# Interfacing... - Site: Analog Industries - Author: Chris Randall - Date: 2010-11-29 - URL: https://analogindustries.com/2010/11/interfacing/ Lately I've become intrigued again with "alternative" interfaces. (I hesitate to use the words "tactile" or "tangible" because every interface that you don't control directly with your brain is inherently either or both.) This one caught my eye from my Twitter feed this morning: Aside from being yet another example of the Right Handed Overlords oppressing the lefty minority, it is a really pleasing-to-look at device. Not exactly expressive, as such, as you need at least one degree of modifier in addition to the initial touch to even remotely be called expressive, but it's nice to see someone take things in a new direction. More pics [here](http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/12114/yuri-suzuki-urushi-musical-interface.html). Most of you probably saw the "Seven Mantas" video that was making the rounds the other day, as it appeared on several of the normal tech sites in addition to CDM. This is Chris Lloyd demonstrating a [Manta](http://www.snyderphonics.com/) controlling his SevenUpLive monome patch. I theoretically have a Manta on the way here, and I'm intrigued to see if it can fit in to my daily work. It looks like it should be able to, with the caveat that controllers of this sort are very rarely of the "plug it in and go" type of things. If you have an "alternative" controller, do you use it in daily music making, or is it more of a special purpose thing, where you've got to find a need for it in any given song? ## Comments (14) **Mad Al** (2010-11-29): Hmm... the Overlords had not realized you were a member of the Sinister tribe. Knuckle breakers have been dispatched... The usefulness of a non-traditional ("alternate") controller is largely determined by the flexibility and adaptability of the user. A person who can fluidly remap physical actions to different mental purposes should be able to make any alternate controller look incredibly useful... until it lands in the hands of the masses who can't get their head around a different way of interacting with their local environment. **neB** (2010-11-29): I may be one of those people that can't quite wrap their minds around playing these newfangled controllers as an 'instrument'. I do, however, see their usefulness as an effects processor or noise generator that you can sample and later chop up to actually play with a traditional instrument. I do realize, though, that I'm entirely limited to my own personal workflow and I'm not making the type of genre music that can justify ponying up the money for such an experimental device - nor the time to make it really useful. The scifi kid in me loves the idea of making music with and playing something like this, but the more seasoned side needs to get some shit done to meet a deadline. Basically I haven't exactly seen anyone 'rock the lemur' live yet...but, that doesn't mean that the ideas behind it aren't full of potential win. **bongo_x** (2010-11-29): Every time I see a video like these I just think how the people look so incredibly awkward and uncomfortable playing the device. That's makes me wonder about the design wisdom of it. bb **Chris Randall** (2010-11-29): That comment describes, in a large way, the root of my curiosity. Since my creation methods alway involve either a keyboard, a guitar, or typing, I thought it was high time I put my money where my mouth was and saw if all the fuss matched my preconceptions about same. Or, in other words, is it actually as awkward and uncomfortable as it looks? The Monome looks far more uncomfortable to me than the Manta, even though they follow similar paradigms. Couldn't say for sure why. -CR **boobs** (2010-11-29): i like to see all these things that people make but i can never figure out how i'd use one. the people who use them seem to be mostly interfacing w/a computer and some software though i know there is a lot of modular synth type integration and some smart creative people are finding ways to integrate them w/their music making system. i don't think i'm one of those people.. either i'm just not smart enough to see the possibilities or just have no idea how i'd fit it into the way i already work.. plus i already have 3 (or more) music making environments/working methods depending on what i'm doing.. all hardware machines doing it all (sequencing etc), all software in audiomulch or numerology or logic or live or some combination of all of them. fitting some new fangled controller device into the picture would require a new "system" for me and it sounds like more work than it's worth and i'm lazy and not motivated to get into too much gadgetry that isn't something that improves on my existing workflow. i've thought about an ipad sooner or later just because it seems like there are apps for mirroring what is on my screen that allow writing automation and the like w/a finger but it's not something i'm in a hurry to do since really i like using the mouse or a small controller w/a couple knobs for automation. i tend to one finger KB play on a tiny KB controller then heavily edit that data because i suck at getting what's in my head out of my head and rely on the computer to save, edit, save etc. i tried using a ribbon controller for simple monophonic synth bits and it had some cool features and various modes.. but it didn't take. ramble ramble.. long post. sorry. **rollmottle** (2010-11-29): The disconnect between the mental model of "normal music making" and these alternative controllers prevents them from being of practical use to me. They are undoubtedly cool and novel and I'm sure fun to mess with, but there's something to be said for a controller's ability to just "plug in and go." "It just works" (because you get it) should not only be a Steve Jobs aphorism. I have yet to come across one of these controllers that bridges that gap. **shamann** (2010-11-29): I tried to use Kaonome for a little while (which is a monome-like hack for the Kaoss Pad3), and once the novelty wore off, I found it slowed me down more than anything. That's about as close as I've gotten to using these controllers. I'm not sure I see the value of using these kinds of interfaces to make piano music, aside from the novelty factor. These kinds of interfaces make sense to me where a standard keyboard isn't the most appropriate interface, for instance I think keyboards are a terrible interface for triggering samples/scenes/phrases/loops/etc. For that, a bunch of customizable buttons or surface areas seem entirely appropriate. Since most of these control interfaces use OSC, I have to wonder if anyone finds joy in configuring OSC? Any time I need to dip into it, I find using OSC the most joyless, soul-sucking experience. **bongo_x** (2010-11-29): To be fair, someone starting out on the guitar looks just as awkward and uncomfortable, but the people in these kinds of videos should be proficient, they're "selling" the idea. That it looks at least somewhat comfortable and intuitive to play seems like the very minimum for trying to push a new instrument model. I can find hundreds of videos that make a good case for the Chapman Stick, but God knows that's never going to happen for me. (I should have never said that, that's the sort of statement that leads to me to inevitably owning one some day). Not looking like you need to be pushed down on the playground when you're playing it is the next hurdle. Oh no, I just saw a video with an acoustic Stick. I never knew the depths of the horror... bb **Mad Al** (2010-11-29): I'm with boobs... If you have a system that works, then integrating a new type of controller is a bit like breaking your own arm so you can relocate the elbow. Yes, you could end up with an elbow in a new and exciting place, but you would more likely end up with a wrecked arm you need to have re-broken and set properly again. There are probably many dark and dusty corners of studios and project rooms where lurk the cast off controllers of the past, simply because they just didn't integrate into the established flow. That said... sometimes a little challenge can give rise to new inspiration. A new controller forces to you approach your work differently. The real test is whether you keep using it once the novelty wears off... **mush** (2010-11-29): For me I got tired of the keyboard as Mallet-based input is not the greatest way to control a synthesizer IMO. So I built a controller mainly for my Nord Modular G2. Here is a demo I made of my first patches on it: http://www.vimeo.com/16890786 It was recorded on the third day I had it running, and it does take quite a while to learn how to make the most out of it. But it does open up the synthesizer in a new way to me and it makes it really really fun and exciting, which I haven't really felt for 15 years or so... Peter Kirn published my build log: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2010/11/alternative-musical-expression-a-diy-pressure-sensitive-multi-ribbon-controller/ I also have a Manta which I've come to use as my main controller for note input nowdays. It is great to be able to take 4 notes on different octaves with one hand and play a melody with the other. Using it right now with the marvellous Aalto. Just a match made in heaven! Regards Rasmus **bongo_x** (2010-11-30): I guess I'm not really thinking of the Monome and the like as being an "alternative controller". Seems more like a bank of switches to me. They seem cool, and I want one, but that's not what I was thinking of from the examples in the original post since they don't have an expressive element. bb **D' MacKinnon** (2010-11-30): The Axis-64 looks interesting to me, I've been eyeballing it for about a year but haven't picked one up. http://www.c-thru-music.com/cgi/?page=prod_axis-64 The way the keys are laid out is intuitive and looks like it might actually be easier to play that a standard piano keyboard once you get the hang of it. **bongo_x** (2010-11-30): Good call. The Axis is the one I thought actually looked practical, but I couldn't remember the name of it. It seems like it would help me a lot since I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to theory. I saw some videos a while back where this girl was reprogramming it to different layouts as well. bb **adamkjohnson** (2010-11-30): Mmm, yes. Those will really bridge the divide between audience and performer.