Due to the Covid-19 pandamic, we have to postpone the Workshop on “Design, construction and skill acquisition on DIY live electronic instruments using BELA boards, Csound and Sensors” by Alex Hofmann, PhD (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) and Sebastian Schmutzhard, PhD (Austrian Academy of Science), which was originally planned for Wednesday/Thursday, 8-9th April 2020 – Electronic Production and Design Berklee College of Music.

We will announce the new dates here, when available.

Workshop: Design, construction and skill acquisition on DIY live electronic instruments using BELA boards, Csound and Sensors

Workshop description:

The workshop gives an introduction to the low-latency, low-cost music processing board BELA (http://bela.io/) and guides the participants on how to build their own stand-alone live-electronic instruments with it. Different setups will be presented, which demonstrate how to use BELA as unit for sound generation, as an effect processor or as a physical modelling musical instrument. The focus is on integrated real-time interaction with audio tools like Csound and SuperCollider using different types of sensors (light sensors, pressure sensors, potentiometers, actuators) and the design of active acoustics devices. “Hands-on” each participant will start setting up basic instruments with the BELA board and test different setups to interface the sound production. In the second part of the workshop individual project ideas will be designed, sketched out and prototypical implementations will be realized. On the second day Alex will show how he combines RaspberryPis, Belas, Csound-based footpedals and the Saxophone in his live performances. An in-depth discussion on the skill sets for live electronic performance and questions about how to design setups, how to practice and perform will open the afternoon. This will later culminate in a joint performance/jam evening. Here all participants are invited to actively explore their self-made new instrument designs on stage and also to explore ways to integrate new material into their eventually existing live-electronic setups. So bring your gear to the Jam! Workshop requirements: Please bring a laptop to the workshop to configure the BELA board. Of course after everything is configured, BELA will run stand-alone, if you provide it with 5V power via a micro-USB cable of a mobile phone charger.