Knurl

Knurl is an electroacoustic instrument merging concepts of momentum-craftsmanship with live music performances. It explores the boundaries of polyphonic music systems, while bringing innovative elements of interactivity, automation, sustainability and creative programming into music practice. Comprising 16 cello strings with a distinct tuning, the instrument employs sensors for its actions, dynamically remapped by the live performer. Consequently, a touch on any string can evoke specific sounds, pauses, arrangements, or parameter adjustments, forging an immersive musical interaction. This empowers performers to conjure diverse sounds with a mere touch, amplifying the artist-instrument connection. 









Knurl can be considered: 



Sensor-based string instrument:

The strings become a trigger to play, stop, plan or set controllers for sound


Multiple voice control interface:

The ability to control multiple voices determining different goals, agent and controllers for each sound


Semi-Autonomous instrument:

The ability to cooperate with its context and readapt into its boundaries 





SystemThe instrument strings are sensor based: when the performer touches the string, it also triggers an event ( such as play, stop, pause or set parameters for a specific sound). These events can be constantly mapped and configured by the faders placed on the frame part of the instrument. The interface manages this system and with it, the performer can control and maintain  up to 6 sound channels by changing  sliders and pressing the strings. 







StringsThe instrument's sound design concept expands and explores the tartini psychoacoustic effect upon the 31 TET tuning system (the tuning system of its 16 strings). The effect becomes stronger and unique through the combinations of the multiple strings triggered by a circular bow design specially for the different set of strings of the instrument (2023/2024)





The public

In addition, Knurl is a platform to experiment interactive systems between its public and other musicians, since it has the ability to receive and interpret information from its network connection via OSC (Open sound control). Few examples in some projects have shown this example in practice, such as the performances "This isn't solo". 

To read the complete story of this project and research, feel welcome to read my master research available at Research catalogue


Knurl is also a platform, access here