Purpose

1. FTP Composer: Utilizing iPhone for Interactive Music Performance and Audience Participation David Schultz Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts Introduction Since the late 1940s, electroacoustic music composers have been creating music using pre-recorded sounds spliced together to form sound pieces known as musique concrète. While traditionally, composers have been restricted to having their pieces played back only after pre-recording them to tape, new 21st century technology allows composers to create musique concrète by recording and playing back samples in real time, and manipulating those samples using real time processing software. With the introduction of wireless technology and handheld computing, new possibilities emerge in musical performance for mobile recording and information sharing, which in turn leads to greater potential for audience interaction. Design The iPhone and iPod Touch were the devices of choice for the handheld system. Both devices utilize the same software development kit, allowing code to be developed for both devices simultaneously. This also allows the user to choose either device to participate. Another advantage of choosing the iPhone/iPod for development was the Apple iTunes App Store. This provides an easy way for users to download and install the app directly to their device, free of charge. Within the app, a simple user interface allows the user to record a short sound clip at the touch of a button using a standard Apple earbud/mic combo, and upload that sound to any computer on their wireless network. The performance software which harvests and manipulates the sounds was developed in Java for use inside the Max/MSP graphical programming environment. Once the sounds are loaded into the Max/MSP environment, they are looped and manipulated however the performer wishes. The performer also has the option of exporting sounds to external sound processing software, or his or her own custom software system. Discussion Wireless information-sharing technology presents great new possibilities for interactive performance. With the FTP Composer, audience members could participate in musical performances from anywhere in the world. Armed with an IP address and the FTP Composer iPhone app, a user could record a sound clip in Europe, and upload it to a musical performance taking place in China. This new technology makes internet-based, collaborative performances a real possibility. The Max/MSP graphical programming environment allows quick prototyping for interactive musical software. The FTP Composer uploads users’ sound files directly into Max’s file structure, allowing instant access to audience sound clips. Conclusion The foci of future research and development will be on the addition of personal sound-manipulation and editing controls on the app itself, and connections to live external visuals. Future plans also include the expansion of the custom Max/MSP performance software to include more in-depth mixing and effects routing systems for individual sound manipulation and editing. Purpose Audience participation adds a new dimension to musical performance. Audience members not only enjoy the music making of the performers, but actually influence and help design the musical content and the presentation of that content. The focus of this project is the design of a handheld software system which allows audience members to record and wirelessly upload their own sounds for use in a real time musical performance. The performer can then access the individual sounds of the audience members and manipulate them artistically to create a meaningful musical composition. Audience members can continue to create and upload as many sound clips as they like, continually shaping and re-shaping the performance. Credits This project was made possible through funding by both the Ball State University Center for Media Design and the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts. Faculty advising and consulting provided by Keith Kothman, Associate Professor of Music Theory, and Jesse Allison, Virtual Worlds and Interactive Arts Research Specialist, IDIA. Custom Java software harvests the sounds uploaded by the FTP Composer iPhone App. It loads the sound files into dynamically created software buffers and automatically deletes the old files that have already been used.