[Microsound-announce] AudioCubes Workshop in Gent, Belgium

[Kim Cascone]

AudioCubes
- New Instrument Interface for Synthesis and Collaboration


TWEEDAAGSE WORKSHOP ‘AUDIOCUBES’ DOOR KIM CASCONE

op 11 en 12/11/05

van 10.00-18.00 Foyer theaterzaal Vooruit

prijs: 30 euro (deelnemers kunnen gratis naar Visual Music, 12/11, 
theaterzaal)

taal: engels


Breng je eigen Laptop mee met Windows XP of Mac Os X geïnstalleerd en 
met ten minste één vrije USB poort!


Inschrijven bij eva at vooruit.be <mailto:eva at vooruit.be>


Kim Cascone bracht eerder reeds muziek uit op Raster-Noton. Tijdens 
deze residentieperiode leidt hij een tweedaagse workshop over en met 
AudioCubes, een nieuwe muziekinterface om elektronische 
muziekcompositie en sounddesign te exploreren. De workshop heeft als 
doel om AudioCubes bij muzikanten te introduceren.


TWODAY WORKSHOP ‘AUDIOCUBES’ BY KIM CASCONE

On November 11 & 12

 From 10.00-18.00

Price 30 euro (participants can attend Visual Music for free, nov 12, 
theatrehall)

For your inscription eva at vooruit.be <mailto:eva at vooruit.be>


Bring a laptop to the workshop with either Windows XP or Mac OS X 
10.3.x installed and has at least one USB port!

Kim Cascone has put out music on Raster-Noton in the past. During this 
Raster-Noton residency he is leading a twoday workshop about and with 
AudioCubes, a new instrument interface to explore electronic 
musiccomposition and sounddesign. This workshop aimes to introduce 
AudioCubes to musicians.

in het kader van

AUDIO VISUAL SPACES

Raster-Noton en Carsten Nicolai in Gent

11/11 T/M 15/01/06

meer info op www.vooruit.be <http://www.vooruit.be>


 

Workshop Structure:


- Lecture on operational theory of Audio Cubes

- IR transmission of audio - cube proximity and how it changes the 
quality of sounds.

- Discussion of Audio Cube algorithms: granular, noise, filter, delay, 
walsh functions, audio rate switch, noise ramp, ...

- Connection with programming environment Max/MSP

- Hands On Work:

- getting to know the algorithms

- gaining mastery of designing sounds

- improvisation with others in a group structure

- Public Performance



Kim Cascone about AudioCubes


were invented, designed and implemented by Bert Schiettecatte in 2003 
and represent a new platform for electronic music exploration, sound 
design and composition.

AudioCubes are a collection of two or more plastic cubes, each 
containing a batterypowered sound and light processing computer. The 
audio and control signals generated by each of the AudioCubes are 
transmitted by infra-red light to other cubes placed within a proximity 
of 40 cm. Each cube can sample the sound from four of the cube’s faces, 
process it, and convert it back to analog sound to be transmitted 
through the same four faces. Because of the analog transmission used, 
light (and thus sound) can be mixed by pointing two or more cubes at a 
third cube. Each AudioCube contains both infra-red emitters, detectors, 
sound input/output connectors and a built-in omni-directional 
microphone. Besides the sensors and emitters each cube also contains a 
light source (red, green and blue) which can be controlled from the 
sound algorithms. By positioning the cubes relative to each other and 
moving them, the parameters of the algorithm (think: modular 
synthesizer) can be changed in real-time and in turn affect the sound.

Depending on the algorithms running on the cubes and their orientation 
and location, an infinite number of sound synthesis techniques become 
possible.


The AudioCubes are unique in their simple user interface and offer a 
novel approach to sound synthesis: collaborative music creation. Think 
of each AudioCube as a single synthesizer module connected by light 
beams instead of patch cables, and moving the cubes similar to moving 
the controls on a synthesizer module and you'll have a pretty good idea 
as to the possibilities AudioCubes offer.


 


For more information on Percussa AudioCubes and sound examples please 
visit:

http://www.percussa.com


Kim Cascone


has a long history involving electronic music: he received his formal 
training in electronic music at the Berklee College of Music in the mid 
1970's, and in 1976 continued his studies with Dana McCurdy at the New 
School for Social Research in New York City. In the 1980's, after 
moving to San Francisco and gaining experience as an audio technician, 
Cascone worked with David Lynch as Assistant Music Editor on both Twin 
Peaks and Wild at Heart. Cascone left the film industry in 1991 to 
concentrate on Silent Records, a label that he founded in 1986, 
transforming it into the US's premier electronic music label. He sold 
thecompany at the height of it's success in early 1996 to pursue a 
different career path and worked for Thomas Dolby's company Headspace 
as a staff sound designer and composer. After two-years at Headspace he 
worked for Staccato Systems as the Director of Content where he oversaw 
sound design using algorithmic synthesis for video games. Since 1984, 
Kim has released more than 30 albums of electronic music and has 
recorded/performed with Merzbow, Keith Rowe, Tony Conrad, Scanner, Ikue 
Mori, and Pauline Oliveros among others.

Cascone is a co-founder of the microsound list which focuses on issues 
concerning digital music and laptop performance 
(http://www.microsound.org) and has written for Computer Music Journal 
(MIT Press), Artbyte Magazine, Contemporary Music Review, and Parachute 
Journal.