The sound may seem inexplicable. Its physical source, signal path, and limitations should be clear.
Feed energy back into the vibrating material to shape how long it sounds.
NACRE’s contact pickup captures vibration, filters and phase correction shape the signal, and two magnetic exciters return energy to the strings. Gain limiting and thermal monitoring operate within the local loop.
Limits of the method. Feedback can turn into self-oscillation. Stability is checked for every mounting and level.
Preserve the movement between two notes.
Capacitive surfaces, pressure sensors, and position sensors translate movement into control data. Calibration, a dead zone, and smoothing make gestures predictable.
Limits of the method. Choose the sensor for the quantity being measured: touch, pressure, or position. A separate control mapping connects those data to a musical parameter.
Give physical material room for a small error.
SEREIN’s granules and TESSERA’s mallets produce variation that cannot be obtained by simply repeating one sample. The performer or controller sets the conditions, rather than every detail of the vibration.
Limits of the method. Wear, variations in strike force, and actuator noise are accounted for in composition and maintenance.
Extend an object’s response beyond its natural decay.
A digital resonator bank defines the frequency, decay time, and relative level of each mode. A recorded strike can excite this model, creating an electronic extension of the acoustic sound.
Limits of the method. Mode fitting is approximate. Nonlinear overtones and changes in the material are not reproduced automatically.
A musical command must leave enough time for a mechanical action.
ORBIT SCORE supplies events to TESSERA. The local controller converts velocity into a calibrated pulse, limits its duration, and allows the mallet to return. An interlock prevents activation when the striker frame is raised.
Limits of the method. The sequencer does not control coil current. Commands that arrive too frequently are skipped; the permitted density depends on the mechanism and its temperature.
Connect the movement of sound to a clear physical action.
For a spatial session, SEREIN’s tilt can be mapped through SOMATIC to an external mixer’s pan position. The map takes the actual speaker layout into account. ORBIT SCORE sets scene-change events but does not decode spatial audio.
Limits of the method. Stereo panning, multichannel systems, and binaural listening use different signal paths. Moving between them requires a separate preset and an on-site check.
The three paths—sound, control, and energy—are explored in more detail in the workshop ↗.