Alright Let's talk sound!

So for Week 5 and having conversations with the rest of the group I expressed a couple ideas regarding music. 

Idea 1: We use adaptive composition to try and construct a multi layered piece of music, we implement different triggers that will in turn play stems and add effects to make the track more chaotic as more sensors are triggered.

https://youtu.be/b0gvM4q2hdI?t=113

Idea 2: We use the VCV system that I had mentioned in previous posts, create a base line position in which to play the music and change the values of modules to increase the level of un-comfortability (or at least modify it) in real time.

https://youtu.be/Fn1neCKHGcE?list=PLzphl9QhBDtiddWoDAyVf2EkIv-7sohH-&t=95

My main problem with idea 2 is that even though there are a bunch of systems that we can re-utilize from my previous project, the responsibility of music would reside squarely on my shoulders, and since we have an additional member that is interested in the way music can be integrated into interactive elements. 

After having some discussions with the group as a whole we decided that having more interactions with the participants would probably be better, and since we don't necessarily have the time to do a lot of composing, it could be easier to just use VCV and spend the time trying to measure specific parameters that drastically change the melody into a more interesting and uncomfortable musical experience.

However, the need to separate the participants from the outside and having the "reveal" when people realize that the controlling surface is a person be a strong part of the piece, we decided that Michael should dedicate some of his time into trying to compose some music that can be used on the outside with little change while I design the parameters to change through MIDI using the touch sensors information.

The idea is to build a general level of un-comfortability. A measurement based on the capacitive sensors triggering a number increase. If a Touch sensor is pressed, the number will increase (let's say by 1) and decrease over time. With each new sensor re-increasing the level, participants will encounter a situation in which interacting with the piece further can quickly take them into a loud and pervasive mood and for them to need to wait for a time before it calms down and goes back to normal.

I will dedicate next post to talk about MIDI communications in TD and Unreal and the one after that to the design of a trigger function that reduces a number over time but increases it to the maximum when touched.