Sensing String Displacement as a Control Modality: Sensor Design and Implementation

Abstract

While stringed instruments are a major part of musical practice across cultures, DMIs in which strings are the primary control interface remain rare. In an effort to support the creation of new stringed DMIs we describe an approach to instrument design in which the static 2-dimensional displacement of strings is a primary control modality. We review a variety of sensing techniques for this application, including optoelectronic, electro-magnetic field, resistive, and force. After establishing a set of design criteria we describe our design process as well as implementation and analysis of a transmission mode optoelectronic sensor.