The MikroKontrolleur is an instrument for vocalists.
The MikroKontrolleur is the most recent practical outcome of our ongoing artistic research on working with vocals and electronics live on stage. It is an interface which enables a vocalist to expand the possibilities of her voice through live sound manipulation.
It consists of a control station that can be attached to any microphone stand. One part is played by the arms, hands, upper body, while the optional foot pedal can be accessed with ones feet.
The instrument was designed, built and programmed by Katharina Hauke and Dominik Hildebrand Marques Lopes in 2015/2016.
The idea behind the MikroKontrolleur is featured in the 3Dmin Almanach on contemporary instruments
The idea behind the MikroKontrolleur is featured in the 3Dmin Almanach on contemporary instruments
copyright Carolin Hauke
MikroKontrolleur is at present played in a solo performance which processes human sounds (ranging from speech to throat singing) by means of experimental digital transformation. It is open to be played by more musicians as well as to collaborate with other interfaces. It allows the musician to change the status of the interface while maintaining the range of possibilities of the singing body. In that sense the interface offers its player the possibility to provoke a distinct output state by using a whole spectrum of different gestures.
copyright Carolin Hauke
The setting in mind was a singer on stage with a microphone mounted on a stand. For the task of sound manipulation, the singer could then use established devices such as midi controllers, visual tracking systems or gestural controllers. But with all of these she would find herself in the situation that the gestures she makes (or must then make) in large parts serve the means of controlling rather than to serve their own means: singing.
The size of controllers and the size of the gestures required for their control counteracts the dimension of the gestures and body language used by and necessary for a singer (on stage). Visual tracking systems such as the Kinect free the singing body from the restraints of controlling an object however imbedding the gestures in service of singing in the system of gestures in service of control.
The size of controllers and the size of the gestures required for their control counteracts the dimension of the gestures and body language used by and necessary for a singer (on stage). Visual tracking systems such as the Kinect free the singing body from the restraints of controlling an object however imbedding the gestures in service of singing in the system of gestures in service of control.
copyright Carolin Hauke
So the starting point for the design process was our experienced need to approximate conflicting dimensions: The dimensions of conventional controllers for electronic and/or digital sound manipulation and creation and the dimensions of gestures and space performed by the the vocalist (human body as an instrument) on stage.
Other than size, these dimensions include the physical responsiveness of the interface and its elements and furthermore the dimension of control and entanglement: Electronic and digital instruments undock the musician from providing a specific physical energy needed for sound generation. Which gives the musician the possibility to make decisions on the extent and characteristics of the influence of each gesture and the scale(s) in which they correlate. It also leaves the musician, composer, instrument maker with the necessity to do so.
Other than size, these dimensions include the physical responsiveness of the interface and its elements and furthermore the dimension of control and entanglement: Electronic and digital instruments undock the musician from providing a specific physical energy needed for sound generation. Which gives the musician the possibility to make decisions on the extent and characteristics of the influence of each gesture and the scale(s) in which they correlate. It also leaves the musician, composer, instrument maker with the necessity to do so.
copyright Manuel Schamberger
copyright Carolin Hauke
copyright Carolin Hauke
copyright Carolin Hauke
copyright Manuel Schamberger
