the Stretch Harp

Recently I was tasked with building a new instrument for musical expression as part of an assignment at Bournemouth university as part of my music and audio technology course. This consisted of two key elements, one to physically build the instrument and secondly to create a synthesis engine for it.

Frame of the Stretch Harp.

String attachment of the Stretch Harp.

As a bit of background, each year there is a conference to show new interfaces for musical expression, The NIME show, many academics from around the world build new devices and present papers written about the field. A proceedings archive can be found here showing all the documents presented at the conference over the years. So what is a NIME? While its hard to give a definition in short, its should be a novel way of controlling and manipulating sound that allows for a performer to extend and express their musical intention.

Guide holes of the Stretch Harp.

I created something I call the Stretch Harp, it is played by pulling on strings, in turn pulling the shat of a slide potentiometer, this is then feed into an Arduino and then to Max 7 where the synthesis engine resides. In addition to the 14 strings there are two ultrasonic distance sensors and a sustain pedal.

Tension system connecting the strings to the slide potentiometers of the Stretch Harp.

Some of the 14 potentiometers used in the project.

The system is mounted in an aluminium frame built with a 99p junior hacksaw, a £12 electric drill and a few pencil files, so as a result the physical build didn’t come out as precise as I would have liked. However still very usable and sturdy.

Close up of the paracord used in the project

Overall I happy with the outcome however I would like to expand on it further perhaps building a second prototype using springs rather than rubber bands, and adding more strings to give two full octaves. Here is a short video of the device.

One Year With Android Wear

Back in March 2014, Google announced the Android Wear platform, an offshoot of android designed for wearables, mainly smartwatches. After the launch in June of 2014 and some humming and haring I bit the bullet when I saw the the LG G Watch, One of the first devices to run Android Wear, on offer directly from Google. Now one year on I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts about the G Watch and the Wear Platform.

I bought the watch out of curiosity when it when I saw it on offer thinking it would be a gimmick. However I'm pleased to say it's so much more than that, wearing it almost every day and feeling slightly lost without it. Before buying it was not much of a watch fan, why would I be when I have a phone in my pocket. The G watch and other Wear devices are a lot more than just timekeeping devices.

By far the most used feature of the watch for me, is the ability to check for notifications that appear on my phone. They appear on the watch along with a quick rumble. I don't have to stop what I'm doing to pull out my phone and can see instantly. If it's a message I even have the option to reply from a selection of preformed messages or dictate one to my watch. Although I would only dictate when no one else is around it's still useful for quick replies. with a recent update to my messaging app of choice (Hangouts) I can now draw emojis to replies with, not really my style but useful again for a quick simple response.

Watch screenshots of emoji reply function in hangouts

Its great for setting alarms and timers when I have things I need remember, particularly when cooking or working. It also works fantastically with Google Now, perfect for tracking packages, weather and sports information, it really streamlines a lot of little tasks.

The watch has also surprised me by provoking me to do more exercise, Google Fit pumps notifications relating to steps and activity time, telling you how far from your "goal" you are. After regularly hitting my 10,000 steps I upped it to 12,000 and recently to 15,000. It really helps me keep active, and I definitely didn't expect that.

Physically the device has held up well over the year, despite me giving it a hard time. The screen has no scratches even after a few close calls with brick walls, soldering irons and other electronics.
The strap has the most noticeable wear, with the matte rubber finish showing multiple markings from use. This can be changed down the line but it functions well and is comfortable for the time being. Battery life has been a surprise, holding up for a day with ease and often two under normal to heavy use.

Only noticeable damage on LG G Watch after a year of daily use; just a small scrape on the corner of the watch 

Some of the downsides are that physically the watch is relatively thick in comparison with standard watches. Not often a huge issue however can be when wearing formal shirt with cuffs and jackets with elastic cuffs; this watch can easily get caught on then and becomes rather annoying quickly. It would also be nice to beable to do more with it however new software and apps are available every day and it may be the case I am yet to find apps that would be more helpful to me.
It seems clear to me that smartwatches are not a gimmick and as they develop further i can see them becoming a staple piece of tech. As for the LG G Watch I am very happy with it and expect to keep using it daily until I inevitable buy a new Android Wear watch.