The Hyper-kalimba: Developing an Augmented Instrument From a Performer's Perspective

(Abstract to follow

Recent records of telamonioid species of Cortinarius (Agaricales: Cortinariaceae) in New Brunswick, Canada

Eight species of Cortinarius (webcaps) subgenus Telamonia and two other telamonioid Cortinarius species are reported from New Brunswick, Canada. Internal transcribed spacer sequences of these were used to build a phylogenetic tree confirming species identifications and relationships to relevant material, especially types and other Canadian collections. Descriptions and photographs of fresh material and microscopic features are provided. Habitat details, particularly potential mycorrhizal partners and dominant bryophytes, were recorded for each collection and compared with published records. Seven species, Cortinarius caninoides, Cortinarius cicindela, Cortinarius fulvescens, Cortinarius harvardensis, Cortinarius plumulosus, Cortinarius pseudobiformis, and Cortinarius valgus are new distribution records for New Brunswick, and C. plumulosus is apparently a first record for North America. Because these species have rarely been reported, they have yet to be given common names

What does " Evaluation " mean for the NIME community?

International audienceEvaluation has been suggested to be one of the main trends in current NIME research. However, the meaning of the term for the community may not be as clear as it seems. In order to explore this issue, we have analyzed all papers and posters published in the proceedings of the NIME conference from 2012 to 2014. For each publication that explicitly mentioned the term "evaluation", we looked for: a) What targets and stakeholders were considered? b) What goals were set? c) What criteria were used? d) What methods were used? e) How long did the evaluation last? Results show different understandings of evaluation, with little consistency regarding the usage of the word. Surprisingly in some cases, not even basic information such as goal, criteria and methods were provided. In this paper, we attempt to provide an idea of what "evaluation" means for the NIME community, pushing the discussion towards how could we make a better use of evaluation on NIME design and what criteria should be used regarding each goal

Versioning and Annotation Support for Collaborative Mapping Design

International audienceThis paper describes a versioning and annotation system for supporting collaborative, iterative design of mapping layers for digital musical instruments (DMIs). First we describe prior experiences and contexts of working on DMIs that has motivated such features in a tool, describe the current prototype implementation and then discuss future work and features that are intended to improve the capabilities of tools for new musical instrument building as well as general interactive applications that involve the design of mappings with a visual interface

Music and HCI

Music is an evolutionarily deep-rooted, abstract, real-time, complex, non-verbal, social activity. Consequently, interaction design in music can be a valuable source of challenges and new ideas for HCI. This workshop will reflect on the latest research in Music and HCI (Music Interaction for short), with the aim of strengthening the dialogue between the Music Interaction community and the wider HCI community. We will explore recent ideas from Music Interaction that may contribute new perspectives to general HCI practice, and conversely, recent HCI research in non-musical domains with implications for Music Interaction. We will also identify any concerns of Music Interaction that may require unique approaches. Contributors engaged in research in any area of Music Interaction or HCI who would like to contribute to a sustained widening of the dialogue between the distinctive concerns of the Music Interaction community and the wider HCI community will be welcome

Making Up Instruments: Design Fiction for Value Discovery in Communities of Musical Practice

The design of a new technology entails the materialisation of values emerging from the specific community, culture and context in which that technology is created. Within the domain of musical interaction, HCI research often examines new digital tools and technologies which can carry unstated cultural assumptions. This paper takes a step back to present a value discovery exercise exploring the breadth of perspectives different communities might have in relation to the values inscribed in fictional technologies for musical interaction. We conducted a hands-on activity in which musicians active in different contexts were invited to envision not-yet-existent musical instruments. The activity revealed several sources of influence on participants’ artefacts, including cultural background, instrumental training, and prior experience with music technology. Our discussion highlights the importance of cultural awareness and value rationality for the design of interactive systems within and beyond the musical domain

The Lost Library of Anne Conway

The philosopher Anne Conway (1631-1679) owned a large library, and her reading and book ownership shaped her intellectual life in distinctive ways. Until now, however, almost nothing has been known about the details of her reading or her book collection. Current scholarship assumes that her library, like that of her husband, the third Viscount Conway (c. 1623–1683), was lost or dispersed after her death. This article presents previously unrecognised evidence of Conway’s book ownership, and identifies, for the first time, the only books currently known to survive from her personal library. It traces their path to their current location in the Old Library of Jesus College, Cambridge, through the library of the soldier, book collector, and Cambridge Fellow Francis Sterling (c. 1652-1692). The article demonstrates that the newly identified books reveal previously unknown patterns of intellectual exchange amongst Conway’s family, and argues that they have significant implications for our understanding of her early intellectual development

A framework and tools for mapping of digital musical instruments

Digital musical instruments (DMIs) are typically composed of an interface using some type of sensor technology, and real-time media synthesis algorithms running on a digital computer. The connections between various input signals from performer interaction and the parameters of synthesis must be artificially associated -- this "mapping" of gesture to sound or other media defines the behaviour of the system as a whole. Mapping design is a challenging and sometimes frustrating process.In this dissertation, the design and implementation of an open-source, cross-platform software library and several related tools for supporting the mapping task are presented. These tools are designed to provide discovery and interconnection between parts of DMIs and other interactive systems, and to achieve compatibility through translation and transformation of data representations rather than imposing representation standards. The control parameters of software and hardware devices compliant with libmapper can be freely interconnected without requiring any intended mutual compatibility.Among the unique features presented is support for mapping between systems that include entities with multiple "instances" with dynamic lifetimes, systems which would usually require bespoke programming. A formalization of the problem is described, and several examples of real-world applications are outlined.Finally, two use-cases for the mapping tools are presented in-depth: the development of the T-Stick digital musical instrument, and the design and use of prosthetic musical instruments for interactive dance/music performance.Les instruments de musiques numériques (IMN) comprennent généralementces éléments: une interface qui comporte certaines technologies decaptation, et des algorithmes de synthèse qu'un ordinateur calcule entemps réel. Les connexions entre les signaux engendrés par l'interprèteet les différents paramètres de synthèse doivent être établiesartificiellement. Cette correspondance entre le geste et le son, ce*mappage*, définit le comportement du système. La conception de telsmappages est un processus exigeant, voire parfois frustrant.Cette thèse présente la conception et l'implémentation d'un ensembled'outils logiciels qui servent à faciliter l'élaboration de mappages. La pièce centrale de cette collection est une bibliothèquemultiplateforme à code source libre appelée libmapper. Ces outilspermettent la détection et l'interconnexion des différentes partiesd'IMN ou d'autres systèmes interactifs. Ils visent à assurer lacompatibilité par la traduction et la transformation des représentationsde données plutôt que par l'imposition de standards. Les paramètres decontrôle des dispositifs logiciels ou matériels qui se conforment àlibmapper peuvent être interconnectés librement sans qu'unecompatibilité mutuelle ne soit prévue.La possibilité d'établir des mappages entre des systèmes qui incluentdes entités, qui à leur tour comportent de multiples *instances* à duréede vie dynamique, constitue l'une des fonctions uniques qui sontprésentées. Ce problème, qui devrait normalement nécessiter uneprogrammation sur mesure, est décrit, formalisé et illustré par desexemples concrets.Finalement, deux cas où ces outils de mappage ont été utilisés sontanalysés en profondeur: le développement du T-Stick, un instrument demusique numérique, ainsi que la conception et l'utilisationd'instruments de musiques prosthétiques pour la danse interactive

A Consort of Gestural Musical Controllers: Design, Construction, and Performance

This thesis project presents the T-Sticks, a new family of digital musical instruments (DMIs). Most DMIs are either entirely unique interfaces, or exist as design iterations in which each incarnation is intended to improve on the last. The T-Sticks are instead intended to form a complementary group or consort which may be performed ensemble and also performed individually in solo pieces or works for mixed instrumentation. Each of the T-Sticks is based on the same general structure and sensing platform, but each also differs from its siblings in size, weight, timbre and register. This document explores some of the issues challenging and motivating the field of DMI design and performance, and describes the motivations behind the T-Stick project in this context. Several existing DMIs are examined for similarities to the T-Stick and compared in terms of design intention, implementation, and usage. The hardware and software designed and built for this project is presented, along with insights gained through collaboration with performers and composers in the context of McGill University’s Digital Orchestra project. The performers in question have collectively practiced and performed with the T-Stic