workshop ‘Audiocubes’

door Kim Cascone

11 Nov 2005
12 Nov 2005

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

*op 11 en 12 november 2005
*van 10:00-18:00 — Foyer Theaterzaal, Vooruit Gent
*prijs: 30 euro (deelnemers kunnen gratis naar Visual
Music op 12 november in de Theaterzaal Vooruit)
taal: engels

Breng je eigen laptop mee met Windows XP of MacOS X 10.3.x geïnstalleerd en met ten minste één vrije USB poort.

Inschrijven bij eva@vooruit.be

in het kader van AUDIO VISUAL SPACES
Raster-Noton en Carsten Nicolai in Gent van 11 nov 05 - 15 jan 06
meer info op vooruit.be

Two-day workshop ‘Audiocubes’ by Kim Cascone

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 newinstrument interface to explore electronic music composition and sound design. This workshop aimes to introduce AudioCubes to musicians.

on November 11 and 12, 2005
from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. — Foyer Theaterzaal, Vooruit Ghent
cost: 30 euro (participants can attend Visual Music for free on November 12 — Theaterzaal, Vooruit Ghent)
language: English
Bring a laptop to the workshop with either Windows XP or MacOS X 10.3.x installed and has at least one free USB port.

Application: eva@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

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, aninfinite 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 visitpercussa.com

Kim Cascone

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 the company 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 (microsound.org) and has written for Computer Music Journal (MIT Press), Artbyte Magazine, Contemporary Music Review, and Parachute Journal.