The Musical Interface Technology Design Space

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical framework for the design of expressive musical instruments, the Musical Interface Technology Design Space: MITDS. The activities of imagining, designing and building new musical instruments, performing, composing, and improvising with them, and analysing the whole process in an effort to better understand the interface, our physical and cognitive associations with it, and the relationship between performer, instrument and audience can only be seen as an ongoing iterative work-in-progress. It is long-term evolutionary research, as each generation of a new musical instrument requires inventiveness and years of dedication towards the practice and mastery of its performance system (comprising the interface, synthesis and the mappings between them). Many revisions of the system may be required in order to develop musical interface technologies that enable us to achieve truly expressive performances. The MITDS provides a conceptual framework for describing, analysing, designing and extending the interfaces, mappings, synthesis algorithms and performance techniques for interactive musical instruments. It provides designers with a theoretical base to draw upon when creating technologically advanced performance systems, and can be seen as a set of guidelines for analysis, and a taxonomy of design patterns for interactivity in musical instruments. The MITDS focuses mainly on human-centred design approaches to realtime control of the multidimensional parameter spaces in musical composition and performance, where the primary objective is to close the gap between human gestures and complex synthesis methods.

Audio Delivery and Territoriality in Collaborative Digital Musical Interaction

“…The software also features a tempo control which operates globally for all users. Incorporating fine grained control over tone, metric placement of beats and chromatic pitch of notes conforms to the notion that 'good instruments should be able to make bad sounds' (Overholt 2009), and is in contrast to previous studies of collaborative musical interaction which have typically focused on non-musician users (Weinberg 2005;Bryan-Kinns and Hamilton 2009).…”

Human machine music

“…As Overholt (2009) observes, in the contemporary electronic music environment 'each generation of a new musical instrument requires inventiveness and years of dedication towards the mastery of its performance system (comprising the interface, synthesis and the mappings between them)' (217). Live EDM performers will continue to have an important role in exploring creative connections between human beings and digital technology.…”

Designing for the Mindbody in Technology-Mediated Music-Making

“…This evaluation is in essence heuristic inquiry as described by Moustakas [13] involving rigorous exploration and reflection conducted by myself as the researcher, designer, composer and performer, alongside potential collaborators or other performers, in the grueling test lab of live musical performance. I will apply sets of values and goals for my projects that require questioning the meaning and effectiveness of design choices, akin to the function of Overholt's framework for developing expressively powerful gestural interfaces for music performance and composition [15]. I will also engage in qualitative evaluation methods that may consist of observation of people and myself using the mediation technology I design where possible, and surveys or interviews, to learn about people's experiences and engagement.…”