I wear gloves fitted with fingertip sensors, and I shape sound with every finger movement. My thumbs control volume, my index fingers move the sound left or right, my middle fingers change the pitch, and my ring fingers transform the timbre. With the switches, I move through banks and clusters of pre-existing sounds, which are chosen at random, so I never know exactly what sound will come next. To trigger the sensors, I press them against a simple wooden stick, which becomes a very basic, physical instrument the audience can clearly see and understand. This simple gesture connects to the long history of technology, where even the most complex systems often depend on very simple tools and physical actions. The gloves are now in my archive.
Gloves with Sensors
Nederlands / Germany, 1994–2010
Golf leather-gloves with wearable tactile pressure sensors, developed at the STEIM Foundation
Concept: Carlos Sandoval
Early-electronics: Jorgen Brinkman, STEIM Foundation (residencies 1996, 1999, 2004)
First dedicated control software: Iftah Gabbai, Berlin, Germany
Second software and electronics: Oori Shalev, Berlin, Germany
2010, El Instrumento
2007, Mosaicos
2007, The Body of Ligia
2007, Die Schaukel
2006–2008, The Tilt, several concerts
2006, The Birth of a Ship
BERENICE AMMANN
1997–2005, First Sensor-Lab version. This bulky ANALOGUE IN-MIDI OUT
equipment never worked properly with STEIM's Spider and Lick machine.
2004, Later a MIDI-OUT MAX patch was used instead (made by Iftah Gabbai) to MIDI-IN the Sensor Lab. Believe or not, I was able to play some concerts with it. MIDI and power cables lacking in this photo.
2005–2006, First USB-Arduino version. MAX patch version 2 was made by Iftah Gabbai (MIDI-IN, AUDIO-OUT) along with a parallel 10-bit RAW-DATA-TO-MIDI MAX patch (Oori Shalev). The needed extra electronics for the Arduino were made also by Oori Shalev. For this version I added also one button to each glove, to change clusters and banks.
2007, Wireless version with a Blue-Tooth Arduino and an optional Blue-Tooth Stick to be attached to the computer. The small plastic suitcase can be attached to my belt easily.
WHAT IS INSIDE — Wireless Arduino with two AA batteries and extra electronics. One serial input and two outputs, Audio and MIDI. 10-bit from the Arduino to the Sensor's Module and 8-bit to the sound's module. MIDI out is optional, to control extra software or MIDI hardware. Brand new MAX patch made by Oori Shalev.