I have started to log key areas of my research in, what will eventually become, sprawling posts on the subject. These will feature the latest findings at the top and act a some sort of replacement for my now defunct Twitter feed, where I would often post rambling threads on a topic that featured multiple video demos. Where relevant, they will also feature design files, links to parts etc…for those wishing to build on my experiments.

In my experience, at some point when you make musical machines you are going to test how fast, or slow, they can reliably play. The Mammoth Beat Organ is a lumbering beast, capable of rock-solid slow playback. ams is a whippet by comparison, so my tests in this realm have tended to focus on fast playback. Hyper-virtuosity isn’t confined to issues around speed. Machines are also capable of complex and precise articulation for sustained periods, for example.

My interest in this area doesn’t stem from an interest in outperforming humans for the sake of it. It has to do with what sonic possibilities this presents.

Starter for 10…

The very first test with this in ams was this simple-as-it-gets speed test.

Here ams is just ramped up through its speed range and then the human performer (me) is able to shape the textural drone-ish sounds created by moving the, distinctive, poseable arms that the ams percussion actuators are attached to.

Even though such solenoids are not overly fast, I love how they can take the discreet tapping into the realm of a textural sound by increasing the frequency; much like going from DC clicks to tones.

I have lots more to explore in this realm. I love, for example, how something like this Squarepusher x Z-Machines takes the guitar into outer space by using super-fast pneumatic solenoids.