Musician and Mega-Machine: Compositions Driven by Real-Time Particle Collision Data from the ATLAS Detector

Juliana Cherston, Ewan Hill, Steven Goldfarb, and Joseph Paradiso

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

We present a sonification platform for generating audio driven by real-time particle collision data from the ATLAS experiment at CERN. This paper provides a description of the data-to-audio mapping interfaces supported by the project's composition tool as well as a preliminary evaluation of the platform's evolution to meet the aesthetic needs of vastly distinct musical styles and presentation venues. Our work has been conducted in collaboration with the ATLAS Outreach team and is part of a broad vision to better harness real-time sensor data as a canvas for artistic expression. Data-driven streaming audio can be treated as a reimagined form of live radio for which composers craft the instruments but real-time particle collisions pluck the strings.

Citation:

Juliana Cherston, Ewan Hill, Steven Goldfarb, and Joseph Paradiso. 2016. Musician and Mega-Machine: Compositions Driven by Real-Time Particle Collision Data from the ATLAS Detector. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1176012

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{Cherston2016,
 abstract = {We present a sonification platform for generating audio driven by
real-time particle collision data from the ATLAS experiment at CERN. This paper
provides a description of the data-to-audio mapping interfaces supported by the
project's composition tool as well as a preliminary evaluation of the platform's
evolution to meet the aesthetic needs of vastly distinct musical styles and
presentation venues. Our work has been conducted in collaboration with the ATLAS
Outreach team and is part of a broad vision to better harness real-time sensor
data as a canvas for artistic expression. Data-driven streaming audio can be
treated as a reimagined form of live radio for which composers craft the
instruments but real-time particle collisions pluck the strings.},
 address = {Brisbane, Australia},
 author = {Juliana Cherston and Ewan Hill and Steven Goldfarb and Joseph Paradiso},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1176012},
 isbn = {978-1-925455-13-7},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 pages = {78--83},
 publisher = {Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University},
 title = {Musician and Mega-Machine: Compositions Driven by Real-Time Particle Collision Data from the ATLAS Detector},
 track = {Papers},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2016/nime2016_paper0017.pdf},
 year = {2016}
}