Avynne Trembly

When designing my instrument, I originally considered several possibilities for how to map sound and physical performance to a story. I wanted the sound to accent and not distract from the story being presented, so I didn’t want the sound mappings to change the sound too drastically. I choose to focus on ambient sound, mapping to different ways to modulate the frequency of the sound. The instrument can still provide interesting sound qualities based on differing levels of reverb. I also chose to focus on building a physical book with sensors incorporated into the book as illustrations to be a part of the story.

Based on my initial goals, the end product of this project was a success. It did produce ambient noise from three patches triggered within a book. I faced several challenges throughout the design process, but I was also able to succeed in using fabric and sewing techniques effectively. The largest challenge I faced was embroidering the conductive thread, which is much thicker than traditional thread, so machines struggle to embroider it correctly. I redesigned the sensors several times before one of the designs was completed. Through this process, I learned about how to optimise designs for embroidery machines.

Another challenge for me was learning Pure Data programming and the Bela platform. I have gained a lot of skills in creating Pure Data patches and testing with the Bela boards to produce a specific sound. One of the issues while developing the patch was that the Bela platform does not automatically have all the same objects as Vanilla Pure Data.I had to import several abstractions into the Bela IDE to make the reverb object work. 

I gained many skills in electronics as I had to research the makeup of the Bela board and understand the different purposes of SLA, SCL, and I2C inputs to ensure that the wiring was correct. I also learned about the benefits of multi-core wiring compared to single-core wiring when having issues with dry soldering.

If I continue to develop or perform this instrument in the future, I would like to research more about conductive thread and the best types available for my project. I would also explore incorporating other types of sensors into the book, such as conductive fabric or buttons that could add new levels of sound manipulation.

Despite the challenges, I greatly enjoyed my experience of building this DMI and would like to spend time in the future expanding on it. I believe this could contribute to a new way of enjoying story and performance, both inside and outside the community of NIME.