The Software Synth:

The software interprets the capacitance data from the interface and translated the information into a single X/Y position. The X/Y location of the hand determined the weight of stochastic parameters; A performer does not directly dictate causal events, rather, a performer shapes the behavior of a self-sufficient audio system.

This project was broken down into two parts: the creation of four physical interfaces and the composition of music to be performed with them. The goal of this project was to create a laptop ensemble work that was appealing to audience members from a performative visual  standpoint. ​

The Interface:

​The interfaces comprise of four capacitance sensing planes, placed in a 2x2 grid. Various resistance values were tested in search of a useful reactance distance. The resistance chosen offers approximately three feet of useable range. 

An early issue with the interface was accidental touching of exposed aluminum foil. This caused a sharp decrease in capacitance. To fix this issue, I glued the aluminum foil to rectangular pieces of cardboard, blocking a user from direct contact. However, I thought that direct contact to the foil may be a useful variable to poll. For this reason, I exposed a small surface area of foil to allow intentional contact. The state of contact allowed for nearly instantaneous triggering and toggling of variables within the custom software synth.