Using Simple Controls to Manipulate Complex Objects : Application to the Drum - Boy Interactive Percussion System

Design issues in developing an interactive performance system are discussed. The development of Drum-Boy, an interactive percussion system for non-experts, is documented, along with discussions of features that make such a real-time creative environment effective. Concrete examples of problems encountered during the design and development phase of Drum-Boy are investigated. Specific issues include the user interface, modes of interaction, and the methods to characterize and transform drum patterns. An "agent" approach is used to construct descriptive transformers and their complement, analyzers. These tools allow for the modification of rhythmic material by employing adjectives, giving power to non-expert users who can recognize and describe (but not build from scratch) the music they like. Thesis Supervisor: Tod Machover Associate Professor of Music and Media Information and Entertainment Group, MIT Media Laboratory This work was supported in part by the Yamaha Corporation. Using Simple Controls to Manipulate Complex Objects: Application to the Drum-Boy Interactive Percussion System by Fumiaki Matsumoto