Pencil Fields

Palle Dahlstedt

Music Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

• Year: 2012
• Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

Abstract:

Program notes: An improvised performance on a custom built instrument, using a simple pencil drawing as a gestural interface for controlling complex analog synthesis. The interface works by using the resistive properties of carbon to create a voltage potential field in the graphite/pencil markings on the paper using custom movable electrodes, made from coins. Then, control voltages are extracted from other points on the paper, controlling various aspects of the synthesized sound. The design was inspired by my previous research in complex mappings for advanced digital instruments, and provides a similarly dynamic playing environment for analogue synthesis. The interface is very lo-tech, easy to build, and should be possible to use with any analogue modular synthesizer. Here, I use it with a Bugbrand modular, built by Tom Bugs in Bristol, UK. The interface is presented in more detail in a paper presentation at the NIME conference. Composer(s) Credits: Instrumentalist(s) Credits: Palle Dahlstedt (pencil fields interface & modular synthesizer) Artist(s) Biography: Palle Dahlstedt (b.1971), composer, improviser, pianist and researcher from Stockholm, since 1994 living in Göteborg, Sweden. With composition degrees from the Academies of Malmö and Göteborg and a PhD from Chalmers University of Technology in evolutionary algorithms for composition, he is currently the main lecturer in electronic music composition at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, and artistic director the Lindblad Studios. Also, he is associate professor in computer-aided creativity at the Department of Applied IT, performing extensive research in novel technology-based performance and improvisation techniques for electronic and acoustic musicians, and in computer models of artistic creative processes. His music has been performed on six continents and received several awards, e.g., in 2001 he was awarded the prestigeous Gaudeamus Prize, as the first ever for an electronic work. He is also performing on piano with and without electronics, and in the electronic free impro duo pantoMorf. Concert Venue and Time: Necto, Tuesday May 22, 9:00pm

Citation:

BibTeX Entry:

  @incollection{nime2012-music-Dahlstedt2012,
 abstract = {Program notes:

An improvised performance on a custom built instrument, using a simple pencil drawing as a gestural interface for controlling complex analog synthesis. The interface works by using the resistive properties of carbon to create a voltage potential field in the graphite/pencil markings on the paper using custom movable electrodes, made from coins. Then, control voltages are extracted from other points on the paper, controlling various aspects of the synthesized sound. The design was inspired by my previous research in complex mappings for advanced digital instruments, and provides a similarly dynamic playing environment for analogue synthesis. The interface is very lo-tech, easy to build, and should be possible to use with any analogue modular synthesizer. Here, I use it with a Bugbrand modular, built by Tom Bugs in Bristol, UK. The interface is presented in more detail in a paper presentation at the NIME conference.

Composer(s) Credits:

Instrumentalist(s) Credits:

Palle Dahlstedt (pencil fields interface \& modular synthesizer)

Artist(s) Biography:

Palle Dahlstedt (b.1971), composer, improviser, pianist and researcher from Stockholm, since 1994 living in G\"{o}teborg, Sweden. With composition degrees from the Academies of Malm\"{o} and G\"{o}teborg and a PhD from Chalmers University of Technology in evolutionary algorithms for composition, he is currently the main lecturer in electronic music composition at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, and artistic director the Lindblad Studios. Also, he is associate professor in computer-aided creativity at the Department of Applied IT, performing extensive research in novel technology-based performance and improvisation techniques for electronic and acoustic musicians, and in computer models of artistic creative processes. His music has been performed on six continents and received several awards, e.g., in 2001 he was awarded the prestigeous Gaudeamus Prize, as the first ever for an electronic work. He is also performing on piano with and without electronics, and in the electronic free impro duo pantoMorf.

Concert Venue and Time: Necto, Tuesday May 22, 9:00pm},
 address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.},
 author = {Palle Dahlstedt},
 booktitle = {Music Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 day = {21-23},
 editor = {Georg Essl and Brent Gillespie and Michael Gurevich and Sile O'Modhrain},
 month = {May},
 publisher = {Electrical Engineering \& Computer Science and Performing Arts Technology, University of Michigan},
 title = {Pencil Fields},
 year = {2012}
}