Description:

The Gyrotyre is a multi-modal computer music interface based on a bicycle wheel, built by Elliot Sinyor in 2004 at McGill University. It is played by one hand supporting the device by its handle, which is also responsible for discrete parameter control, while the other hand controls the rotation speed of the wheel for sound excitation.

This interface implements several modes of sensing, including:

• Gyroscopic tilt sensing
• Pressure sensitive finger keys
• Hall effect sensors for measure of speed of wheel

Several parameter mappings and synthesis patches were written by Sinyor, implementing:

• Real-time sound scrubbing/scratching
• Chord arpeggiation

The Gyrotyre was presented at the NIME2005 conference.

Project Type:

Masters Project

IDMIL Participants:

• Elliot Sinyor
• Marcelo M. Wanderley

Research Areas:

• Interface Design

Publications:

• Sinyor, E., Wanderley, M. M. (2005). Gyrotyre: A Hand-held Dynamic Computer-Music Controller Based on a Spinning Wheel. In Proceedings of the 2005 International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME 2005) (pp. 42-45). Vancouver, Canada.

Press:

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5qadeCGTlQ&t=44s