Latent Drummer: A New Abstraction for Modular Sequencers

Nick Warren, and Anil Çamci

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

• Year: 2022
• Location: The University of Auckland, New Zealand
• Article Number: 38
• DOI: 10.21428/92fbeb44.ed873363 (Link to paper)
• PDF link
• Presentation Video

Abstract:

Automated processes in musical instruments can serve to free a performer from the physical and mental constraints of music performance, allowing them to expressively control more aspects of music simultaneously. Modular synthesis has been a prominent platform for exploring automation through the use of sequencers and has therefore fostered a tradition of user interface design utilizing increasingly complex abstraction methods. We investigate the history of sequencer design from this perspective and introduce machine learning as a potential source for a new type of intelligent abstraction. We then offer a case study based on this approach and present Latent Drummer, which is a prototype system dedicated to integrating machine learning-based interface abstractions into the tradition of sequencers for modular synthesis.

Citation:

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{NIME22_38,
 abstract = {Automated processes in musical instruments can serve to free a performer from the physical and mental constraints of music performance, allowing them to expressively control more aspects of music simultaneously. Modular synthesis has been a prominent platform for exploring automation through the use of sequencers and has therefore fostered a tradition of user interface design utilizing increasingly complex abstraction methods. We investigate the history of sequencer design from this perspective and introduce machine learning as a potential source for a new type of intelligent abstraction. We then offer a case study based on this approach and present Latent Drummer, which is a prototype system dedicated to integrating machine learning-based interface abstractions into the tradition of sequencers for modular synthesis.},
 address = {The University of Auckland, New Zealand},
 articleno = {38},
 author = {Warren, Nick and {\c{C}}amci, Anil},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.21428/92fbeb44.ed873363},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {jun},
 pdf = {34.pdf},
 presentation-video = {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr6B5dIhMVo},
 title = {Latent Drummer: A New Abstraction for Modular Sequencers},
 url = {https://doi.org/10.21428%2F92fbeb44.ed873363},
 year = {2022}
}