Final Project – String Sing

Nov 19, 2013 by Lucy Matchett // Leave a Comment

Concept

For my final project I want to create an interactively created and played instrument, so the user can piece together the notes and chords they wish the instrument to play before they actively play it. The hope is to create something that not only has an interactive quality in terms of it producing sound that the user wishes but also as an aesthetic quality that the user can alter and interact with.

The idea is based around String art, I am currently doing another project for major studio that is using similar techniques and I think the aesthetic it creates is extremely interesting, as well as the construction of it.

My initial concept is to create a circular disc that has several pins located around the circumference and then the string is provided next to it. So the user is encouraged to connect the string with different pins to create a pattern, in a similar fashion to the images below. Different pins will represent different notes in a chord, and through drawing the connections between them with the string the user chooses the notes they wish the instrument to play. Then to sound the chord they can pluck at the strings.

In the bigger picture I would ideally like to create 4 different circles with 8 points each so the user can create 4 different chords and play them simultaneously so a strong melodic progression can be created.

stringartsteps

 

Construction

Currently the method of construction I am considering is to have 8 different holes in the disc evenly spanning the circumference, and under each whole having a light sensor and providing the pins as something that can be slotted into the whole, triggering a change in the sensor. This would be connect to an arduino and would trigger the code to have a certain note selected depending on which hole you place the pin in. Then the string would have conductive thread woven into it and this would be connected to the aruduino through the Cap Sense library, through stringing this to the different point and then plucking the string you will then in turn tell the arduino to play specific combinations of notes chosen by the pins.

Materials

- Conductive Thread

- Arduino

- Plexiglass / wood?

- Photoresistors

Inspiration

6a00d8341cc08553ef0154345dad44970c 8133296813_d2377e0f10_z il_570xN.294654666

 


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