Let Loose with WallBalls, a Collaborative Tabletop Instrument for Tomorrow

Tabletops—and by extension, tabletop computers— naturally facilitate group work. In particular, they provide a fascinating platform for exploring the possibilities of collaborative audio improvisation. Existing tabletop instruments (and digital instruments in general) tend to impose either a steep learning curve on novice players or a frustrating ceiling of expressivity upon experts. We introduce WallBalls, an intuitive tabletop instrument designed to support both novice and expert performance. At first glance, WallBalls resembles a toy, game or whimsical sketchpad, but it quickly reveals itself as a deeply expressive and highly adaptable sample-based instrument capable of facilitating a startling variety of collaborative sound art.