Keywords: Sociology , Examples , Tooka, Music, Two persons instrument

ABSTRACT In this paper we describe three new music controllers, each designed to be played by two players. As the intimacy between two people increases so does their ability to anticipate and predict the other?s actions. (?.) Three instruments have been designed: Tooka, Pushka, Pulla

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As two people interact with eachother, they begin to anticipate and predict each other responses. (?)

We differentiate our approach from a duet. An intimate connection may be achieved in these situations; however, the feedback is mostly through the acoustic signal or the visual channel. In our approach, we also connect people through a physical channel, providing haptic feedback.

Our exploration begins by considering two distinct, easily measured, haptic channels that people may use to communicate with each other. The two ways are through breath and force to the hand.

Each of these instruments provides different techniques for measuring the interaction between two people and mapping it to musical parameters. (?) This characteristic suggests that the Tooka may also be a new human communication device between two people instead of between performer and audience.


TOOKA:

The current version of the Tooka is a hollow flexible tube with three buttons at each end. A pressure sensor in the center measures the air pressure in the tube. (?) The players collectively modulate the tube pressure to control sound. Each player has three buttons that may be used to control mode changes, such as pitch.

Linux computer, MIDI worker

The greatest degree of control is from the tongue.
(?) We do not currently measure air flow velocity though.
(?) Note though, the second player typically uses the high fidelity sensing of the air pressure to understand the effort and intentions of the other player.

Our objective is to make the instrument as intimate as possible for the two players; thus, we allow airflow between them. In our testing, this feature has the desired effect. Just the thought of the instrument has emotional impact between the two people planning to play it.

MAPPING: We are using the metaphor of the recorder to constrain the way air pressure and button presses affect the sound. In the mapping, each button combination corresponds to a pitch rate.

(?) For both control of the pitch (buttons) and volume (breath), coordination between partner requires practice. This is the result we had hoped: individually, the instrument does not really make sound, but with practice, two players can play well together. Furthermore, the test subjects reported that they indeed felt a link between each other but found it dif- ficult to articulate the feeling.

The Tooka provides feedback through breath. This is extremely intimate as initial experiments have revealed.

PUSHKA and PULLKA: Not builded yet