[microsound] re: MIDI exoskeleton

[ndkent <ndkent@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Theremin nailed it with the terpsitone, no exoskeleton required:
> http://www.theremin.nl/scriptie/eng/en6.html

Hard to say if he really "nailed it". Certainly a pioneering  
implementation of the concept though. The information from his device  
is only composed of a  single though somewhat unique stream.

As I understand it you just have one measurement being made from the  
pad being stood on. For all intents it's measuring the person's mass  
inversely scaled with distance. A lot of body mass near the antenna  
is output as a low frequency. Standing and extending the limbs as far  
as possible scales down the influence of that same mass and delivers  
a high frequency. It's more interesting or challenging as a concept  
than successful in any sort of nuanced performance. The performer has  
to concentrate on getting enough of their body closer or further from  
the pad antenna. I guess it almost amplifies the chances of looking  
contorted or silly because your primary goal is achieving a  
particular pitch and the body's orientation and movement is rather  
restricted with any specific pitch.

And then of course if the point is just to control the sound in  
private, not make a performance out of it, then a standard theremin  
would be far less exhausting and far more precise.

The benefit with mocap, suits, gloves, etc. consists of  gathering  
the 3D position of whatever the limbs, fingers, etc. that have the  
ability to measure and then one can map them to as many parameters as  
you have available. But as with anything being mapped, resolution has  
a lot to do with achieving the desired result.

nick kent
http://technopop.info/ndkent/

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