pressure the sensor is seeing, it is easy to switch from one 2.4 The Advantages of the MIDI Port AIRduino: An Inexpensive DIY MIDI Wind Controller to another. The AIRduino connects to the computer through a standard MIDI connector. While sending MIDI information out the Timothy Anderson USB port on the Arduino board seems to be popular with University of Montana other projects3, it has inherent downsides. In many cases, 32 Campus Drive special drivers have to be written to read the sent data.4 In Missoula, MT 59812 other situations, multiple pieces of software are needed to convert to usable MIDI data.5 However, by implementing a [email protected] MIDI port, the AIRduino requires no drivers or software. Instead, the AIRduino may be connected through an audio ABSTRACT 2. AIRDUINO: ABOUT THE CONTROLLER interface's MIDI port, or into a USB port from a MIDI to USB converter cable.6 This change allows the AIRduino to be The AIRduino is a hardware MIDI controller featuring a bi- plug-and-play compatible with any Windows or Mac system. directional breath pressure sensor that has the ability to 2.1 Arduino at the Heart of the System control different parameters by inhaling and exhaling through As the name AIRduino implies, the MIDI controller is built the sensor. The controller also features four videogame- around the Arduino Uno Microcontroller board. Because of 3. SUMMARY controller thumbsticks for addition expression, along with the relatively small price of the board, ease of hardware eight trimpots for extra versatility. Through these two unique At around ninety USD for all parts and materials, the implementation, and wealth of online resources, the Arduino types of sensors, the AIRduino allows the performer a AIRduino MIDI Controller is an affordable tool for any infrastructure was an obvious choice. At a price of thirty USD versatile and unique method of controlling his or her music. performer wanting distinctive, versatile instrument. By using at time of writing1, the board is an affordable microcontroller. This MIDI controller is easy to assemble from inexpensive the Arduino infrastructure and simple, inexpensive parts, it is Additionally, Arduino is easy to use in development, as no parts, and is open source in both code and circuitry my honest wish as its creator that the AIRduino allow soldering is required. Instead, the Arduino is equipped with schematics. performers easy access to new methods of expression. pin slots that wires can be inserted into. Because knowledge of complex circuitry isn't a prerequisite to working with the 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Keywords Arduino, it becomes much more accessible to musicians interested in building a MIDI controller. The tutorials and Arduino, MIDI, Electronic Instrument, DIY, Breath Pressure I would like to acknowledge my professor, Charles Nichols, examples on Arduino.cc work to further bridge the gap of Sensor, Thumbsticks Figure 2. The AIRduino in use. In the current for supporting me on this project. I would also like to thank technical understanding required to construct a MIDI setup, the left hand can alter the trimpots and the people at Arduino Software for their excellent instrument. By having access to a plethora of tutorials on the 1. INTRODUCTION thumbsticks, while the right hand acts as a valve microcontroller. All photography for this article was taken by hardware and software involved, even those with little to open or close the air column, articulating Louis Habeck. I would also like to thank Nathaniel Shiftmore circuitry experience can easily find answers to any problem notes as a result. at Shiftmore.Blogspot.Com for the idea to use the MIDI to As both a musician and an avid computer programmer, I they might have while constructing their own AIRduino. USB cable. And finally, I would like to thank my father, for often see other musicians express confusion about their 2.3 Why Thumbsticks? all the support he has given me, and for the idea of the bi- electronic instruments. While they can easily accomplish 2.2 Bi-Directional Breath Pressure Sensor directional pressure gauge. tasks with their instruments, they seldom understand how As the creator, I was concerned that the AIRduino MIDI their hardware works. My goal through this project is to use controller be an expressive, versatile instrument. However, the Arduino microcontroller, some simple, cheap, and easy to 8. REFERENCES When I started working on this project, I was determined to this couldn't counteract the need to keep the individual use sensors, and one unconventional breath pressure sensor to create an interface that was simple and utilitarian, yet had components as inexpensive as possible. After the eight [1] enable musicians to easily build their own MIDI controllers, trimpots were implemented, the instrument still seemed Anderson, Alan, “Biomed Projects”, cbet Biomed some unique function that couldn't be found elsewhere in http://cbet- and learn about the controller's structure in the process. lacking. It was then that the thumbsticks were added. Since Projects, Retrieved January, 2012, MIDI controllers. However, since my main instrument is biomedprojects.blogspot.com/2011/03/strain-gauges- they have the unique feature of resetting to their centered , the first few ideas for this project looked similar are-used-in-all-sorts-of.html to the Electronic (EWI) by AKAI2. In order position when not being manipulated, they added a unique to distinguish the AIRduino from this well-established performance option to the MIDI controller. As an additional [2] Arduino Software, “Arduino – Midi”, Retrieved counterpart, the AIRduino was equipped with a specialized layer of control, a switch on the back of the AIRduino allows January, 2012, http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Midi breath pressure sensor that is able to read both positive and the performer to switch between two preset controls. When negative pressures. What this means to performers is that the the switch is up, the thumbstick reads its X and Y position [3] Hinton Instruments,”MIDI Protocol Guide”,hinton- pressure sensor sends one MIDI continuous controller for and sends out the two states as individual MIDI Continuous instruments.co.uk, Retrieved January, 2012, blowing through the device, and a different one for inhaling. Controllers. However, if the switch is flipped, the data are http://hinton- By using two MIDI continuous controllers, new possibilities broken into four individual controllers, corresponding to up, instruments.co.uk/reference//protocol/index.htm open up for the electronic musician. By linking inhaling and down, left, and right. In this way, the thumbsticks can provide exhaling to the volume of two in a Digital Audio more nuanced control over a MIDI instrument, and reset all 3 http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl? the controls to zero when not being manipulated. num=1161023163/0, for a long discussion on the subject. Figure 1. A top-down view of the AIRduino. Workstation (DAW), it is easy to add dynamics to an otherwise static line of music. Additionally, by changing the 4 http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.plnum=1222793835 The four thumbsticks each send MIDI data 5 http://spikenzielabs.com/SpikenzieLabs/Serial_MIDI.html based on their current X and Y positions, and 6 http://www.amazon.com/Input-Output-Cable-Converter- return to the center when not being 1 http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10356 Notebook/dp/B001HPL8B2/ref=sr_1_3? manipulated. 2 http://www.akaipro.com/ewiusb ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1259723275&sr=8-3

_420 _421 pressure the sensor is seeing, it is easy to switch from one 2.4 The Advantages of the MIDI Port AIRduino: An Inexpensive DIY MIDI Wind Controller synthesizer to another. The AIRduino connects to the computer through a standard MIDI connector. While sending MIDI information out the Timothy Anderson USB port on the Arduino board seems to be popular with University of Montana other projects3, it has inherent downsides. In many cases, 32 Campus Drive special drivers have to be written to read the sent data.4 In Missoula, MT 59812 other situations, multiple pieces of software are needed to convert to usable MIDI data.5 However, by implementing a [email protected] MIDI port, the AIRduino requires no drivers or software. Instead, the AIRduino may be connected through an audio ABSTRACT 2. AIRDUINO: ABOUT THE CONTROLLER interface's MIDI port, or into a USB port from a MIDI to USB converter cable.6 This change allows the AIRduino to be The AIRduino is a hardware MIDI controller featuring a bi- plug-and-play compatible with any Windows or Mac system. directional breath pressure sensor that has the ability to 2.1 Arduino at the Heart of the System control different parameters by inhaling and exhaling through As the name AIRduino implies, the MIDI controller is built the sensor. The controller also features four videogame- around the Arduino Uno Microcontroller board. Because of 3. SUMMARY controller thumbsticks for addition expression, along with the relatively small price of the board, ease of hardware eight trimpots for extra versatility. Through these two unique At around ninety USD for all parts and materials, the implementation, and wealth of online resources, the Arduino types of sensors, the AIRduino allows the performer a AIRduino MIDI Controller is an affordable tool for any infrastructure was an obvious choice. At a price of thirty USD versatile and unique method of controlling his or her music. performer wanting distinctive, versatile instrument. By using at time of writing1, the board is an affordable microcontroller. This MIDI controller is easy to assemble from inexpensive the Arduino infrastructure and simple, inexpensive parts, it is Additionally, Arduino is easy to use in development, as no parts, and is open source in both code and circuitry my honest wish as its creator that the AIRduino allow soldering is required. Instead, the Arduino is equipped with schematics. performers easy access to new methods of expression. pin slots that wires can be inserted into. Because knowledge of complex circuitry isn't a prerequisite to working with the 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Keywords Arduino, it becomes much more accessible to musicians interested in building a MIDI controller. The tutorials and Arduino, MIDI, Electronic Instrument, DIY, Breath Pressure I would like to acknowledge my professor, Charles Nichols, examples on Arduino.cc work to further bridge the gap of Sensor, Thumbsticks Figure 2. The AIRduino in use. In the current for supporting me on this project. I would also like to thank technical understanding required to construct a MIDI setup, the left hand can alter the trimpots and the people at Arduino Software for their excellent instrument. By having access to a plethora of tutorials on the 1. INTRODUCTION thumbsticks, while the right hand acts as a valve microcontroller. All photography for this article was taken by hardware and software involved, even those with little to open or close the air column, articulating Louis Habeck. I would also like to thank Nathaniel Shiftmore circuitry experience can easily find answers to any problem notes as a result. at Shiftmore.Blogspot.Com for the idea to use the MIDI to As both a musician and an avid computer programmer, I they might have while constructing their own AIRduino. USB cable. And finally, I would like to thank my father, for often see other musicians express confusion about their 2.3 Why Thumbsticks? all the support he has given me, and for the idea of the bi- electronic instruments. While they can easily accomplish 2.2 Bi-Directional Breath Pressure Sensor directional pressure gauge. tasks with their instruments, they seldom understand how As the creator, I was concerned that the AIRduino MIDI their hardware works. My goal through this project is to use controller be an expressive, versatile instrument. However, the Arduino microcontroller, some simple, cheap, and easy to 8. REFERENCES When I started working on this project, I was determined to this couldn't counteract the need to keep the individual use sensors, and one unconventional breath pressure sensor to create an interface that was simple and utilitarian, yet had components as inexpensive as possible. After the eight [1] enable musicians to easily build their own MIDI controllers, trimpots were implemented, the instrument still seemed Anderson, Alan, “Biomed Projects”, cbet Biomed some unique function that couldn't be found elsewhere in http://cbet- and learn about the controller's structure in the process. lacking. It was then that the thumbsticks were added. Since Projects, Retrieved January, 2012, MIDI controllers. However, since my main instrument is biomedprojects.blogspot.com/2011/03/strain-gauges- they have the unique feature of resetting to their centered Saxophone, the first few ideas for this project looked similar are-used-in-all-sorts-of.html to the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) by AKAI2. In order position when not being manipulated, they added a unique to distinguish the AIRduino from this well-established performance option to the MIDI controller. As an additional [2] Arduino Software, “Arduino – Midi”, Retrieved counterpart, the AIRduino was equipped with a specialized layer of control, a switch on the back of the AIRduino allows January, 2012, http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Midi breath pressure sensor that is able to read both positive and the performer to switch between two preset controls. When negative pressures. What this means to performers is that the the switch is up, the thumbstick reads its X and Y position [3] Hinton Instruments,”MIDI Protocol Guide”,hinton- pressure sensor sends one MIDI continuous controller for and sends out the two states as individual MIDI Continuous instruments.co.uk, Retrieved January, 2012, blowing through the device, and a different one for inhaling. Controllers. However, if the switch is flipped, the data are http://hinton- By using two MIDI continuous controllers, new possibilities broken into four individual controllers, corresponding to up, instruments.co.uk/reference/midi/protocol/index.htm open up for the electronic musician. By linking inhaling and down, left, and right. In this way, the thumbsticks can provide exhaling to the volume of two synthesizers in a Digital Audio more nuanced control over a MIDI instrument, and reset all 3 http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl? the controls to zero when not being manipulated. num=1161023163/0, for a long discussion on the subject. Figure 1. A top-down view of the AIRduino. Workstation (DAW), it is easy to add dynamics to an otherwise static line of music. Additionally, by changing the 4 http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.plnum=1222793835 The four thumbsticks each send MIDI data 5 http://spikenzielabs.com/SpikenzieLabs/Serial_MIDI.html based on their current X and Y positions, and 6 http://www.amazon.com/Input-Output-Cable-Converter- return to the center when not being 1 http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10356 Notebook/dp/B001HPL8B2/ref=sr_1_3? manipulated. 2 http://www.akaipro.com/ewiusb ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1259723275&sr=8-3

_420 _421 MÓRIMO. TACTILE SOUND AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE [4] Shiftmore, Nathaniel, “Quick and Dirty Arduino over USB”, Shiftmore, Retrieved January, 2012, Justyna Zubrycka Pawe Cyrta http://shiftmore.blogspot.com/2010/01/quick-and- Inter-University Multimedia dirty-arduino-midi-over-usb.html Program The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music Okólnik 2 00-368 Warsaw Poland

ABSTRACT subject, creating another medium for tactile sound The project, called Mórimo, aims to provide a platform aesthetic experience. for musical expression, with an emphasis on tactile properties of sound. It regards music in a very sensuous 2. RELATED WORKS way – as a tactile composition perceived physically Satoshi Morita produced an object inspired by his trought the body. In addition to being heard, the Human experience during his travel in Switzerland. He was body may experience sounds also as haptic sensations, lying inside a tent in sleeping bag, while it was raining from subtle vibrations to shaking. This phenomena is outside. Although I didn’t even touch or see the produced by natural as well as artificial sources; and so raindrops, the feel of the tiny drops was intimately it may also be experienced when listening to music. The tangible. The membrane of the roof of the tent was idea of a tactile sound aesthetic experience brings an synchronized in my imagination with my feel of skin and artistic view to this phenomena. became a sort of second skin. Satoshi developed the Among existing familiar projects, this work investigates piece Sound capsule (2010), that is intented for one the human body-music interaction, within the person lying inside this cocoone-like object and performative context in particular. This experience is perceiving recorded sound via vibrotactile stimuli [3]. shared between listener and perfotmer. Additionally, Few years earlier similar project called Sonic Bed, was both roles (listener and performer) can easily be taken conceived by Kaffe Matthews. This object seems to by deaf or hearing-impaired individuals, as to reveal a allow the listener to interact in more dynamic way, since broader and deeper sense of listening. it is not closed. The listener is invited to lie in foam matress framed with the wood, that covers a series of 1. INTRODUCTION loudspeakers and subwoofers. Person is immersed in Tactile sensations, especially those from the sound low frequencies sounds, penetrating the body [2]. waves, very rarely play a role in artistic expression. There are only few known examples of touch based art 2.1.1. Mórimo works. Performers don't tend to explore this modality from many possible reasons. Provided audible and Our issue is the ability of immersion in the sound matter visual messages can be received by a number of people in different context, that afford the listener to perceive a at the same time from a distance. It seems there is much music performed alive and to receive the performers more limitations with engaging the sense of touch, expression. It is not only about exploring body-music which is accociated with direct skin contact. We don't interaction. We investigate in new form of artistic expect to feel the sound, we don't think about it as a expression and performer-listener relation. tactile energy, we don't even use such expression in our language. 3. DESIGN SOLUTIONS The human perception is, however, an active process The platform consists of a sound transmitter, intended and it is able to being shaped by experience and for one listener. It acts as musical instrument controlled expectations. Sense of touch can be developed with the live by a performer through a haptic interface. The concious awarness of sound frequency perception. listener togheter with the performer are enclosed within Evelyn Glennie (b. 1965) is a Scottish virtuoso one enviroment, where the studied interaction takes percussionist, who aims to raise the consciousness about place. sound perception. Since she has been profoundly deaf at The system is designed in a way that this experience age 11, she learned to recognize the audible qualities include tactile, sonic and visual sensations and it is trought the haptic system. Glennie feels various based on the direct involvement of its participants. Both frequencies with different parts of her body used as a of them stand vis a vis; the listener is resting his back on resonance chamber. In fact, she teaches people, how to the membrane, immersing himself in the sound and listen [1]. This example might be an inspiration for looking at the performer, that manipulate this sound several artists/researchers, who would investigate with a gesture. One can name this perfomance as 'bodily listening' during the last decade. We explore this playing the music on anothers body in a distance.

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