For decades, the classical midi keyboard is the most common form of musical interaction with electronic instruments. What other forms of controller can lead to new forms of composing?

For this course, led by Stefan Herrmann, I used the task of creating a musical interface to expanding my knowledge of physical interfaces over a variety of disciplines.

It started with a discovery when hacking an old keyboard for an assignment at the beginning of the course. Modifying a Newtons's cradle into a musical controller, I noticed, that I won't even need the glove I build to shortcut the circuit. My body would transfer the energy alone. The satisfying haptics of the metal spheres convinced me to also use the concept as my main project.

The result is called Steeleon, an Arduino-based Midicontroller, that allows the musician to play harmonic groups of notes by touching the metal spheres in the top right. The harmonic groups are based on the circle of fifths and can be selected by the controller in the middle.

The body was built from three layers of lasercutted acrylic glass, the components are fixed in 3d-printed holders and the finish on the surface is a layer of corkfoil to provide a enjoyable haptic experience.