Create an Expressive Midi Controller
Event description
In this workshop, participants will use a small toy used to teach kids programming to build an expressive midi controller using a range of different sensors! Control sound and midi using motion, light or touch and build your own custom midi controller.
You will learn:
- Introduction to midi
- Introduction to coding concepts
- An understanding of basic electronic circuits
This workshop is suitable for participants aged 18+ of all skill levels. It is useful if you have some experience with midi but that is not essential.
Windows/Linux only sorry!!! The midi controller works over USB - last we checked the midi utilities we used were not working on the new M1 chips or versions of OS X.
What to bring:
All building materials are provided.
Participants will need to bring:
- A laptop with Chrome installed.
We will use web midi to create the sound and you will need to have Chrome installed on your laptop. You will also be able to connect to software such as Reaper or Ableton Live. Your computer needs to be running windows or Linux, unfortunately this will not work with a mac - An object to use as your controller. For this object it may be something wearable, like a glove, a fun object such as a soft toy or something that you can move around.
Tea, coffee and water will be provided throughout the workshop. Please bring your own lunch or snacks for the lunch break.
About Tara Pattenden:
Tara Pattenden is an artist, creative technologist and educator who produces work that engages the audience through encouraging play and democratising creativity. Working across diverse media including sculpture, soft circuitry, bio art and creative coding, Tara is a Brisbane based artist who performs and exhibits internationally. Her work has been featured at Tectonics in Glasgow and Novas Frequencias in Rio de Janeiro as well as recent temporary public art works across Brisbane. She has run workshops worldwide including at the Onassis Foundation in Athens and the V&A Museum in London. Under the moniker Phantom Chips, Tara performs with her handmade wearable tactile synths that can be stretched and squeezed to create sound. During the performance she invites the audience to join in to wear and play her synths.
Tara is the founder of Cyber Palace, a space for workshops, meetups and projects centered around creative technologies. She builds and sells a range of electronic instruments including the Lerango Drone, Noisy Bstrd and the Grim Beeper.