Re: [microsound] Re: Laptop, etc as Performance device

[Sean Rooney <srooney@xxxxxxxx>]

Its definitely not a new dev't in laptop performance, but a wacom tablet
is a very useful (albeit sort of dorky-looking) gestural device for
performance. Much better than a game controller for communicating the
connection betw action and sound, imo.

parameters include:
x
y
x tilt
y tilt
pressure
proximity
button (including the eraser-end)

some of the expensive tablets have other params but I have a cheap one.

i've found that the combination of x/y and tilt gives the audience (and
other non-laptop musicians with whom you might be playing) a very clear
indication of what's going on - ie, they see the pen move and the sound
changes. I give a good deal of thought to which parameters of the sound I
want the tablet to control, but if I choose well it only takes one or two
simple gestures for people to get the idea. After that, there's a much
clearer connection for them and they tend to be more engaged.

Be forewarned -- playing the wacom takes practice. It can be hard to
manage the exact x/y location of the pen (tilt is *really* fscking hard),
so I generally use a fretboard-type approach to make it slightly easier.
There are drivers available for many systems including max/msp and
supercollider (and others, i'd assume). you can pick up a wacom for pretty
cheap on ebay. new you can find them for around $100. be sure to get an
extra pen, though, b/c you're bound to misplace your pen 5 minutes before
your performance and if you don't have a backup you're sunk.


hth
/sean

> interesting!  Can you share more about what you made?
>
> On this topic, aside from the Lemur$$ device, what
> else has been developed (perhaps on a more re-hack
> tip, rather then brand $$ new)?
>
> Has anyone modified game control devices for use in
> music/sound performance, as triggers/multi-mousing/x-y
> actions of some kind ?
>
> -Andrew
>
>>For some time I have
>>been working on custom gestural interfaces for
> digital
>>noise performance, simply because I feel the
>>typewriter-style keyboard and the piano-style
> keyboard
>>to be very limiting and over-coded controllers.
>
>
>
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