A prototype for pitched gestural sonification of surfaces using two contact microphones

Alberto Novello, and Antoni Rayzhekov

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

We present the prototype of a hybrid instrument, which uses two contact microphones to sonify the gestures of a player on a generic surface, while a gesture localization algorithm controls the pitch of the sonified output depending on the position of the gestures. To achieve the gesture localization we use a novel approach combining attack parametrization and template matching across the two microphone channels. With this method we can correctly localize 80 ± 9 % of the percussive gestures. The user can assign determined pitches to specific positions and change the pitch palette in real time. The tactile feedback characteristic of every surface opens a set of new playing strategies and possibilities specific to any chosen object. The advantages of such a system are the affordable production, flexibility of concert location, object-specific musical instruments, portability, and easy setup.

Citation:

Alberto Novello, and Antoni Rayzhekov. 2015. A prototype for pitched gestural sonification of surfaces using two contact microphones. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1179148

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{anovello2015,
 abstract = {We present the prototype of a hybrid instrument, which uses two contact microphones to sonify the gestures of a player on a generic surface, while a gesture localization algorithm controls the pitch of the sonified output depending on the position of the gestures. To achieve the gesture localization we use a novel approach combining attack parametrization and template matching across the two microphone channels. With this method we can correctly localize 80 $\pm$ 9 % of the percussive gestures. The user can assign determined pitches to specific positions and change the pitch palette in real time. The tactile feedback characteristic of every surface opens a set of new playing strategies and possibilities specific to any chosen object. The advantages of such a system are the affordable production, flexibility of concert location, object-specific musical instruments, portability, and easy setup.},
 address = {Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA},
 author = {Alberto Novello and Antoni Rayzhekov},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1179148},
 editor = {Edgar Berdahl and Jesse Allison},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {May},
 pages = {170--173},
 publisher = {Louisiana State University},
 title = {A prototype for pitched gestural sonification of surfaces using two contact microphones},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2015/nime2015_311.pdf},
 year = {2015}
}