CHI 2001
Musical Controller
Workshop Materials

Perry R. Cook, Princeton University

Download and see the PDF Paper Here

My main work has been in two areas

Synthesis Algorithms: Enhance our Palette of Sounds
Controllers: Augment the Human Performer

These are actually really related, because once we have
a flexible, expressive, parametric algorithm for sound
synthesis, we want a controller. And once we have a
nifty new controller, we want better sound synthesis
algorithms to control. Other pages talk about synthesis.
This one talks about controllers.

Augmenting the Expert Musical Performer

The Cook-Morrill Trumpet

with Dexter Morrill, Colgate University

Sound Clip (MP3, 600K): "Sketches for Invisible Man (Sax version)"
by Dexter Morrill
Dave Dempsey, Soprano Sax

Perry Cook: Interactive Computer Programs and Hardware

We made a number of versions, including a valve-
trombone interface. (see below under Hirn Section for
prototype valve section with modifications ).
See papers on brass interfaces and
pitch detection with Morrill and Smith in the Publication List

I also worked some with Ben Knapp on measuring
brass Lip-EMG (muscle tension) and using that for control.

The Hirn Wind Instrument Controller

Idea: Give as many degrees of freedom as possible to a wind player,
hook it up to various synthesis algorithms
including physical models of wind instruments.

Did it really look like that wonderful drawing?
Of course not. Here's what prototype 1 really looked like,
along side its valved friend from the Cook/Morrill
Trumpet project (see above).

See the "Meta-Wind Instrument ... and Controller"
paper from ICMC San Jose in the Publication List

Voice Synthesis and Control

"Synthesis of the Singing Voice
Using a Waveguide Articulatory
Vocal Tract Model"

Various Papers and Thesis 1989-1996

Some Soundfiles of Shiela Doing Her Thing:

Diphones Linear interpolation from shape to shape.
Nasals She Also Has a Nose!
Shiela Her first word.
Vocaliz Learning to Sing.

"LECTOR and IGDIS"
Ecclesiastical Latin and Modern Greek

Greek Singing Example

There were a number of attempts to make real-time controllers for
SPASM/Singer. Mostly based on MIDI fader boxes and few-to-many
mappings, such as a single MIDI controller for vocal effort
(combination of intensity, spectral features, and vibrato).

This figure shows the computer control panels, but each of
these were also controllable from one or more external MIDI
control numbers as well.

Lots of Wacky Shaker
and Percussion Controllers

Idea: Things to shake,
rub, scrape, grind, etc.
for two purposes:
To control PhISM
particle model synthesis
To steer interactive
composition algorithms

Movie of Froggy
(AVI, 1.9Meg)

Tambourine Soundfile
(MP3, 350K)