Top down diagram of The Drum Machine.
The Drum Machine is a six-station hexagonal music controller. 4 stations contain two drum pads with two different sounds and a choice of two different sound sets, giving an overall choice of four sounds per station. The other two stations contain two different keyboard synthesizers with different sounds, one is an arpeggiator and the other is a freestyle keyboard. The machine quantizes everything that is played (puts it in time to 1/16ths) when rec loop is chosen, or it can be played completely freestyle also.
There are then a choice of different knobs and levers on each station that control different effects to each sound, changing the overall sound of the music played back constantly. The user can then clear their recordings or the machine itself clears each station after a certain length of time, meaning that the music is constantly changing and evolving. The human controllers in the booth add to the overall sound by dropping in and out different basslines and kick drum loops as rewards and also the “voice” of the machine, which encourages the users and further enhances the overall effect, whilst also adding a little offbeat humour as well. The booth operators also control the myriad of different visuals that combine effected images of the users, our own unique style of visuals, plus running messages which both encourage and amuse the users and tie in the music, visuals and voice of the machine to cap off the overall user experience.
Anyone can play the machine, from those with absolutely no musical knowledge at all through to keyboard or drumming geniuses and get just as much from it.
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