Gestures on Sidraw

Meng Qi

"Sidraw is an experimental electronic instrument, based on Ciat-Lonbarde Sidrazzi circuit board, and my interface experiments.

There is a way to design electronic musical interface, which is not to consider sound parameters, but to think from the angle of circuit interference, I call it 'Circuit Expression'.

It can be seen on various experimental electronic musical instruments. From the Crackle Box by Michel Waisvisz back in 1970s, to the new Landscape Stereo Field and Martin Howse Dark Interpreter. UK synth designer Tom Bugs also had been utilizing them in the Weevil series of work. I've commissioned a special version of Chirper from Tom Bugs, which may have pushed the release of Board Chirper model a year later.
This method has a lot to do with circuit instability, touch and feedback. by touching selected circuit nodes, new connections are made, circuits behaviors are affected.

On sound output, it may result in a complex change on a combination of sound parameters (loudness, pitch, timber), and expressive reactions can be found.

I've found expressive behaviors from touching specific parts in Sidrazzi circuit, thus Sidraw is born.

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Sidraw 是一台实验电子乐器。

它基于 Ciat-Lonbarde Sidrazzi 电路板，还有我在演奏界面上的一些实验成果。

有一种设计演奏界面的思路，并不考虑通过演奏来改变声音参数(例如通过滤波的参数改变谐波能量， 或者通过控制增益改变响度)，而是考虑电路的干扰。我把这种做法叫做“电路表达”。

这种思路在历史上有不少实验乐器进行了实践。从上世纪七十年代 Michel Waisvisz 的 Crackle Box，到新的 Landscape Stereo Field 和 Martin Howse Dark Interpreter。英国合成器设计师 Tom Bugs 也曾经在 Weevil 系列中使用了这种思路。我本人曾经从他那订制过一台特殊版本的 Chirper，带有触摸点。这件事可能也推动了一年后 Board Chirper 的诞生。

“电路表达”利用了电路的不稳定性、触摸和回授。通过触摸一些电路节点，新的连接产生，改变电路 的反应。在声音上，这通常会导致声音参数的一些复杂变化。也可能会找到富有表现力的反应。

而 Sidraw 之所以诞生，就是因为我找到了一些 Sidrazzi 电路的良好反应。

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The Sidraw made its first appearance back in December of 2019.