From Sketch to Stage: Tools for Prototyping and Exporting Collaborative DMIs on the Web

Abstract

This thesis presents tools and ideas for prototyping and exporting collaborative digital music instruments (DMIs) on the web, the primary purpose of which is to lower the barrier to making music and to enable easier collaboration. This is done in the context of the Creativitas website, which has become a tool of the MIT 21M.080 "Introduction to Music Technology" class to learn about music technology and audio on the web, and a tool for FaMLE (the Fabulous MIT Laptop Ensemble) to use in live performances. The website allows creators to execute code within an editor code box and partake in a practice known as live coding, ultimately creating both sound and visuals. Audio is primarily created with the Tone.js interactive web audio framework, and visuals are drawn on a provided canvas using p5.js. This thesis extends the Creativitas website by providing functionality for exporting the written code as a standalone website. The exported standalone websites serve as DMIs, with standard controls such as volume, tempo, and start and stop buttons. Furthermore, we discuss and implement strategies for synchronizing timing and instrument values. This includes state-of-the-art strategies, as well as ideas for creating extendable interfaces that can include more strategies as they are developed. We end with two examples of exported DMIs, which can be effectively used in performances.