MADE IN CYLAND

Sound artists Alexey Grachev and Sergey Komarov continue their research series ‘Subjectivization Of Sound’ with the new experiment 1/3.44743*10^251.

The creative duo specializes in various research of sound both as a physical entity and as a sensitive medium in the artists’ toolbox. The ‘Subjectivization Of Sound’ project studies different problems of interfaces and communication of analog and digital syntheses, computing equipment and the world around.

The 1/3.44743*10^251 experiment is chaotic programming of the hybrid digital/analog synthesizer Waldorf Microwave I (1989). The manufacturer offers the user to set up over 150 parameters just with one encoder on the front panel of the device. The unique sound and complicated control system inspired the artists to experiment with the interface. Although MIDI has been widely used since 1982 the external control is done not with the familiar and convenient CC controllers but with exclusive SysEx messages adapted for the Buchla touch-control keyboard with the Teensy microcontroller.

According to the multiplication theorem on probability, the probability of success or failure of the experiment can be presented as 1 to 3.44743*10^251 – that’s the total number of MWI parameters combinations that can be set up.

The performance includes some selected pre-written pieces and an experiment on generating new presets in real time.