This paper first introduces two previous software-based music instruments designed by the author, and analyses the crucial importance of the visual feedback introduced by their interfaces. A quick taxonomy and analysis of the visual components in current trends of interactive music software is then proposed, before introducing the reacTable*, a new project that is currently under development. The reacTable* is a collaborative music instrument, aimed both at novices and advanced musicians, which employs computer vision and tangible interfaces technologies, and pushes further the visual feedback interface ideas and techniques aforementioned.

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.

The ubiquitous nature of communication in computer networks, firmly manifested in the Internet era, provided a context for the introduction of different collaborative tools widely accepted by the on-line community, such as textual chats, white boards, shared editors, video conference systems, shared spaces for the exchange of multimedia documents or even simple e-mail based collaborative systems.

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.

ApartGame is a tabletop platform that supports multiple games for social environments and intensive public use. This paper summarizes the design of ApartGame and the results from preliminary user evaluation. The integration of physical control and digital objects was a crucial design decision and it made the games on the platform tangible.

The design of multi-touch multi-user tabletop user interfaces is still in its infancy and is not yet well understood. To date, published experimental results have primarily focused on controlled user studies. In this paper, we present observations of user experience “in the wild ” on interactive tables in four different real-world contexts – all non-controlled settings. We reflect upon our collective experience, report our observations, and summarize lessons learned by identifying design considerations relating to several aspects of interactive tables, such as simultaneous touching, ambiguous input, one-fingered touch, finger resolution, alternate touch input, crowding and clutter, text input, orientation, multi-user coordination, occlusion, ergonomic issues, and mental models. 1.

New digital musical instruments designed for professional and trained musicians can be quite complex and challenging, offering as a counterpart a great amount of creative freedom and control possibilities to their players. On the other hand, instruments designed for amateur musicians or for audiences in interactive sound installations, tend to be quite simple, often trying to bring the illusion of control and interaction to their users, while still producing 'satisfactory' outputs. Logically, these two classes of instruments are often mutually exclusive. But wouldn't it be possible to design instruments that can appeal to both sectors? In this paper we will show , with two projects developed in our research group, how visual feedback can highly increase the intuitiveness of an interactive music system, making complex principles understandable.

We present a prototype of a new musical interface for Japanese drumming techniques and styles. Our design used in the Aobachi drumming sticks provides 5 gesture parameters (3 axes of acceleration, and 2 axes of angular velocity) for each of the two sticks and transmits this data wirelessly using Bluetooth technology. This system utilizes minimal hardware embedded in the two drumming sticks, allowing for gesture tracking of drum strokes by an interface of traditional form, appearance, and feel. Aobachi is portable, versatile, and robust, and may be used for a variety of musical applications, as well as analytical studies.

this paper we describe a system to show some limited effects on a static toy-car model and present techniques that can be used in similar setups. Our focus is on creating apparent motion for animation