Active Acoustic Instruments for Electronic Chamber Music

This paper presents an ongoing project for augmenting acoustic instruments with active acoustics. Active acoustics are defined as audio-rate vibration driven into the instruments physical structure, inducing air-borne sound output. The instrument’s acoustic sound is thus doubled by an electronic soundscape radiating from the same source. The article is centered on a case study on two guitars, one with hexaphonic sound capture and the other with monophonic pickup. The article discusses the design, implementation, acoustics, sound capture and processing of an active acoustic instrument, as well as gestural control using the Leap Motion sensor. Extensions towards other instruments are presented, in connection with related artistic projects and “electronic chamber music” aesthetics.