Towards digital music performance for mobile devices based on magnetic interaction

Abstract

Digital music performance require high degree of interaction using natural, intuitive input controllers that provide fast feedback on user's action. One of the primary considerations of professional artists is a powerful and creative tool that minimizes the number of steps required for the speed-demanding processes. Most of the musical performance applications, which are designed for mobile devices, use touch-screen or accelerometer as interaction modalities. In this work, we present a novel interface for musical performance that is based on the magnetic field sensor embedded in recent mobile devices. The proposed method, at this point, promises a new independent ground for inputting momentary data during music composition and manipulation process. Giving the opportunity to freely, fully and quickly utilize the surrounding 3D space, it possesses the potential to bring a wide-spectrum of unique options for production and performance process of music. Keywords-digital music performance; electronic instrument; magnetic field sensor; gesture-based interaction; mobile devicesI.

MagiThings

“…Nowadays, mobile devices have also become popular digital instruments for musical performance (Gillian et al, 2009;Wang, 2009;Wang et al, 2008;Ketabdar et al, 2010d). Numerous applications in music have been developed using the touch-screen and accel-erometer for interaction, in order to simulate the traditional instruments on mobile devices.…”

“…In order to address these limitations, in Ketabdar et al (2010d) we presented a novel approach for music performance applications based on the proposed touch less interaction methodology. The proposed magnetic based interaction framework provides higher degree of flexibility for music performance, because the interaction space is extended to 3D space around the device.…”

“…In our proposed guitar application (Air-Guitar) (Ketabdar et al, 2010d), the holding action remains on the touch screen, but the touch screen based strumming action is replaced with a 3D gesture in the space around the device. The user can periodically move his hand (holding a magnet) in the space around the device (equipped with embedded compass) imitating the natural strumming actions in a real guitar.…”

“…Gestural interaction with AirGuitar application using magnetic interaction around a mobile device strength of the hit cannot be detected by touch screen. Using our framework, the strength of the hit can be captured as a part of the hitting gesture (Ketabdar et al, 2010d).…”

“…Moreover, we have developed several other musical instrument applications such as Harmonics, Theremin, and several sound composition applications like sound modulation and effecting, and DJ interface application (Ketabdar et al, 2010d), in order to show the wide range of potential applications that can be developed based on the proposed magnetic interaction framework.…”