Machine Learning for Interactive Sound Art Workshop

Machine Learning is a branch of Artificial Intelligence that allows the user to teach computers to classify specific sets of patterns within a large amount of data. With the use of sensors, such as web cameras, microphones, motion, temperature and pressure sensors, to name a few, it enables the creation of interactive artworks in the field of the electronic arts.

Its applications range from controlling video games with the voice, sound installations where specific gestures detected with a camera modulate and modify sounds in real-time, creation of physical gestural control of digital and analogue synthesizers, control of Ableton Live through physical gestures and many more.

In this workshop, you will learn how to use Wekinator: a free, open-source software originally created in 2009 by Rebecca Fiebrink, that allows anyone to use machine learning without the need to be fluent in computer coding. You will learn how to create a meta-instrument: an interactive digital synthesizer that can be controlled via physical gestures through webcam and microphone. You will learn the fundamentals on how use sensor inputs to create expressive digital instruments, that can be used in the context of interactive sound art and live electronic music.

Requirements:

• No previous experience is needed, although a strong interest in electronic music and sound art is highly encouraged.

• Each participant must bring their own laptop running OS X, Linux or Windows with preinstalled Processing and Pure Data software (freely available at processing.org and puredata.info, respectively) and an audio interface.

Note: Please let us know if you can’t make it max. 24 hours before the workshop, otherwise, we can’t reimburse you.

About the instructor:

Moisés Horta is an artist working in the fields of computer sound, sonic immersion and interaction. ℌEXOℜℭℑSMOS, his latest musical endeavor, is an uncanny link between ancient and contemporary sound technologies. With the use of prehispanic sound artifacts from ancient México, contemporary brain-computer interface technology and hand crafted electronic instruments, ℌEXOℜℭℑSMOS situates the listener in a ritualistic and rhythmical noise soundscape that questions the politics of colonization and occupation – whether it be on the contemporary dance floor or through interactive sound installations.