Ripple Synth: An Investigation into Novel Interaction Techniques for Scanned Synthesis
Author
Castanieto, Michael Anthony
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-09-12
Abstract
Ripple Synth is an application developed to examine whether a novel gesture-based mapping strategy in scanned synthesis adds expressive value to the experience of playing a new digital musical instrument. The thesis situates the work within the relatively young field of scanned synthesis, in which sound is derived by scanning the motion of mass–spring structures (e.g., two-dimensional meshes), and motivates the need for new interaction techniques. The central research question is whether a natural, water-ripple–inspired gesture can serve as a meaningful way to excite a haptically moving membrane and thereby shape timbre. To investigate this, the instrument Ripple Synth is designed and implemented, encompassing gesture extraction, mapping to a two-dimensional mass–spring mesh with graphical feedback, and sound generation via orbital scanning and a dynamic wavetable. The prototype employs a pressure-sensitive touch surface (Sensel Morph) and contemporary audio/graphics frameworks. The system is evaluated through qualitative tasks and a usability assessment (System Usability Scale) to probe play experience and control. Specific findings are not included in the provided excerpt; the focus here is on the research aim, design choices, and evaluation framework.
Ripple Synth er en applikation udviklet for at undersøge, om en ny gestusbaseret mappingsstrategi i scanned synthesis kan øge den oplevede udtryksfuldhed ved at spille et digitalt musikinstrument. Afhandlingen placerer arbejdet i den relativt unge tradition for scanned synthesis, hvor lyd udvindes ved at skanne bevægelser i masser–fjeder-strukturer (fx todimensionelle masker), og motiverer behovet for nye interaktionsteknikker. Projektets centrale forskningsspørgsmål er, om en naturlig, vandkrusnings-inspireret gestik kan fungere som en meningsfuld måde at excitere en haptisk, bevægelig membran og dermed forme klangen. For at undersøge dette designes og implementeres instrumentet Ripple Synth, som omfatter gestusekstraktion, mapping af gestus til en todimensionel masser–fjeder-mesh med grafisk feedback samt lydgenerering via orbital scanning og en dynamisk wavetable. Prototypen realiseres bl.a. med en trykfølsom touch-overflade (Sensel Morph) og moderne audio-/grafikværktøjer. Systemet evalueres gennem kvalitative opgaver og en brugbarhedsvurdering (System Usability Scale) for at belyse spilleoplevelse og kontrol. De konkrete fund fremgår ikke af det udleverede uddrag; fokus her er at præsentere forskningsmålet, designvalgene og evalueringsrammen.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]