Data Garden PlantWave - galvanic MIDI hardware 1st demo/experiments

video by SynthAddict

Little plant playing music.

"PlantWave converts measured plant (or any other organism's) galvanic resistance over time between 2 points to MIDI, like biofeedback devices (galvanic skin response in animals). Enjoy the experiments. A few synths were used in the demo.

I experiment with lights and wavelengths, as well as a simple impromptu chaotic jams at the end with a plant bandmate. :-)

The PlantWave mobile app has onboard synth presets & other features, but this demo is only for MIDI hardware.

Galvanic refers to Luigi Galvani, who was an 18th century physician, physicist, biologist and philosopher - considered the pioneer of bioelectromagnetics.

00:00​ PlantWave inro, hookups, etc.
01:24​ First connection & sound demo
01:48​ Light demos and theory
03:43​ Sound demo 2 with lights
05:30​ Touch demo
06:04​ Sound patch change
07:03​ Plant change
08:10​ Human/plant improv live jam"

Data Garden Announces Release of PlantWave: A Device That Lets Plants Sing

From the creators of MIDI Sprout.

"Data Garden is launching PlantWave, a consumer device that allows plants to play music in real time from phones, tablets, and computers. Having establishing itself as a leader at the intersection of plants, music, and technology, Data Garden’s new hardware allows people to pair their plants to mobile devices via Bluetooth and listen to them produce music in real time. “We’re really excited to offer this new product. We’ve received so much feedback from our users about what they’d like to see and we’re happy to deliver it all in one package as PlantWave,” says Jon Shapiro, CTO.

The Kickstarter launches on Tuesday September 24th. “We’re so inspired by the talent of our community of users and we’re excited to provide a platform for them to explore and share the potential of this technology through public art,” explains Joe Patitucci, Founder and COO

The goal for the Kickstarter is $100k. Users can pre-order PlantWave for $220 as well as donate to the cause for a plethora of interesting rewards that range from boutique products to in-person experiences in LA.

Since 2011, Data Garden has reached thousands of nature enthusiasts and trendy lifestyle hobbyists. Through their first hardware product, MIDI Sprout, they formed a passionate community centered around listening to plants. PlantWave incorporates user feedback and update requests into a simple, easy to use product that runs on iOS and Android devices. The mechanics of the device are simple. Two sensors monitor the fluctuations of electrical conductivity of a plant’s leaf. PlantWave then translates these fluctuations into digital messages that control instruments in a mobile app.

Website (Will re-direct to Kickstarter page on September 24th):
http://www.plantwave.com"

FOUR TRACKS, 116 MINUTES OF PLANT-GENERATED MUSIC


"We all think we know what nature sounds like. It’s birds chirping, wind through trees, thunder echoing through the valley. These are all sounds that come from physical phenomena in nature, producing waves perceivable by the human ear: the need to mate, currents of air and water, static electricity. There are other phenomena in our natural environment, however, that produce information which we cannot perceive through our biological senses.

The course of human history has been moving towards advanced technology which enhances our ability to observe the world beyond these senses. As stone tools were a way for us to expand our physical strength, electronic tools expand our ability to perceive in real-time.

Digital technology has become a natural extension of our human senses. With it, we are not just gaining the ability to observe new information. We are revealing new patterns of creative expression. These revelations raise questions about our own place in a Universe filled with natural elegance. What is the creative force of the Universe? Is the force that inspires a human to write poetry the same as that which inspires a plant to grow in a particular way?

The musical compositions you are about to listen to are being generated by the electronic impulses produced by four tropical plants. This data, interpreted by humans with the help of computers, has been employed to organize sound into beauty perceivable by the human ear. While the means of producing this beauty can be described in technical terms, the natural creative force generating this experience is less apparent.

We invite you to explore Data Garden: Quartet while examining your own views on the source of its creation.
credits
released May 1, 2012

Joe Patitucci (Tadoma): sound design, editing
Sam Cusumano: electronics / engineer
Alex Tyson: sound design and editing on intro, graphic design

Philodendron plant: Lead synthesizer
Schefflera plant #1: Rhythm Tone Generator
Schefflera plant #2: Bass synthesizer
Snake Plant: Ambience and effects"

Smokey Quartz - Plant Music 12

Published on Aug 6, 2018 Smokey Quartz

"In this Plant Music video I use the Data Garden MIDI Sprout along with it’s app to record some wild grape plants that were growing along the Santa Margarita River Trail in Fallbrook California."

Data Garden Achieves MIDI Sprout Kickstarter Goal

"Data Garden are pleased to announce that they have reached their Kickstarter goal for the MIDI Sprout, a device that allows people to listen to music from the natural biorhythms of their houseplants through synthesizers, computer and iOS devices. The crowdfunding campaign is live through Sunday April 20th and, for now, is the only opportunity to order a MIDI Sprout.

The campaign which gathered coverage from music and pop culture websites achieved it’s targeted $25,000 on Sunday, 4/13. While this success guarantees that the MIDI Sprout will go into limited production this summer, the campaign is still active for the rest of the week, coming to a close on Sunday, April 20th.

"Data Garden is not a hardware company. We are a group of artists committed to creating opportunities for the public to experience their environment in new ways," says Data Garden Director, Joe Patitucci. "We would like to produce more MIDI Sprouts down the line but the goal right now is to get this technology out there so our friends and fans can experiment. This may be the last opportunity for people to order a MIDI Sprout, so it’s important that they act now and get one while they can."

Many cite the introduction of the MIDI Sprout as the beginning of the DIY Biofeedback movement. The week between achieving the financial goal and the formal close of the Kickstarter campaign allows those interested in the movement to fund the MIDI Sprout beyond this limited run."

Connecting MIDI Sprout to an iOS Device

Published on Apr 1, 2014 Data Garden·14 videos

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New Hardware Allows Plants to Play Synthesizers at SXSW Interactive

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/datagarden/midi-sprout-biodata-sonification-device

"Data Garden announces MIDI Sprout at SXSW Interactive

Austin, TX - March 6, 2014 - Data Garden, known for it’s art installations of plants playing electronic music, announced the debut of it’s revolutionary instrument called MIDI Sprout.

MIDI Sprout condenses plant sonification technology into a handheld device, allowing people to turn their own house plants into music.

A Kickstarter will be launched today as part of a three day performative installation at South By South West Interactive. The installation will be on view at showcases by Ableton and Moog, sharing bills with the likes of Deadalus and Gary Numan.

“People have been asking us countless questions about how we make music with plants,” said Joe Patitucci, Director and Founder of Data Garden. “We can’t wait for them to bring the MIDI Sprout into their home and do it themselves!”

MIDI Sprout is now available for pre-order through the Kickstarter page. Different levels of rewards come with other groundbreaking musical hardware from Data Garden’s friends at Sub Pac and Critter and Guitari. These packages give backers everything they need to create immersive biofeedback art in their own homes.

'We see this as the beginning of the global DIY biofeedback movement,” explains Patitucci. “Biofeedback art is an amazing aesthetic and therapeutic tool. This is the first time the technology is available to the public free from the influence of institutions.'"