Motorique - Control of Tempo and Frequency for Modular Synthesizers through Modulation of Rotational Motor Wheel Speed: Prototyping of a Eurorack Module for Investigation into Motor Speed as a Representation of Musical Tempo and Frequency

Motorique - Control of Tempo and Frequency for Modular Synthesizers through Modulation of Rotational Motor Wheel Speed

Hunter-McHardy, Reuben Michael

4. Term

Sound and Music Computing

2018

2018-09-24

70

I denne afhandling præsenteres design, implementering og evaluering af et digitalt musikinstrument (DMI) til Eurorack-formatet for modulære synthesizere. Arbejdet omfatter også en gennemgang af måder at evaluere DMI’er, beslægtede enheder og deres musikalske kontekst. Prototypen, Motorique, lader udøveren styre tempo og frekvens ved at variere motorhastighed. Afhandlingen undersøger, i musikalske termer, forholdet mellem tempo, frekvens og motorhastighed for at vurdere, om denne form for interaktion er ny eller særligt interessant. Designet er inspireret af afspilningsenheder med roterende overflader, såsom pladespillere og båndmaskiner—apparater mange elektroniske musikere kender. På den baggrund diskuteres behovet for mere eksperimentering med tempomodulation som musikalsk udtryk, især i elektronisk og særligt dansemusik. Under evalueringen indsamles både kvantitative og kvalitative data (mixed methods) gennem brugervenlighedstest og video-cued recall, hvor deltagere kommenterer deres egne handlinger, mens de ser optagelser fra brugen.

This thesis presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a digital musical interface (DMI) for the Eurorack modular synthesizer format, and surveys ways to evaluate DMIs, related devices, and their musical contexts. The prototype, Motorique, lets performers control musical tempo and audio frequency by varying the speed of a motor. The thesis examines, in musical terms, how tempo, frequency, and motor speed relate in order to assess whether this offers a novel or engaging form of interaction. The design draws on playback devices with rotating surfaces—such as turntables and tape machines—that are familiar to many electronic musicians. Against this background, the need for further experimentation with tempo modulation as a means of expression in electronic, and especially dance, music is discussed. Evaluation uses mixed methods: usability testing and video-cued recall, in which participants watch recordings of their sessions and reflect on their actions, to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

DMI ; Eurorack ; Synthesizer ; Modular ; Tempo ; Modulation ; Motor ; Frequency ; Speed ; Improvisation ; Interaction ; Musical ; Electronic Music

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