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Having studied the Designing Musical Interactions module in the first half of this academic year and having explored the use of mechanisms for producing rhythmic patterns with my Gramophone Beat Generator, I decided that this was an area I wanted to investigate more. For this reason I chose DMI for my portfolio. I knew from an early stage that an automotive engine was the mechanism I wanted to manipulate to create an Engine Beat Generator

 

The Engine Beat Generator is a handcranked Pugeot 1.4 petrol engine with a series of triggers positioned to come into contact with a number of its moving parts. Each trigger has a contact microphone attached to pick up the sound produced from this engagment and thus rhythmic patterns can be produced as the engine is turned over. Collectively the triggers firing produce a series of systematically related pulses. Hand cranking the engine means the rate at which the entire system operates can be changed. The result is a series of gritty, course rhythms which are perhaps reminiscent of sounds heard by Atkins, May and Saunderson coming from the factories of Detroit.

 

Prior to starting the project I gave myself a list of goals related to the three main areas of DMI

 

Design - To take an engine, frame it and attach a series of triggers, creating a sleekly styled piece. I am a firm believer in design driven by functionality and so want to produce the frame efficiently and remove any parts from the engine that are not needed. 

 

Musical - To take an engine and utlise the sequencing of its component parts to produce a series of rhythms that are systematically related and that can be manipulated individiually with effects and integrated with other musical devices.

 

Interaction - To take an engine and manipulate its normal operation so it can be hand cranked relatively easily. I want to be able to tune the triggers to adjust the sound which they produce prior to and during its operation.

 

With these goals in place it was time to source an appropriate engine.

INTRODUCTION

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