Recontextualizing the Multi-touch Surface

Patrick McGlynn, Victor Lazzarini, Gordon Delap, and Xiaoyu Chen

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

This paper contends that the development of expressive performance interfaces using multi-touch technology has been hindered by an over-reliance upon GUI paradigms. Despite offering rich and robust data output and multiple ways to interpret it, approaches towards using multi-touch technology in digit al musical inst rument design have been markedly conservative, showing a strong tendency towards modeling existing hardware. This not only negates many of the benefits of multi-touch technology but also creates specific difficulties in the context of live music performance. A case study of two other interface types that have seen considerable musical use --the XY pad and button grid --illustrates the manner in which the implicit characteristics of a device determine the conditions under which it will favorably perform. Accordingly, this paper proposes an alternative approach to multi-touch which emp hasizes the imp licit strengths of the technology and establishes a philosophy of design around them. Finally, we introduce two toolkits currently being used to assess the validity of this approach.

Citation:

Patrick McGlynn, Victor Lazzarini, Gordon Delap, and Xiaoyu Chen. 2012. Recontextualizing the Multi-touch Surface. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1178349

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{McGlynn2012,
 abstract = {This paper contends that the development of expressive performance interfaces using multi-touch technology has been hindered by an over-reliance upon GUI paradigms. Despite offering rich and robust data output and multiple ways to interpret it, approaches towards using multi-touch technology in digit al musical inst rument design have been markedly conservative, showing a strong tendency towards modeling existing hardware. This not only negates many of the benefits of multi-touch technology but also creates specific difficulties in the context of live music performance. A case study of two other interface types that have seen considerable musical use --the XY pad and button grid --illustrates the manner in which the implicit characteristics of a device determine the conditions under which it will favorably perform. Accordingly, this paper proposes an alternative approach to multi-touch which emp hasizes the imp licit strengths of the technology and establishes a philosophy of design around them. Finally, we introduce two toolkits currently being used to assess the validity of this approach.},
 address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan},
 author = {Patrick McGlynn and Victor Lazzarini and Gordon Delap and Xiaoyu Chen},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1178349},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 keywords = {Multi-touch, controllers, mapping, gesture, GUIs, physical interfaces, perceptual & cognitive issues},
 publisher = {University of Michigan},
 title = {Recontextualizing the Multi-touch Surface},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2012/nime2012_132.pdf},
 year = {2012}
}