Our first instrument: PAM

see and hear PAM in action

In creating PAM, we had several goals in mind:

• To create a string instrument capable of producing a wide range of pitches and timbres with as few temporal limitations as possible
  
• To create a modular, customizable platform to suit the needs of various compositional ideas
  
• To decouple the string from the instrument’s body, so that signals from pickups on the instrument can be routed to swappable resonators actuated by contact speakers rather than direct acoustic coupling

This led us to create an instrument characterizable as:

Poly-tangent
Pitch is controlled by tangents (fingers), each driven by a single solenoid.

Automatic
Messages are sent from a computer via USB to an Arduino microcontroller,
used to switch solenoids on and off.

PAM can receive data from many sources:

• Musical/gestural input devices (e.g. MIDI keyboard/joystick, mouse, etc.)
  
• Environmental sensors (e.g. photoresistors)
  
• Composed or algorithmically generated sequences

(multi-)Monochord
PAM is essentially a monophonic instrument, we use multiple strings tuned to the same pitch to create a richer timbre.

Next Steps

Picking mechanism
Dual solenoid controlled picking mechanisms will greatly increase
the expressive range of the instrument.

Pitch bending
We have examined the control bridge of a pedal steel guitar, which can be controlled with two solenoids. Each string can be outfitted with a separately controlled moving bridge, allowing for a wide
range of expressive gestures.

Resonators
To increase timbral diversity, we envision a system where the resonators are physically separate from the instrument (unlike a guitar where the body is coupled to the strings). The acoustic energy of the string is converted into an electrical signal that is sent to a tactile transducer coupled to each resonator. The resonator's physical characteristics alter the timbre of the instrument. Detached
resonators provide the opportunity to employ space as a composable parameter. The resonators can be made in an assortment of shapes using a variety of materials.