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Demos
This page collects recent work with MIDI and game controllers. For most of the examples you will need a connected MIDI device (software or hardware) to hear any sound.
Demos for MIDI Controllers
Aurora
The “Aurora” compliments a Launchpad Pro by playing a coloured “aura” on and around any played notes. The non-playing controls at the bottom of the launchpad change the colour scheme.
Bifrost
The “Bifrost” guides the user by only allowing notes to be played that would form a chord with the notes that are already held. Like the “Aurora”, the non-playing controls at the bottom of the launchpad change the colour of highlighted lights.
Cheatar
The “cheatar”, or “cheater’s guitar” is designed to emulate strummed guitar chords using a MIDI controller.
The original version of the Cheatar was designed to run on the touchscreen of a Raspberry Pi and be used with a Korg Nanopad 2. It can also be used onscreen. The strum algorithm was loosely adapted from observing various modes of the Oberheim Strummer.
The “nano” cheatar is a later effort where you strum the x/y pad of a Korg Nanopad to play guitar chords. You’ll need a MIDI controller to use it, ideally one with an x/y pad.
Duet
The “Duet” only plays notes that are held on two connected MIDI controllers at the same time. Requires two MIDI controllers.
The “Duet” can be used in a few ways:
- Coordinating between two players on separate instruments.
- A single player coordinating both of their hands on separate instruments.
- Coordinating between multiple sequncers to create more complex patterns that represent only the moments at which they both attempt to play the same note.
“Eye of AgaMIDI”
The “Eye of AgaMIDI” moves a MIDI clock forward and backwards based on MIDI control codes. An instrument that supports clock messages interprets these clock messages and plays its notes forwards or backwards at the selected speed in response. Best used as input to a sequencer.
Flockquencer
The “Flockquencer” is a prototype for a sequencer based on the Novation Launchpad. It can also be played using the onscreen controls.
Launchpad Guitar
The Launchpad Guitar retunes a Novation Launchpad to play like a guitar, i.e. the first note in each column corresponds to the open note played by one string of a guitar in standard tuning. It’s also playable onscreen.
Launchpad Guitar Pro
The Launchpad Guitar Pro retunes a Novation Launchpad Pro to play like a guitar. The pads are lit to match the colour scheme used by the guitar learning game Rocksmith.
Launchpad Pong
Launchpad Pong presents a “ball” that is played as a note. The ball moves around in response to the pads the user hits on a connected Launchpad Pro.
Launchpad Pong (Multiball)
The “multiball” version of Launchpad Pong adds support for multiple “balls” simultaneously, and rules for how they collide with each other.
Laser Screwdriver
The “Laser Screwdriver” retunes a Novation Launchpad or Launchpad Pro to use a tonnetz isometric tuning. In an isometric tuning, once you find a shape that corresponds to a chord, you can use that same shape to make the same type of chord in any relative position.
Lazy Consensus
The “Lazy Consensus” only plays a single note based on the average pitch of all held notes. Among other things:
- Inadvertently hitting multiple buttons still results in a single clean tone.
- Playing on a device such as the Arturia Beatstep results in a kind of bouncing
LPiano
This project contains early piano (keyboard controller) centered experiments in visualising and teaching piano tunes. The “Note Transcriber” transcribes the notes played in real time. The “Scorer” displays a musical score where the highlighting advances only when you play the correct next note.
“MIDI RTL”
The “MIDI RTL” is a simple instrument that “mirrors” the pitch around a particular note. So, instead of the pitch rising from left to right, it rises from right to left. Very fun to use with familiar tunes.
“MIDI Microtoner”
The MIDI Microtoner splits a single MIDI input into channels and uses pitchbend to simulate octaves that consist of far more than 12 notes.
“Nano Gurdy”
A software instrument that simulates a hurdy gurdy
“Patchbay”
The “patchbay” provides a simple means of adding routings between one or more MIDI devices.
“Polar Vortex”
The “polar vortex” is a polar-coordinate based instrument in which each note is tracked by its angle relative to the centre and distance from the centre. The centre can be configured to attract or repel notes, and rotation is also configurable. The state of the notes is quantised into a grid that is displayed onscreen and also on a connected Launchpad Pro.
Gamepad Demos
Analog Stick Theremin
The Analog Stick Theremin uses the analog thumbpads on a game controller to send control messages that can simulate a theremin. You will need something like VCV Rack to meaningfully use this.
Gamepad MIDI Clock
The Gamepad MIDI Clock sends MIDI clock messages whenever a button or thumbpad is pressed on a controller. You must connect this to an instrument that supports clock messages, such as a sequencer.
PS4chestra
The “PS4chestra” is a musical instrument and animated character controlled using a PS4 controller (it should also work with any other controller, but the tuning may be off). There’s also an alternate version I made for Halloween.