Process
REFERENCES
Having a Jazz Drumming background, I have a lens on music that’s rhythmic and all about “Comping” — which is a way of accompanying the band while still saying something through rhythm.
I see Metronomes and Pendulums as a way to visualise the
subdivision of time in a spatial way. They’re a way to make the
unseen seen, and are effective tools to fine-tune musicians’
perception of time by engaging our sonic and visuospatial senses.
DEVELOPMENT
I started off by “recording” a kinetic rhythmic transcription of each instrument in Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon”. This was saved as automations in blank instrument-dedicated MIDI regions in the Logic Pro DAW.
Finally, I set up an Arduino R4 Minima with 7 servo motors — one for each instrument. I used a MIDI bridge Python patch to receive information from Logic Pro and turn it into movement data for the
servo motors. This meant I could run Logic Pro, with an audio file in the project, and the motors would follow the pre-recorded motions.
servo motors. This meant I could run Logic Pro, with an audio file in the project, and the motors would follow the pre-recorded motions.
This many motors behaving in unison was a first for me. Making them align perfectly in a row when the Arduino is turned on was a challenge. I found a way to make them perform a calibrating “dance” to each extreme of motion, before returning to the middle point. The
result was a beautiful and disciplined act of harmony.
It felt as if it were my own hand moving to the music.
For a truly real-time effect, with any song, I would implement a stem separation software, followed by an envelope follower and Gate to determine the motion direction and speed for the motors.
result was a beautiful and disciplined act of harmony.
It felt as if it were my own hand moving to the music.
For a truly real-time effect, with any song, I would implement a stem separation software, followed by an envelope follower and Gate to determine the motion direction and speed for the motors.