knots

Thank you very much for your reply, it is very helpful to know that it is possible to have that signal interpreted as midi data and assigned to commands. The length of the signal chain probably won't cause much of a problem assigned. But, I think I am lacking some really fundamental knowledge about what software is necessary to learn and manipulate in order to interpret and reassign those MIDI commands once they are being properly received by your sensor interface, or something like it, because it would be undefined data. Is building the ACsensorizer is biting off more than I can chew, being a novice? If taken slowly and step by step with assistance from these forums, I feel as if I could construct it.. does that seem reasonable? Finally, I'm curious as to what a MIDI sensor that gauges resistance looks like; I'm have trouble finding any examples. Thanks again!

Hi, I have started research in the last few days, trying to prepare to begin creating hardware and software that can intuitively receive information about physical interactions within audience members and use this information as variables to affect live music. Given my lack of experience using MIDI, feedback before I begin, and with what my focus should be on learning would be amazing, as I am a total novice, but extremely excited to learn. The idea is based upon a piece of performance art created by Lucky Dragons, wherein a carrier signal is given to an audience member, who touches the people around him or her, holding a hand, touching an arm, passing the signal on, and using that person as a resistor. The changes in this signal are then converted to digital information interpreted by a computer, and processed through some kind of software to be stacked upon each other based upon the changes made by the number of people carrying the signal, and the nature of their contact. hanging in pitch and volume based upon the subtleties of that signal. I am not sure of his methods in doing this, but it is mostly the idea I am interested in adapting. There is documentation on his project, it's really very good, I highly recommend it: http://www.notthisorthat.com/lucky_dragons.html To take this information given by a carrier signal, and have it act as a form of effect upon a live instrument is, again, what I am interested in creating. If the subtle variables in physical interaction can be preserved in their digital interpretation, and translated by a computer to be say, a change the computer's sampling rate of the instrument, or a command to apply a live edit on the instrument (chop it and screw it!), what sort of data would be necessary to deal with? Would a specific sensor be necessary to convert signal resistance into midi data, or could the raw data sent out by an analog to digital converter be interpreted by a Max/MSP patch or something, and translated to MIDI commands defined by that patch? Simply put, is a special midi controller necessary for the physical data to be usable for this application, or is the development of it's interpretation through software where I should concentrate? Thanks a lot for any feedback, and if you could correct any of my errors in describing this, that would be great too. Neal