Sound & music

computing

iDDY - an Interactive, Capacitive & Non-Linear
Instrument

This thesis presents iDDY, a novel digital musical instrument (DMI) that integrates nonlinear dynamics and capacitive touch sensing for expressive
sound control. It combines a Duffin oscillator—a nonlinear system capable of generating complex and chaotic behaviors—with an 8-band filterbank
for real-time spectral shaping. Capacitive sensors, including Trill Bar and Trill Hex, enable intuitive gestu-
ral control, allowing musicians to transition smoothly between stable an chaotic states. This versatile design supports intricate sound manipulation, making iDDY ideal for live performance, improvisation, and experi-
mental sound creation. The researc explores mapping strategies, evaluates playability using autobiographical
design methods (ABD), and demonstrates how controlled chaotic behaviors can enhance musical expressivity. The findings contribute to DMI design
by showing how chaotic systems ca be effectively harnessed for dynamic, real-time sound manipulation.

Tela Modal Synthesizer - Fors 

Tela is a modal synthesis-based instrument with “ratcheting impulse generator and/or variable grain generator with bendable tonality and shapeable contour control”. With upwards to 16 voice poliphony with one LFO parameter page, mono legato mode, and patch randomizer, Tela orchestrates a vast array of resonant peaks, intertwined to form a critical mass of sound. It models nothing – it's a synthesizer for the here and now, to discover and create anew.

Beta tester
Presets

more info: https://fors.fm/tela 

A Handful of Grains

This project introduces an innovative approach to reevaluating the input-output framework of a granular synthesizer by employing sensorimotor data acquisition from the user's hand utilizing a Leap Motion controller. Drawing inspiration from theories of embodied cognition and computable expressive descriptors of human motion, users can cultivate heightened relationships between sound and gesture. This is achieved through an associative learning process facilitated by the deliberate manipulation of an action-perception loop in real-time.

Leap Motion Controller
Left and/or right hand
Max 8

Kuplen - A Hands-On Physical Model 

Kuplen represents a wholly integrated digital musical instrument featuring a tactile, tiltable surface intricately linked to the parameters of a physical modeling synthesis sound engine. The inherent physical model involves a stiff string mechanism, activated by a bow incorporating a movable damping element, capable of generating diverse pitches and timbral characteristics.

User feedback indicates a keen interest in investigating the expressive potential of the instrument. The incorporation of free-form modes of interaction, coupled with established higher-level descriptor mapping strategies, renders Kuplen a platform that encourages users to embark on innovative sonic explorations. This engagement facilitates gestural control within an exploratory framework centered around the physical model.

IDDY - A Haptically-Driven Instrument for Textures,  (Ir)regular Syncopated Rhythms, and (A)tonal Sequences

IDDY is a synthesizer comprised of six pairs of resonant low-pass filters, activated by six corresponding variable-periodic impulses. The interface, manipulable by fingertip control, establishes a coupling mechanism between haptic feedback and auditory output through the utilization of micro-vibrational motors and force-sensitive resistors. These components align with the temporal periodicity inherent in each filter voice's pinging events.

Originating from a perspective rooted in sound design and improvisational/compositional considerations, the synthesizer delves into the exploration of multi-timbral capabilities arising from the activation of resonant filters through pinging. The discernible outcomes encompass varied textures, syncopated rhythms, and sequenced resonant (self-oscillated) pure tones. This synthesis technique facilitates the creation of organic sound structures, while the integration of haptic and auditory senses aims to propose a novel paradigm for both digital instruments and their controls.

 

Implementation of a Spring Reverberation 
Model in MATLAB

Application of a spring reverberation modelling technique proposed by Välimäki, Parker et al.

The process of the model was conducted through observations and analysis of recorded impulse responses from two spring reverberation tanks – a Leem Pro KA-1210 and a Sansui RA-700. Based on characteristics presented in these responses, their spectrograms both displayed a similar basis, as follows: a sequence of decaying chirp-like pulses progressively blurred over time into a reverberant tail. In the digital signal processing, a modelling of the latter can thereby be implemented using techniques familiar from other forms of digital reverberation effects: a spectral delay filter, comprised of a cascade of identical all-pass filters, with a temporal smearing and attenuation of the signal, using a modulated multi-tap delay line in a feedback loop.

paper/code: https://github.com/gabi-blip/Implementation-of-a-Spring-Reverberation-Model-in-MATLAB

   

P_01 - Build an instrument in a week - Faust workshop with Romain Michon (CCRMA)



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