We explore a variety of design criteria applicable to the creation of collaborative interfaces for musical experience. The main factor common to the design of most collaborative interfaces for novices is that musical control is highly restricted, which makes it possible to easily learn and participate in the collective experience. Balancing this tradeoff is a key concern for designers, as this happens at the expense of providing an upward path to virtuosity with the interface. We attempt to identify design considerations exemplifiedbyasamplingofrecent collaborative devices primarily oriented toward novice interplay. It is our intention to provide a non-technical overview of design issues inherent in configuring multiplayer experiences, particularly for entry-level players.

This article reflects the current state of the reacTable* project, an electronic music instrument with a tangible table-based interface, which is currently under development at the Audiovisual Institute at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. In this paper we are focussing on the issue of Dynamic Patching, which is a particular and unique aspect of the sound synthesis and control paradigms of the reacTable*. Unlike common visual programming languages for sound synthesis, which conceptually separate the patch building process from the actual musical performance, the reacTable* combines the construction and playing of the instrument in a unique way.

tangibles tagged with fiducials (visual feedback) projector camera video video visual synthesizer reacTIVision waveform data connection info connection manager TUIO audio synthesizer (sound) audio Figure 2. The reacTable * architecture Figure 1. The reacTable* This paper describes the reacTable*, a novel multi-user electro-acoustic music instrument with a tabletop tangible user interface, which is being developed at the MTG in Barcelona. We first introduce the reacTable * project and some of the concepts behind its design and we then discuss interaction and performance scenarios. 1.

We describe the Tango, a new passive haptic interface for whole-hand interaction with 3D objects. The Tango is shaped like a ball and can be grasped comfortably in one hand. Its pressure sensitive skin measures the contact pressures exerted by the user's hand, and accelerometers within the device measure its motion and attitude. This information can be used for novel modes of interaction with three dimensional objects. We describe the design of the device, and the software for interpreting the sensor data for user interaction. Accompanying this paper, there will be a demonstration of the device at the Hands-On Demo session of the conference. 1

In this paper we study the potential and the challenges posed by multi-user instruments, as tools that can facilitate interaction and responsiveness not only between performers and their instrument but also between performers as well. Several previous studies and taxonomies are mentioned, after what different paradigms exposed with examples based on traditional mechanical acoustic instruments. In the final part, several existing systems and implementations, now in the digital domain, are described and identified according to the models and paradigms previously introduced.

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In this paper we describe object design considerations for the reacTable* project, a novel tangible musical instrument, developed at the Audiovisual Institute at the Universiat Pompeu Fabra. The work presented in this paper is the result of a collaboration with the Palpable Machines Group at Media Lab Europe, which focussed on haptic design aspects of the reacTable* instrument. We present a simple haptic encoding scheme for the mapping of abstract sound synthesis objects onto tangible proxy objects.

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BeatCatch is a high-level input device for creating and exploring rhythms. The focus of this work is on the expression and aesthetics of the interaction design, the level of control of the output perceived by the user and the width of the user group, stretching from novices to professionals. The BeatCatch prototype is made as an interactive metronome, which gives audile, visual and tactile feedback.

We present the Pin&Play&Perform system: an interface in the form of a tablet on which a number of physical controls can be added, removed and arranged on the fly. These controls can easily be mapped to existing music sofware using the MIDI protocol. The interface provides a mechanism for direct manipulation of application parameters and events through a set of familiar controls, while also encouraging a high degree of customisation through the ability to arrange, rearrange and annotate the spatial layout of the interface components on the surface of the tablet.