Digital Music Controller

Just when you think that nothing new can come to music, David Stalnaker, of the Computer Science House at RIT, showcases his Digital Music Controller.

Stalnaker had planned to buy a digital music controller, but as they were a little out of his price range, he decided to build one instead. On his digital music controller, referred to as Monome, are repeating loops of drums, bass, and two tracks of piano, which he recorded himself on his computer.

“It was cheaper that buying a controller. I spent a long time on it though, but I learned a lot.”

The controller is made up of 64 buttons in an 8x8 square. The first row of buttons control the others and allow Stalnaker to record what he is doing. The second and third rows are the piano tracks, the forth row is the bass, and the fifth is the drums. The other three rows of buttons are left open to be programmed to customization.

“I can program it to do anything I want,” says Stalnaker about his Monome. Not only can he use it to control music, but it can also be programmed to play interactive games.

Currently, his Monome is set up in 4/4 time but he says it is possible change the times and even experiment with isorhythms, which are commonly used in traditional Indian music. Stalnaker’s exhibit is open all day at the WOW! Center in the Gordon Field House.