Designing Interactive Musical Interfaces
Daniel Overholt · Focal Press eBooks · 2022
This chapter presents research into modern approaches to the concepts, designs, and methods used in the creation of new musical interfaces and algorithms, as well as methods for mapping novel interactions onto creative musical expression. Techniques such as embedded digital signal processing enable the development of fully stand-alone devices. The chapter considers several designs as case studies in the research area of real-time musical interaction and performance, and the many choices that must be made when mapping human interaction to sonic parameters. Some designs are based upon existing instruments that are augmented with new capabilities, while others focus on pedagogy or accessibility to help new or disabled musicians to learn playing techniques. Interactive performance systems can encompass multiple-player instruments, where dancers or the public co-participate in music making, while other designs incorporate robotics or haptics in order to augment human capabilities via hybrid (digital/physical) systems.