The MATRIX : A Novel Controller for Musical Expression

Dan Overholt

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

  • Year: 2001
  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Pages: 38–41
  • Keywords: Musical controller, tangible interface, real-time expression, audio synthesis, effects algorithms, signal processing, 3-D interface, sculptable surface
  • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1176372 (Link to paper)
  • PDF link

Abstract:

The MATRIX (Multipurpose Array of Tactile Rods for Interactive eXpression) is a new musical interface for amateurs and professionals alike. It gives users a 3dimensional tangible interface to control music using their hands, and can be used in conjunction with a traditional musical instrument and a microphone, or as a stand-alone gestural input device. The surface of the MATRIX acts as areal-time interface that can manipulate the parameters of a synthesis engine or effect algorithm in response to a performer's expressive gestures. One example is to have the rods of the MATRIX control the individual grains of a granular synthesizer, thereby "sonically sculpting" the microstructure of a sound. In this way, the MATRIX provides an intuitive method of manipulating sound with avery high level of real-time control.

Citation:

Dan Overholt. 2001. The MATRIX : A Novel Controller for Musical Expression. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1176372

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{Overholt2001,
 abstract = {The MATRIX (Multipurpose Array of Tactile Rods for Interactive eXpression) is a new musical interface for amateurs and professionals alike. It gives users a 3dimensional tangible interface to control music using their hands, and can be used in conjunction with a traditional musical instrument and a microphone, or as a stand-alone gestural input device. The surface of the MATRIX acts as areal-time interface that can manipulate the parameters of a synthesis engine or effect algorithm in response to a performer's expressive gestures. One example is to have the rods of the MATRIX control the individual grains of a granular synthesizer, thereby "sonically sculpting" the microstructure of a sound. In this way, the MATRIX provides an intuitive method of manipulating sound with avery high level of real-time control.},
 address = {Seattle, WA},
 author = {Overholt, Dan},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 date = {1-2 April, 2001},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1176372},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 keywords = {Musical controller, tangible interface, real-time expression, audio synthesis, effects algorithms, signal processing, 3-D interface, sculptable surface},
 pages = {38--41},
 title = {The MATRIX : A Novel Controller for Musical Expression},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2001/nime2001_038.pdf},
 year = {2001}
}