The Nalima: A Multistable Membrane Instrument with Integrated Excitation
Chris Kiefer · 2024
The Nalima is a self-resonating vibrotactile instrument, a hybrid digital-electro-acoustic system based around interaction with a membrane. It uses a novel method of Integrated Excitation to offer new musical affordances, and makes use of complexity analysis to shape the sonic and interactive behaviour of the instrument, pushing it into musical zones on the edge of chaos. The design and construction of the Nalima is described, along with the theoretical background in cybernetics, complexity theory and multistability.