Quantiser Block Update

10th August 2021

After agreeing a design brief for the quantiser block with Apollo Ensemble, we’re very pleased that we’ve received the new quantiser block and have started testing it with a regular rhythm coming into it from a midi sequencer to act as a trigger input, and a gestural midi controller input from a SoundBeam.

So far we’re very pleased with the results with the SoundBeam solo – for the first time ever!! – being ‘in-time’ with a walking bass line! We’re very pleased in the way it’s working, with the SoundBeam not following the bass line ‘slavishly’ but with a very nice natural feel to it whilst still reflecting the rhythm of the bass line.

The next step is to use it in a workshop situation and see how it works there. Just to reiterate – we believe this is a significant development in the use of gestural midi controllers in Assistive Music Technology. For the first time that we’re aware of, this helps to overcome the very great difficulty in playing any gestural midi controller with a sense or feel of rhythm.

For a bit of background on this project and the challenges it hopes to solve, see our earlier post on Real-Time Quantisation of Gestural Midi Controllers.