Expo '74 2019

With MPE, MIDI finally has a control system for electronic instruments that is a true analog to the controls enjoyed by acoustic musicians. Every finger can have a unique impact on the played sound. The violin and guitar are often used as references for understanding this new system - the wiggles of fingers, and chord glissandos are now possible for the world of sines and filters and bits and bytes.
Understanding MPE as a translation of gestural possibilities from the acoustic to the synthetic worlds makes it easier to understand, but limits experimentation and expectation. There are other ways to understand MPE - "notes with 3 knobs" to the controllerist, "multi-touch gestures" to the interface designer, or even “shiatsu” to the massage therapist. In this workshop, we can explore different multitouch interfaces and metaphors to help broaden the sonic and practical palettes for MPE.