This video, via Mark Steiner, documents his ‘Expression Dangler’ prototype, part of his search for ways to connect direct human expression with synthesis.
Mark Steiner demos Nyle Steiner’s old prototype using a DC motor and his own modification/application to attach it for use, while using both hands on the keyboard. He also demonstrates his wrist-based expression controller with a breath controller.
Kickstarter please!!! So frustrated that outside of keith McMillan’s tiny controller no piano style controller keybeds allow for wiggle of keys to produce vibrato and most aftertouch response is unpredictable and weak requiring to much pressure to activate reliably. Elegant solution.
Thanks so much! I do think it would really go to good musical use out there. I will think about a Kickstarter. At this point it’s a CV kind of thing for the more analog modular direction, but it would be great to get it sending midi for sure.
Cool idea. Seems like you could do something similar with an accelerometer chip.
Thanks, Rimwolf. We are thinking a like. The night before coming up with this, I did indeed have my iPhone strapped to my wrist with parameters sending from box x and y axis. And I was searching out accelerometers for something like this. That way would be easy midi. I can say it did work really well, but the analog and loose weight of the “dangler” was a nicer experience (for more reasons than just how big the iPhone was on my wrist.
Exactly! This seems like a much more logical decision. Just attach that and a bit of PCB to a wrist band and it would be far less bulgy
Here’s a video on the accelerometer testing I did the night before making the “Expression Dangler” (which I think I’m going to call “Expression Charm” and use little cool figurines as the weights).
It’s works well but to really get it as smooth as I like I ran it through an analog slew generator module.
I think it would be the better version to produce for sale, but I like using the Charm one more. It is nice to feel the weight of it and that makes it easier to control when it’s modulating as you move side to side to get to other keys.
I also just dig how it looks (or will when developed more).
The accelerometer version could be nice and discrete. Easier to do midi and even wireless.
Video of the accelerometer version functioning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlu8R3dlwLI
duplicate..