Part 2
What are the limits to building patches in Max or creating new digital instruments vs physical objects?
I build patches in Max all the time and I use my instruments to control them. For me, I would rather look at and interface with something that feels like an instrument and not look at a computer. I’ve even heard that looking at a computer screen turns off a creative part of your brain, but I have no idea if that’s true.
I think when interfacing with physical objects you can get into a mental state where you are not thinking that much and just focusing on the objects you are touching, which probably makes for a more focused musical performance.
Where do ideas for instruments come from? Do you already have compositional ideas in mind when starting out? Is the instrument the beginning of a piece in a way?
I try and make instruments with as much expressive potential as I can. I don’t like instruments that only do one thing really well. If I can make something with a lot of expressive potential usually techniques hidden in within the instrument will start to reveal themselves, kind of like how Eddie Van Halen discovered his finger tapping technique on the electric guitar.
I don’t think of compositional ideas when making instruments, but I do think about what type of interfacing skills I have and incorporate that into the design. I play guitar, so my instruments are very guitar-like. I also love old school video games, so I incorporated joysticks, buttons and LEDs into my instruments.
If you take the joy and expressive potential of creating your own instruments versus composing music – how do these two compare?
For me now making an instrument and composing music are totally different.
When I make an instrument now I am trying to be quite technical, I will test out circuits, I will design everything and attempt to have every millimeter worked out. I want to know what every single component will be. I get more creative and incorporate randomized weirdness in the software part, but the hardware part of instrument making I try and be very thorough.
When composing music I have no rules and anything goes. Sometimes I have no idea what I am doing. I just play certain ideas and will hopefully hear more ideas to explore. I also have lots of different ways of generating ideas for compositions. It feels like there are many many compositional ideas I need to explore right now and it’s just a matter of having the time to do that.
When it comes to instrument design, what's the balance between looking for compositional tools and tools for making your gigs even more exciting?
I think in instrument design I would lean more towards making a reliable instrument, and also one that is easy to repair, because things need to be replaced often. I do like making something that makes my gigs exciting because that inspires me.
If you look at my more recent Pyramidi interfaces you will see these LED displays in them that are really there just because I like how the look. They display LED animations while I play. They really don’t need to be there, but I love how they look and it sort of inspires me.
I don’t have too many elements like that in my instrument designs, but If it makes you want to play your instrument, or get listeners excited I think it’s acceptable.
Iin which way are these instruments an expression of your identity?
Because I am the only person playing my instruments for now, I think they are very much an expression of who I am. The instruments have also sort of guided the music that I make with them, which makes them even more of an expression of who I am.
I do still practice electric guitar and flamenco guitar, which I do to keep my chops in shape and also so that I don’t get too used to one way to make music. For example, when playing jazz there are a lot of accents and subtlety when playing a melody. When I play jazz and then go back to my electronic instruments I want to play them differently.
With my Smomid project I do have certain things I like to play, which might become familiar sounds to those who have listened to my music. So in this way that is sort of like a world that I am creating.
From the experience of designing your own instruments, what are elements of good instrument design?
I think a good instrument should be versatile to play, should be practical, meaning easy to transport, power, etc., and should be easy to repair. I realize this is not a very exciting answer, but if you work within these guidelines you can still realize a unique looking original idea.
When I say make it easy to repair, what I mean is that you need to have access to every component and be able to replace them. In my main Smomid interface the front, back and neck come off so I can easily access any part on there. I learned this lesson the hard way because my previous instrument didn’t come apart like this.
When I say easy to transport, I mean don’t have an instrument you made with a breadboard sitting in a paper bag. This will come apart and you will have no idea how to put it together. I know this will sound funny, but I have actually seen people trying to play music in a proper venue with instruments on a breadboard and sometimes their set becomes a fiasco. Also sometimes people make these massive instruments that barely fit in their car, or are extremely heavy to carry around.
When I say versatile to play I mean you should be able to express yourself in a variety of ways. I think this is standard for any good instrument. If you can play the music of other instruments and composers on your instrument on your instrument the you are probably in a good place.
Most new instruments have quickly disappeared from sight and sound again, even Partch's. Are you concerned about this? What do you think makes instruments relevant for longer periods of time?
If you want an instrument to attain longevity it might need to be essential to certain kinds of music, or even have certain techniques that are attached to that instrument. The guitar definitely has these qualities. If you even just look at flamenco guitar, it is impossible to imagine that music without a nylon string guitar. The Oud holds a similar place in Arabic music. Both of these kinds of music are literally hundreds of years old.
I am not so worried about that for my instruments, as I’m not really selling them yet. But I will say that the guitar is really the most popular instrument in the world, and every synth guitar, or midi guitar I’ve played, except for mine, completely sucks. This is a crazy thing to think about.
Even if I walk into Guitar Center, which proclaims itself the center for everything guitar related, if you go there and look for a midi controller, you won’t find a guitar-like interface, just keyboards, DJ interfaces and maybe drum sets. This shows how hard it is to make these type of instruments.
Mine works for me and I’ve been playing it for over ten years.
From talking to many electronic music producers and DJs, the interface is still, after so many decades of electronic music production, a sore point. Do you have a vision of what would make for a viable alternative to the conventional keyboard?
I don’t have any good ideas on how to improve upon a keyboard, but I am not a good keyboard player. I think it will be really tough to make a great instrument that will appeal to everyone. But there are some great instruments out there now that are pretty beautifully designed, including the OP-1 by Teenage engineering. I also heard someone play a beautiful set on a synth by Make Noise, whose instruments I think sound amazing.
Maybe in today’s world there won’t be one magical instrument that will fulfill all of your needs. Even I usually play with one Smomid interface plus two of my Pyramidi interfaces. I think it might be that you need several instruments in combination to have everything you will.
