Hardware & software used:
13″ Macbook Pro
Arduino Leonardo set up as midi interface
A microwave presence detection sensor
A MOTU 24AO audio interface
2 x 8 channel audio amplifiers
16 weatherproof speakers
MaxMSP 7
Artwork description
Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelts Museum in Herning in 2020 commissioned a sound art composition By Ditte Rønn called OPHAV (origin) for a gigantic outdoor circular architectural arena, called Fantasiens Leg (play of the fantasy). The work was to be played through 16 speakers equally spaced along the edge of the arena.
Requirements
My job was to design a playback system with a motion censor that activated the composition, when audience enters the circular architecture, according to a weekly schedule easily edited by the staff. This was to avoid that the music would i.e. play at night.
The control panel could be easily accessed by the museum staff through a Macbook that was playing back the art piece. The panel also need simple functionality to start/stop sound as well as volume adjustments. It also needed a “delayed start function“, so that it was possible for the museum guides to make it from the control panel to the site ,with a group of guests in due time to experience the start of the sonic composition.
The messy programming environment of the patch i maxMSP
