by D. Andrew Stewart

Various types of movement sensors are attached to my body (i.e. sensors which measure the bending action of my fingers or the acceleration of my hip as it turns). All sensors send out a tiny voltage reading between zero and five volts. A separate unit then converts these voltage readings into MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) values. The sensors (Bend Short, GForce/Tilt 2D, Orient, ReachClose, Touch, TouchStrip) are held in place using various types of sport braces - stretchable bands of fabric that comfortably fit around the body and do not limit movement. The convertor rests in a belt pouch along with its portable battery supply. One long MIDI cable connects the convertor to a computer. I am currently developing a wireless MIDI set-up.

All sound creation, processing and manipulation is managed with Max/MSP, which gathers the incoming MIDI values in real-time. These values are then interpreted by the software, as dictated by the programming, and committed to a specific process, again this is a function of the programming. In other words, Max/MSP provides a sort of raw tableau on which the user can design his or her own code to control MIDI data. This information is the directing element in all sound processing and manipulation operations.

11 September 2003