MADD Sampler by Team MiDi
A soft-surface musical sampler and editor co-created with ASCAP
As part of a Fellowship with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), our team developed a new way of creating and interacting with sound.
Electronic musical instruments are stuck in an old paradigm of interaction. Today, we are mostly able to press a button, toggle a switch, or turn a knob. Music evolved from expressive mechanical instruments such as the piano, yet the current offer for low-cost electronic instruments simply does not provide a compelling layer of expressivity.
As part of a collaboration between the NYC Media Lab and ASCAP, our team developed a prototype from the ground up to solve this problem. Arnab Chakravarty, Dana Elkis, David Azar, and I tackled the limits of expressivity by inventing the MADD Sampler: a portable soft-surface sampler and editor.
Tools
Raspberry Pi
Arduino
Python
PureData
Fusion360
Media Coverage
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/living-colour-vernon-reid-ascap-lab-1234794119/
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ascap-lab-seed-project-teams-explore-boundaries-of-music-creation-and-experience-two-finalists-to-present-at-new-york-city-media-lab-summit-on-oct-8-301146653.html
https://thenewstrace.com/living-colours-vernon-reid-joins-ascap-lab-as-artist-in-residence/97350/