Dynamic Intermediate Models for Audiographic Synthesis

Mapping is one of the most important aspects of software instruments design. We call “mapping” the relation defined between the parameters from hardware interaction devices, and those of the process to be controlled. For software instruments, this relation between the user’s gestures and synthesis engine parameters has a decisive role in resulting ergonomics, playability and expressive possibilities of the system. The authors propose an approach based on a modular software design inspired by a multidisciplinary study of musical instruments and their playing. In this paper, the concept of "Dynamic Intermediate Models" (DIM) is introduced as the centre of the proposed architecture. In such a scheme, DIM modules are inserted between the gestural interfaces and the audio-graphic synthesis and rendering engines. The concept of DIM is presented and explored as an extension of usual mapping functions, leading to an improvement of the interaction between the musician and his/her instrument. Then, design and programming guidelines are presented, together with some concrete examples of DIMs that have been created and tested. Finally, the authors propose some directions to evaluate such DIMs in the architecture.