Description:
Etu{d,b}e is a series of performances including semi-autonomous musical agents improvising with a live musician performing on the eTube, an augmented instrument using a saxophone mouthpiece and custom controller interface.
This instrument’s playing techniques are influenced by contemporary saxophone performance. However, the conical saxophone is replaced with a keyless cylindrical tube, presenting a limited, yet interesting sound world to be explored primarily through timbre, texture, overtones, and articulations rather than pitch. Custom electronics based on the ESP32 chip are interfacing the sensors and actuators to relay information between the musician and the computer wirelessly. The instrumentalist’s preferences regarding some inherent qualities of sensors and the topology of the 3D printed controller were at the heart of the design process. The controller is attached to the acoustic instrument without obstructing regular playing technique.