Building hybrid performances with DMIs, Hubs and Faust

Michał Seta, Dirk J Stromberg, and D Andrew Stewart

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

In this article, we describe the challenges of an artistic residency that included: a distributed improvisation in VR, performances using Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs), and Open Source software as much as possible. For this residency, we were constrained to using Mozilla’s Hubs as the Metaverse platform. We describe the shortcomings of the platform as a performance space in light of our experience, musical cultures, and the social aspects of a musical performance. We also address select technical issues pertaining to the context of a hybrid musical performance (simultaneously in Virtual Reality (VR) and in-real-life (IRL)) using this particular technology stack. Furthermore, we describe the challenges and surprises that occurred with Faust (Function Audio Stream), which was our choice of synthesis engine for the project. We conclude this paper by identifying some possible avenues for future research, exploration, and performances of a similar nature. We wish to clarify that although we will be talking a lot about Hubs, which was the Virtual Reality (VR) platform used for the residency, we were not endorsed by Mozilla.

Citation:

Michał Seta, Dirk J Stromberg, and D Andrew Stewart. 2023. Building hybrid performances with DMIs, Hubs and Faust. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11189250

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{nime2023_65,
 abstract = {In this article, we describe the challenges of an artistic residency that included: a distributed improvisation in VR, performances using Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs), and Open Source software as much as possible. For this residency, we were constrained to using Mozilla’s Hubs as the Metaverse platform. We describe the shortcomings of the platform as a performance space in light of our experience, musical cultures, and the social aspects of a musical performance. We also address select technical issues pertaining to the context of a hybrid musical performance (simultaneously in Virtual Reality (VR) and in-real-life (IRL)) using this particular technology stack. Furthermore, we describe the challenges and surprises that occurred with Faust (Function Audio Stream), which was our choice of synthesis engine for the project. We conclude this paper by identifying some possible avenues for future research, exploration, and performances of a similar nature. We wish to clarify that although we will be talking a lot about Hubs, which was the Virtual Reality (VR) platform used for the residency, we were not endorsed by Mozilla.},
 address = {Mexico City, Mexico},
 articleno = {65},
 author = {Michał Seta and Dirk J Stromberg and D Andrew Stewart},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.11189250},
 editor = {Miguel Ortiz and Adnan Marquez-Borbon},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {May},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {472--478},
 title = {Building hybrid performances with DMIs, Hubs and Faust},
 track = {Papers},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2023/nime2023_65.pdf},
 year = {2023}
}