Semi-Synchronous Orbit
2018
|
INSTRUMENTATION
1+ performers on laptops running Max/MSP |
DURATION
however long it takes |
Semi-Synchronous Orbit is a quasi-guided improvisation using a drone instrument I designed in Max/MSP. I started building the instrument while on a flight from Maine to Michigan, my compositional mind struck by two distinctly different oscillating pitches emulating from the back of the plane.
The Max patch is controlled by a series of keystrokes on a laptop keyboard, which manipulate volume, panning, frequency, timbre, and ring modulation independently. Two or more performers can perform the piece, controlling up to three drones each. Variable harmonies move in and out as multiple pitches ring, and intricate rhythms emerge from the different cycling ring modulations. Performers are given a list of open-ended suggestions on how to react during the piece.
The Max patch is controlled by a series of keystrokes on a laptop keyboard, which manipulate volume, panning, frequency, timbre, and ring modulation independently. Two or more performers can perform the piece, controlling up to three drones each. Variable harmonies move in and out as multiple pitches ring, and intricate rhythms emerge from the different cycling ring modulations. Performers are given a list of open-ended suggestions on how to react during the piece.