Batebit Controller: Popularizing Digital Musical Instruments’

Development Process
Filipe Calegario1 2 , João Tragtenberg1 2 , Giordano Cabral1 , Geber Ramalho1
1
MusTIC / Centro de Informática / Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Av. Jornalista Anı́bal Fernandes, s/n - Cidade Universitária (Campus Recife) - 50.740-560 - Recife - PE
2
CIIMUS / Instituto SENAI de Inovação para TICs / SENAI-FIEPE
Rua Frei Cassimiro, 88 - Santo Amaro - 50.100-260 - Recife - PE
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract. In this paper, we present an ongoing research use. The more people are experimenting and testing, the
project related to popularizing the mindset of building new higher the chances of achieving great instruments ideas.
digital musical instruments. We developed a physical kit
In this paper, we present a physical kit and soft-
and software intended to provide beginner users with the
ware to serve as an entry point to DMI development. Our
first grasp on the development process of a digital musi-
approach is to reduce cognitive load by encapsulating tech-
cal instrument. We expect that, by using the kit and the
nical details. Besides, we consider that it is essential to
software, the users could experiment in a short period the
make the kit accessible to broadening the audience. There-
various steps in developing a DMI such as physical struc-
fore, we propose to use accessible and straightforward
ture, electronics, programming, mapping, and sound de-
components, materials and manufacturing techniques, and
sign. Our approach to popularizing the DMI development
open-source software, in order to reduce the costs and
process is twofold: reducing the cognitive load for be-
reach more people.
ginners by encapsulating technical details and lowering
the costs of the kit by using simple components and open-
source software. In the end, we expect that by increasing 2 Related Projects
the interest of beginners in the building process of digital
musical instruments, we could make the community of new There is a considerable amount of hardware and soft-
interfaces for musical expression stronger. ware tools already available that could be used during
DMI development process. Some examples are: micro-
1 Introduction controllers environments (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Beagle-
This paper focuses on the technical details of the develop- bone, Teensy), sensor kits (Infusion Systems, littlebits,
ment process of a digital musical instrument. We believe makey makey), MIDI controllers (keyboard, wind con-
that overcoming technical barriers by presenting them in a trollers, percussion controllers), general-purpose program-
natural approach could open up possibilities for beginners. ming languages (C, C++, Java), audio-oriented program-
In sum, we hypothesize that when the technical barrier is ming languages (CSound, SuperCollider, Chuck, Pure
presented as a natural step, the beginners can open their Data, Max/MSP), creative programming environments
heads for new ideas. (Processing, openframeworks, Cinder, Scratch), applica-
tions for mappings (libmapper, iCon, OSCulator, juxion,
The development of new digital musical instru- Wekinator), and digital audio workstations (Logic Pro,
ments (DMIs) is an interdisciplinary process, in which Ableton Live, Pro Tools, GarageBand, Reaktor, Tassman).
each step relates to a specific mindset and requires a par-
ticular set of skills [1]. Mechanical structure, electronics, Beyond those tools, there is a growing number of
programming, mapping, and sound design can be loosely DMI’s development toolkits aimed to reduce the technical
considered the development areas of a DMI. barriers for musicians and designers [3, 4, 5]. However,
we believe that these toolkits still presents an in-depth ap-
Due to these different mindsets and skills, devel- proach concerning the aspects of DMI development. For
oping a DMI can become a laborious process. In this sense, instance, Bela 1 , a platform for musical interactions based
the designer must manage different partnerships or become on the BeagleBone board, focus on providing real-time
a polymath to achieve the musical artifact at the end. processes and more natural ways of programming musi-
Following the example of Arduino [2], which cal interactions. There is a significant number of examples
popularized the physical computing by simplifying the ac- that can help the users begin to develop their instruments,
cess of artists and designers into electronic prototyping, we but they have to build their physical interface, mechani-
believe that more straightforward and faster ways of de- cal structure, and electronics. There is no doubt that, with
veloping new DMIs can contribute to more beginners ex- Bela, the users could have a profound, expressive result.
perimenting ideas and, therefore, engagement in the DMI However, for the popularization of DMI development, we
community. find that it is more interesting to have an in-breadth ap-
proach.
By understanding the process, the users can adapt
the technology to their needs, intentions, and contexts of 1 http://bela.io

17th Brazilian Symposium on Computer Music - SBCM 2019 217

 3 Our approach 4 Workshops
The kit and software were informally tested in three work-
Concerning the beginners, we believe that an in-breadth shops. Each one had twenty participants that worked in
approach contributes to a better understanding of the DMI pairs. The kits were presented disassembled, and the par-
development process. In other words, didactically, we con- ticipants had to follow a set of instructions in a PDF il-
sider that allowing the users to experiment a small, superfi- lustrated with photos. The pairs were encouraged to work
cial amount of each stage of DMI technical development in without waiting for guidance from the workshop facilita-
a short period can make them better comprehend the pro- tor, that should be called only in the occurrence of an ob-
cess and identify what aspect excites them. vious error.
We intend to embed a little portion of the DMI In two hours, the participants had to assemble,
development process into an object so the users can have program, and play the Batebit Controller. After that,
an enactive experience when using it. We believe that the the participants answered a questionnaire with multiple
feeling of making an instrument with their own hands from choices and open text questions. One participant men-
zero to a functional prototype in a short period with little tioned that he was expecting to see, but it was not cov-
pitfalls is a productive way of teaching the complex and ered the possibility to have a final product, instead of a
arduous process of developing a DMI. prototype: “How the project ceases to be a prototype
The idea is to guide the users throughout the me- and becomes a final product that I can take it to the
chanical structure with MDF plates, screws and bolts; the stage?”(P09). Moreover, two participants mentioned that
electronics with a Arduino Leonardo, a shield, two knobs, the most critical aspect of the workshop for them was to
one LDR (light sensor), six buttons, and six LEDs; the pro- have an overview of the entire process: “The [most rele-
gramming with a example code in Arduino IDE; the map- vant part was] overview of what is happening in the en-
ping and sound design with a patch in Pure Data. Figure 1 tire process”(P08) and “The step-by-step of the process”
shows the disassembled kit. (P06).

5 Conclusions
The Batebit Controller is a simple in-breadth approach
to embed the DMI technical development process into a
kit and software that can be didactically experienced in
a short period by beginners. The objectives are to be
the entry point for popularizing the mindset of instrument
making, reach a broader audience, and make DMI com-
munity stronger. The feedback of the workshop partici-
pants showed that the kit and software have the potential to
inspired non-technical users to begin experimenting with
DMI development. In future steps of the research, we plan
Figure 1: Disassembled Kit
to better understand the engagement of the participants on
each phase of the technical development process.
When assembled (Figure 2) and connected to the
computer via USB cable, the kit becomes a MIDI con- References
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