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| The Magical, Mystery Box | ||
|---|---|---|
| Author(s): | Michael Horan |  |
| Instructor: | Igoe, Tom | |
| Class: | Sensor Workshop | |
| URL: | http://stage.itp.nyu.edu/~mjh348/classes/sensorworkshop/applications.html | |
| Documents: | MagicalMystery(GIF) | |
| Keywords: | MIDI, audio, video | |
| New interface for audio and video control. | ||
| A SpectraSymbol SoftPot placed in a customized ergonomic box capable of controlling video playback and audio scratching using Max/MSP/Jitter. This is an exploration of the fun things the SoftPot can control. | ||
| Background: | My primary focus in creating the Magical, Mystery Box was to control video playback. The need to fast-forward and rewind to access points in a movie seems unnecessary in today's instant-reward culture. While chapters on DVDs simplify finding scenes, accessing specific moments becomes a laborious task. The SoftPot seems to offer a solution. Using Jitter, I am able to dynamically access moments in a movie's timeline. A user can touch the leftmost part of the Magical, Mystery Box and access the beginning of a movie. They can access the middle of the movie by touching the middle of the Box. They can scrub through footage simply by rubbing their finger along the ergonomic access slot. The Magical, Mystery Box simplifies video playback by offering an intuitive interface for a powerful tool. A secondary (and possibly more interesting) focus of the Magical, Mystery Box is dynamic audio scratching. Designed as an intuitive interface, the Magical, Mystery Box encourages a user to rub their finger over the ergonomic touch area. Setting in-points of an audio track has never been easier! A user can quickly access key points in a track - beats, hooks, et cetera - and easily re-trigger, or loop, those points. | |
| Audience: | Anybody interested in simplifying video playback or audio scratching will find the Magical, Mystery Box helpful. | |
| User Scenario: | There is a state control, allowing the user to choose between video or audio control. The interface is intuitive, with an access slot beckoning a user to touch it. | |
| Technical System Description: | Using simple materials - wood, bolts, sponge foam - the Magical, Mystery Box comfortably houses a SoftPot, the control of the mystery. | |
| Conclusions: | A little too large to be a consumer product, the Magical, Mystery Box is a tool best used for a live video/audio performance. | |