Theremin is a difficult instrument to master. I knew it before but I didn't know it was at this level. It is a very precise instrument in which a slight movement of your finger, changes the note. And because it is "fretless" it is really hard to take control over the instrument. I am still working on it!
I told about the difficulties of the instrument to my friends and to my teachers and they suggested me to make an interface for learning Theremin. Since the most difficult part is to find the right tune at the instrument I have started to develop an interface helping people find their exact tune by displaying an comparing original tune and Theremin created tune.
A library will be added to Processing in order to develop musical stuff called JSyn.
"JSyn allows you to develop interactive computer music programs in Java. You can run them as stand-alone applications, or as Applets in a web page using the JSyn Plugin."
Useful information. Developed in Berkeley University.
OpenSound Control ("OSC") is a protocol for communication among computers, sound synthesizers, and other multimedia devices that is optimized for modern networking technology and has been used in many application areas.
Fingerplay is basically a sample player. Webcam is used to track movement (of the actors hands) and analyse these movements. The resulting parameters are converted to suitable control parameters for sampling engine to achieve a touchless audio control system in the tradition of the theremin.
I downloaded 30 day trial version of Max/Msp and Jitter, and I managed to place a 3D Object inside it, reacting and reforming its shape according to the sound you create. This picture shows my patch.
Similar patches can be found in examples of Jitter.
By the slight movement of your arm your hand, theremin produces different sounds. It is because the antenna is adjusted with high precision. So this can be used for producing different visual effects. The pressure and force can be exaggerated. For example with a slow movement of your arm, you can crush a concrete cube or collapse a building.
I think my direction will be 3D objects. The photographic manipulation is considered and many problems were searched & solved in Khronos Projector, so in order to create something new, I am thinking of using theremin as a tool for manipulating 3D objects. The pressure will force the object to take new forms. Here is a sketch of what it may look like:
An interesting "investment" and project made in 1995. There is no theremin, but a video camera tracks your hand and an Amiga processes data. It is interesting that the web link is still active. You can still see the prices of Amiga systems & etc. More information here:
I think the new Nintendo Wii is a very special product. With motion sensors placed around your TV, you can play as if you are in real life. For example, you can catch a fish as if you are using a fishing line in real life. What makes this gadget special is the interaction. With a cable-free connection to the game console you can play and interact with Wii.
We, as human beings, try interact with an object or software by haptic perception intuitively. But should interaction always be haptic?
There are some non-touch interactions in the world such as eye-tracking systems for disabled people, musical instruments like theremin, entertainment systems like Nintendo Wii, hygenic products like Tissue Dispenser and automatic flushes and some lighting systems working according to the point where you stand. Most common products are hygenic products in daily life.
A close field of search about my project is Haptic Perception. Here is a short definition:
"The sensibility of the individual to the world adjacent to his body by use of his body". The haptic perceptual system is unusual in that it can include the sensory receptors from the whole body and is closely linked to the movement of the body so can have a direct effect on the world being perceived. The concept of haptic perception is closely allied to the concept of active touch that realises that more information is gathered when a motor plan (movement) is associated with the sensory system.
The theremin or thereminvox (originally pronounced [teremiːn] but often anglicized as [ˈθɛɹəmɪn]) is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. The instrument was invented by Russian Léon Theremin. The theremin is unusual in that it requires no physical contact in order to produce music and was, in fact, the first musical instrument designed to be played without being touched. The instrument consists of an array of circuitry including two antennas around which the user moves his or her hands to play.