As part of the end of the musical residency of composers Per Bioland (University of Miami, Ohio) and Rocajrd Causton (University of Cambrige, UK), Henri Boutin of the S3AM team invites us to a presentation of their work on the active control of piano strings using electromagnetic transducers.
Here is a zoom lin to follow the presentation: https://cnrs.zoom.us/j/99464125884?pwd=s5zm33IpmE7AGdxXuka6asaAryo0ll.1
Abstract
Active Control of piano strings using Electromagnetic transducers
Active control enables to assign desired time and frequency characteristics to vibrating structures. Applied to musical instruments, this technique enables them to produce new sounds radiated by their own vibrating structure, unlike sound effects applied to recordings, which are generally radiated by loudspeakers. As part of this musical residency, composers Per Bloland and Richard Causton and STMS laboratory researcher Henri Boutin worked together to produce new piano sounds using electromagnetic transducers. The first stage of the project involved sending signals synthesised with MaxMSP to electromagnetic actuators, placed close to the strings, in order to cause them and the piano soundboard to vibrate. The second stage aimed to control the vibration of the complex system, consisting of a group of piano strings struck by the same hammer, coupled to each other and to the soundboard. To achieve this, a controller was placed in a feedback loop between an electromagnetic sensor and actuator, the positioning of which close to the strings was the subject of a preliminary study. The controller consists of a sum of 2nd-order bandpass filters. Their parameters are chosen on the basis of a measurement of the system's transfer function, to independently assign the desired amplitude and frequency to each of the radiated partials. This controller was first implemented on a dSPACE MicroLabBox prototyping board, offering the advantage of reducing latency to one sample period. It was then implemented with MaxMSP in a computer, introducing a higher latency but one better suited to musical performance. This presentation will provide an opportunity to share the sounds produced during the two stages of the project in Studio 5 on IRCAM's Steinway D concert piano.
Biographies
Per Bloland is a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music whose works have been praised by the New York Times as “lush, caustic,” and “irresistible.” His compositions range from short intimate solo pieces to works for large orchestra. They incorporate video, dance, and custom electronics, and often draw on a variety of other art forms. Bloland is interested particularly in the intersections between literature and music, especially regarding issues of modernity in both disciplines. In 2013, Bloland’s work was selected for performance at the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World New Music Days in Slovakia. His first opera, Pedr Solis, was commissioned and premiered by Guerilla Opera in 2015, and received rave reviews from the Boston Globe and the Boston Classical Review. Bloland participated to the creation of the Electromagnetically-Prepared Piano, instrument which continues to receive attention. He has also composed a number of pieces for the device, published a paper [ICMC-2007] and developed the website magneticpiano.com. Building on this work, his first Musical Research Residency at IRCAM involved the creation of a physical model of the coupling between a resonator (such as a piano string) and an electromagnet. The current project involves the implementation of an active control system with feedback to further widen the piano timbral possibilities.
Richard Causton has been described as 'one of the most courageous and uncompromising artists working today’. His music has been performed internationally at venues such as the
Lincoln Center, the Concertgebouw and the South Bank Centre in London. He has worked with ensembles including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, London Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Ensemble Recherche. His work is recorded on Metier, Orchid and NMC, whose disc Millenium Scenes (NMC D192) was listed as 'Outstanding' in International Record Review and No.1 in the Sunday Times® 100 Best Records of the Year.Ik zeg: NU (2019) is one of two works selected by the BBC to represent the UK at the International Rostrum of Composers. La terra impareggiabile was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award. In addition to composition, Richard occasionally broadcasts for Italian radio (RAI Radio 3). He is currently Professor of Composition at the University of Cambridge.
Henri Boutin is a researcher in musical acoustics and active control applied to musical instruments in the S3AM team of the STMS laboratory at Ircam. After training as an engineer (ENSEA) and completing the ATIAM master's degree (Sorbonne-Université, Telecom ParisTech and Ircam), he specialised in signal processing and acoustics applied to music. During his thesis, he developed pioneering active modal control methods for modifying the sound of the violin and a xylophone bar, using piezoelectric transducers. His current research focuses on the design of adaptive feedback and feedforward active control solutions for acoustic, musical and conservation purposes, in collaboration with composers and museums. He is also involved in projects on the acoustics of musical instruments and the human voice, in collaboration with national and international partners. Henri Boutin is currently co-director of the Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Sorbonne University's Faculty of Engineering, where he teaches signal processing and electronics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.