Performed at Alfred University Open Screening - October 21, 2021
"Drum Piece 000" is a multi-channel performance piece made with TouchDesigner. I made a "drum trigger" by carefully tuning a microphone to an acoustic drum head. Each audio spike from each hit of the drum was detected in TouchDesigner and used to generate the shapes on screen. The resulting animation and design also used a feedback loop and delay modules. A live-manipulated MIDI controller allowed me to adjust the size range of the shapes involved and also to balance the audio amplitude and noise effect shown later in the performance.
"Drum Piece 000" is a multi-channel performance piece made with TouchDesigner. I made a "drum trigger" by carefully tuning a microphone to an acoustic drum head. Each audio spike from each hit of the drum was detected in TouchDesigner and used to generate the shapes on screen. The resulting animation and design also used a feedback loop and delay modules. A live-manipulated MIDI controller allowed me to adjust the size range of the shapes involved and also to balance the audio amplitude and noise effect shown later in the performance.
A major challenge to overcome with this piece was the fine-tuning of the audio in not just the testing studio, but also in the auditorium where the piece was performed. I had to tune the parameters for several spaces as a result, making sure to play quietly to prevent introduction of an unwanted audio feedback loop. This was necessary due to the drum sound itself reverberating through the auditorium.
This piece marks the start of a much longer study that I want to do with direct rhythm-triggered visualizations. In the future, I would like to acquire an electronic drum set and connect its MIDI outputs to TouchDesigner. When the physical acoustic drum is removed, this will allow the noise to only be heard through the output, preventing the crackles and pops of the sensitive microphone heard in the above documentation. Output sounds can be completely controlled through the electronic drum set, leading to a more diverse auditory experience. A full drum set will also allow me to trigger several different parts of animations to assemble at will into a final composition.
Inspirations for this project and area of study include the work of Animusic, Disney's Fantasia, Weirdcore, and Aphex Twin.
This piece marks the start of a much longer study that I want to do with direct rhythm-triggered visualizations. In the future, I would like to acquire an electronic drum set and connect its MIDI outputs to TouchDesigner. When the physical acoustic drum is removed, this will allow the noise to only be heard through the output, preventing the crackles and pops of the sensitive microphone heard in the above documentation. Output sounds can be completely controlled through the electronic drum set, leading to a more diverse auditory experience. A full drum set will also allow me to trigger several different parts of animations to assemble at will into a final composition.
Inspirations for this project and area of study include the work of Animusic, Disney's Fantasia, Weirdcore, and Aphex Twin.
