[spectre] Theremin Sensors Workshop Nk Berlin with Andrei Smirnov May 18-22

[hatam at drfz.de]

Theremin Sensors Workshop with Andrei Smirnov 
= 5 days with final concert-presentation = 

Monday 18 May - Friday 22 May 2009, 12.00-18.00 daily 
Final presentation Saturday 22 May, 19.00 

Location: eNKa / ElsenStr. 52 (2.Hof) Berlin, Germany 
Telephone: +49 (0)176 20626386 

Course Participation fee: 100 euros

Registration is required for this workshop and can only be done via 
email to: enka_nkATgmxDOTde, myspace.com/enka52

Please register early to ensure a place. Places are limited to 12. 

This intensive workshop offers hands-on introduction to interactive
systems, based on the theremin-sensor 
technology developed by Andrei Smirnov and based on the same principle as a
well known electronic musical 
instrument the Theremin, invented by Russian inventor Leon Theremin in
1919. 

The sensors are small and sensitive digital Theremins useful for numerous
applications including motion tracking, 
gestural interfacing, monitoring of small variations of electrical
capacitances related to any sorts of conductive 
materials and media, including metal objects, foil, liquids, water, human
body, plants, metal threads, thin plastic 
films with metallization, all sorts of Christmas stuff etc. 

As a starting point of the workshop participants will convert their laptops
into digital multichannel Theremins to 
develop further, during the workshop different interactive audio/video
installations, motion capturing systems, 
unusual gestural interfaces, 3D Theremins, digital Terpsitones and other
unusual musical instruments. 

The workshop is oriented on sound and media artists, composers and
musicians, who have particular interest in 
sound art and interactive systems, forgotten history and musical technology
in general. 

The theoretical introductions, which accompany a workshop, give detailed
technical overview of sensor technology 
and construction, basic principles of operation of the theremin based
systems, art and music applications, useful 
concepts and ideas, condensed historical content, mostly related to almost
forgotten historical facts. 

Participants will learn 
= How to detect different sorts of motion and measure it 
= How to monitor very small variations of electrical parameters 
= How to deal with the data acquired 
= How to integrate these systems into musical performance, dance, video,
sound and art installations 
= How to build multichannel sensor systems based on Arduino
microcontrollers 
= How to program new instruments and perform with them 

Requirements 
Each participant should have a computer with an audio input and headphones. 
All computers and software should be configured and checked in advance (!). 

Minimal configuration 
1. Laptop with PD or MAX/MSP installed 
2. Stereo audio input 
3. Personal headphones 
4. All appropriate cables 
5. Appropriate amount of power plugs 

Useful options 
Experienced participants interested in development of multichannel
theremin-sensor systems should bring 
multichannel sound cards or Arduino microcontrollers which will be
converted into multichannel USB theremins. 
For those who hate computers and interested in pure analog circuits some
breadboards will be very useful. 

Software 
Participants should have some skills in PD or MAX/MSP programming. 
It is also possible to work with any favorite software, oriented on
interactive systems development, which allow 
external control via OSC or MIDI (Supercollider, Isadora etc.). In all
cases control data will be provided via MAX/MSP 
runtime or PD patches from instructor's library. It is important to
remember that in many cases the use of extra 
software will result in significant increase of latency and other possible
timing problems. 

Analog and digital USB sensors for testing, experimenting and performance
as well as all appropriate software 
libraries will be provided by instructor as well as different stuff for
antenna construction. 






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