TRANSDUCER: Microphones and Loudspeakers as Musical Instruments

Abstract

TRANSDUCER alters the function and extends the potential of microphones and loudspeakers as expressive musical objects. Composed in 2013 by Robin Fox and Eugene Ughetti, this music performance work of 40 minutes’ duration was devised for four onstage performers, live electronics, and spatialisation. It utilises modes of electrical transduction to generate music. This article elucidates the artistic intention of TRANSDUCER, the creative process of making it, and the unique components of the final work itself. Electroacoustic music, instrument building, post-instrumental practice, percussion, and spatialisation are featured elements of this article.

Keywords:

• Transducer
• Microphone
• Percussion
• Electroacoustic
• Instrument Building
• Speak Percussion

Acknowledgements

Co-creator Robin Fox, sound consultant Byron Scullin and the performers of TRANSDUCER with Speak Percussion (Louise Devenish, Matthias Schack-Arnott, Leah Scholes, Jennifer Torrence, and Kaylie Melville). Financial assistance for the development of TRANSDUCER was provided by Creative Victoria and the Australia Council for the Arts.

Supplemental Data

Supplemental Appendices for this article can be accessed here.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on Contributor

Eugene Ughetti is a percussionist, composer, conductor and artistic director of Speak Percussion. From solo experimental works through to large scale collaborations, Eugene is known for tackling complex and ambitious art music projects. He has worked with some of the world’s guiding lights in new music including Pierre Boulez, Steve Reich and John Zorn. Eugene has given international solo performances at MaerzMusik (Berlin), Roulette (New York), Lucerne Festival (Switzerland), SIPFest (Jakarta), National Museum (Singapore) and was concerto soloist with the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.

Notes

1 Other festivals or venues which have featured TRANSDUCER include MONA FOMA (Hobart), La Salle College of the Arts (Singapore), Sonica Festival (Glasgow), SIPFest (Jakarta), Australian Performing Arts Market (Queensland), the Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne) the City Recital Hall (Sydney).

2 Creative developments and composition was funded by Arts Victoria and the Australia Council for the Arts.

3 Creative developments and composition was funded by Arts Victoria and the Australia Council for the Arts.

4 Reich's Pendulum Music is an early work of experimental music which asks for a microphone to be swung over an amplifier, producing feedback with each swing (Reich, 1968). See Figure 2 for an image of the device in TRANSDUCER which references this piece.

5 Copper wire was wrapped tightly and densely around the end of the stick (between the shoulder and tip). The wire was then soldered to a cable which connected to a male jack connector.

6 Chladni patterns are vibratory patterns generated on rigid surfaces when exposed to sound; they are often visualized by placing sand or flour on the surface.

7 AstroTurf is a colloquial term for synthetic grass derived from the name of a popular brand which produces the grass. See: http://www.astroturf.com/.

8 Soundlazer in an American company producing small parametric or directional speakers. See: www.soundlazer.com/.