Feedback Lapsteel : Exploring Tactile Transducers As String Actuators

Jiffer Harriman

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

• Year: 2015
• Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
• Pages: 178–179
• DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1179076 (Link to paper)
• PDF link
• Supplementary File 1: 0152-file1.mp4

Abstract:

The Feedback Lap Steel is an actuated instrument which makes use of mechanical vibration of the instruments bridge to excite the strings. A custom bridge mounted directly to a tactile transducer enables the strings to be driven with any audio signal from a standard audio amplifier. The instrument can be played as a traditional lap steel guitar without any changes to playing technique as well as be used to create new sounds which blur the line between acoustic and electronic through a combination of acoustic and computer generated and controlled sounds. This introduces a new approach to string actuation using commonly available parts. This demonstration paper details the construction, uses and lessons learned in the making of the Feedback Lap Steel guitar.

Citation:

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{jharrimanb2015,
 abstract = {The Feedback Lap Steel is an actuated instrument which makes use of mechanical vibration of the instruments bridge to excite the strings. A custom bridge mounted directly to a tactile transducer enables the strings to be driven with any audio signal from a standard audio amplifier. The instrument can be played as a traditional lap steel guitar without any changes to playing technique as well as be used to create new sounds which blur the line between acoustic and electronic through a combination of acoustic and computer generated and controlled sounds. This introduces a new approach to string actuation using commonly available parts. This demonstration paper details the construction, uses and lessons learned in the making of the Feedback Lap Steel guitar.},
 address = {Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA},
 author = {Jiffer Harriman},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1179076},
 editor = {Edgar Berdahl and Jesse Allison},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {May},
 pages = {178--179},
 publisher = {Louisiana State University},
 title = {Feedback Lapsteel : Exploring Tactile Transducers As String Actuators},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2015/nime2015_152.pdf},
 urlsuppl1 = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2015/152/0152-file1.mp4},
 year = {2015}
}