An interactive multimodal installation using real-time spectral analysis

![CDATA[This paper describes an interactive sound and light system based on real-time analysis of an augmented musical instrument called the ‘motor bow’, that when played, makes new, unconventional, often ‘noisy’ tones. The interactive system comprises a timbre-matching engine that performs real-time analysis of the motor bow performance and algorithmically governed multi-channel diffusion of harmonically similar, but timbrally contrasting material coordinated with visual representations. This interactive installation was designed as part of the Tasmanian International Arts Festival 2015. Of primary importance was that the installation be an extension of the motor bow itself and that it work smoothly in extended performance scenarios. Particular emphasis was placed on extending emergent properties of this interference based relationship between bowed string performance and a weighted, spinning motor placed at the tip of the bow. The entire system can be viewed as an extension of an augmented instrument, one that is multimodal in nature, involving visual (a custom lighting-matrix), audio (acoustic and computer music performance) and tactile (motor bow) elements.]]