YouHero – Making an Expressive Concert Instrument from the GuitarHero Controller

• The idea behind the YouHero was two-fold. First, to make an expressive instrument out of the computer game toy guitar controller from the famous game GuitarHero. With its limited amount of control parameters, this was a challenge. Second, through this instrument we wanted to provide an alternative to the view that you become a hero by perfect imitation of your idols. Instead, play yourself. You are the hero. In this paper, we describe the design of the instrument, including its novel mapping approach based on switched timbre vectors scaled by accellerometer data, unconventional sound engines and the sound and mapping editing features, including manual editing of individual vectors. The instrument is evaluated through its practical applications during the whole project, with workshops with teenagers, a set of state-funded commissions from professional composers, and the development of considerable skill by the key performers.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Människa-datorinteraktion (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Human Computer Interaction (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Musik (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Music (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

gestural interface

guitar hero

mapping

synthesis

music pedagogy

performance

improvisation

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)