Resurfacing an Enactive Approach for Instrument Design: The case of the Tangible Granular Device

Vicente E Espinoza, and Javier Jaimovich

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

This paper proposes a tangible interface for controlling a granular sound engine through the manipulation and exploration of physical materials with granular properties. The design of this Tangible Granular Device was primarily, though not exclusively, guided by the design principles of musical instruments with an enactive approach proposed by O’Modhrain and Essl in 2006, presented after the introduction of PebbleBox and CrumbleBag in 2004. Even two decades after these tactile interfaces, it remains crucial to question why a well-defined research trajectory on this subject has not been established. This places the search for new connections between granular synthesis techniques and tangible interface design at the core of this work, which aims to explore novel expressive forms of interaction with granular synthesis. To achieve this, an enactive exploration of physical materials with granular properties was conducted, followed by the implementation of an apparatus capable of capturing and recognizing interactions with these materials. Subsequently, the Tangible Granular Device was designed and implemented to facilitate interaction with these materials according to a set of guidelines of tangible interfaces and enactivism in musical instruments. Finally, the paper discusses the outcomes of the process, reflects on the current state of enactive design, and proposes improvements for future versions of this instrument.

Citation:

Vicente E Espinoza, and Javier Jaimovich. 2024. Resurfacing an Enactive Approach for Instrument Design: The case of the Tangible Granular Device. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13904798

BibTeX Entry:

  @article{nime2024_17,
 abstract = {This paper proposes a tangible interface for controlling a granular sound engine through the manipulation and exploration of physical materials with granular properties. The design of this Tangible Granular Device was primarily, though not exclusively, guided by the design principles of musical instruments with an enactive approach proposed by O’Modhrain and Essl in 2006, presented after the introduction of PebbleBox and CrumbleBag in 2004.  Even two decades after these tactile interfaces, it remains crucial to question why a well-defined research trajectory on this subject has not been established. This places the search for new connections between granular synthesis techniques and tangible interface design at the core of this work, which aims to explore novel expressive forms of interaction with granular synthesis. To achieve this, an enactive exploration of physical materials with granular properties was conducted, followed by the implementation of an apparatus capable of capturing and recognizing interactions with these materials. Subsequently, the Tangible Granular Device was designed and implemented to facilitate interaction with these materials according to a set of guidelines of tangible interfaces and enactivism in musical instruments. Finally, the paper discusses the outcomes of the process, reflects on the current state of enactive design, and proposes improvements for future versions of this instrument. },
 address = {Utrecht, Netherlands},
 articleno = {17},
 author = {Vicente E Espinoza and Javier Jaimovich},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.13904798},
 editor = {S M Astrid Bin and Courtney N. Reed},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {September},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {110--116},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/EnxS3pOvDH8?si=tWeeakhzbKz5FOsu},
 title = {Resurfacing an Enactive Approach for Instrument Design: The case of the Tangible Granular Device},
 track = {Papers},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2024/nime2024_17.pdf},
 year = {2024}
}