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Music Sequencer has Balls of Steel

January 13th, 2008 by: Paul Strauss


Here’s an interesting new tangible interface design for a music sequencer. Rather than using an array of buttons or a 2-dimensional control screen on a computer, this one generates rhythmic patterns using ball bearings.

beat bearing

Sequences are composed by placing the metal orbs in a grid of receptor cups which represent the different rhythm tracks (kick, snare, hi-hat and cowbell) along the vertical axis, and beats along the horizontal.

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The BeatBearing sequencer interface was designed by Peter Bennett, a researcher studying for his Doctorate at the Sonic Arts Research Center in Belfast. Peter’s thesis studies have been focused on new interaction techniques for digital musical instruments.

It’s an elegant interface solution for music sequencing, but I’d be afraid I’d lose half the ball bearings by the second night of the tour. Peter gets extra credit for including a cowbell track, since I’ve got a fever… and the only prescription is more cowbell.







Comments (8):

  1. Gus says:

    I love it when technology becomes beautiful.

  2. xlarge says:

    The last cowbell doesn’t trigger in the last sequence when cowbell present.

    You can see the “tracking” light go out aswell…
    It’s a cool concept but i prefer buttons with leds any day.

  3. Michaelangelo says:

    I really want one of these.

  4. The Wombats says:

    Nice design. Worthy stuff thought.

  5. pop lover says:

    Very interesting
    I’m adding in RSS reader

  6. Rob says:

    that is pretty kool! i want one:D

  7. Zeeta Von Frank says:

    I think that it is great, And it shows what white people can do.

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