Hybrid Drum: Iterative Development Toward Standalone Operation and Physical Feedback

Casper Preisler, and Dan Overholt

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper presents the iterative development of a self-contained hybrid percussion instrument combining acoustic excitation with digital signal processing. Building on a prior frame-drum prototype (Iteration 0 [Preisler and Overholt 2025]) that demonstrated low-latency hybrid augmentation but required an external computer and power supply, this work documents two subsequent design iterations toward a compact, battery-powered, standalone instrument.Iteration 1 introduces a cajon form factor, Daisy Seed microcontroller, Karplus-Strong synthesis, and a first custom PCB, establishing the core interaction model and eliminating host-computer dependency. Iteration 2 adds full battery-powered standalone operation, a redesigned PCB with dual audio outputs, and an internal actuator that reintroduces digitally processed vibrations into the drum body as a physically grounded feedback loop. Three guiding principles emerge across iterations: standalone operation as a non-negotiable condition for performative viability; simplicity in the control interface; and hardware as a platform for future software exploration. The actuation path is functional but under active development to address feedback control challenges; hardware is further prepared for gyroscope-based sensing. Exploratory encounters with a professional drummer, a creative technologist, and a child revealed the instrument's capacity to invite interaction beyond conventional techniques and informed the design decisions shaping Iteration 2. This research contributes to hybrid instrument design at the boundary of physical resonance and electronic transformation, documenting both progress made and challenges that remain.

Citation

Casper Preisler, and Dan Overholt. 2026. Hybrid Drum: Iterative Development Toward Standalone Operation and Physical Feedback. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20784155 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime2026_46,
 abstract = {This paper presents the iterative development of a self-contained hybrid percussion instrument combining acoustic excitation with digital signal processing. Building on a prior frame-drum prototype (Iteration 0 [Preisler and Overholt 2025]) that demonstrated low-latency hybrid augmentation but required an external computer and power supply, this work documents two subsequent design iterations toward a compact, battery-powered, standalone instrument.Iteration 1 introduces a cajon form factor, Daisy Seed microcontroller, Karplus-Strong synthesis, and a first custom PCB, establishing the core interaction model and eliminating host-computer dependency. Iteration 2 adds full battery-powered standalone operation, a redesigned PCB with dual audio outputs, and an internal actuator that reintroduces digitally processed vibrations into the drum body as a physically grounded feedback loop. Three guiding principles emerge across iterations: standalone operation as a non-negotiable condition for performative viability; simplicity in the control interface; and hardware as a platform for future software exploration. The actuation path is functional but under active development to address feedback control challenges; hardware is further prepared for gyroscope-based sensing. Exploratory encounters with a professional drummer, a creative technologist, and a child revealed the instrument's capacity to invite interaction beyond conventional techniques and informed the design decisions shaping Iteration 2. This research contributes to hybrid instrument design at the boundary of physical resonance and electronic transformation, documenting both progress made and challenges that remain.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 articleno = {46},
 author = {Casper Preisler and Dan Overholt},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20784155},
 editor = {Benedict Gaster and João Tragtenberg and Anna Xambó and Tom Mitchell},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 note = {},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {396--402},
 title = {Hybrid Drum: Iterative Development Toward Standalone Operation and Physical Feedback},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2026/nime2026_46.pdf},
 year = {2026}
}