromagnetic actuation of a drum membrane, driven by combinations of synthesized tones and modulated feedback signals taken from the opposing membrane. The system is designed to run on an embedded, WiFi-enabled platform, allowing multiple augmented drums to be configured as nodes in a directed graph. These multi-drum networks communicate by sending and receiving Open Sound Control (OSC) messages on a dedicated network, and can accommodate multiple performers in addition to semi-autonomous behavior. This work is developed in close collaboration with an artist in residence for use in both live performance and interactive sound installation.