Stanford Laptop Orchestra (SLOrk): Musical Macs
Unusual Interfaces
Using its custom sound systems, the SLOrk ensemble can generate a wall of sound to rival any traditional orchestra. The way it generates that sound, however, is very different from anything Mozart or Bach envisioned. Each musician in SLOrk creates his or her own instrument and interface using ChucK. Wang conducts the orchestra, giving the musicians visual cues. The ensemble is synchronized with an electronic metronome that broadcasts its signal to each notebook via Wi-Fi.
“Each musician uses their own interface to play their part,” says Wang. “Some use the keyboard, others use the trackpad like a violin bow. We have musicians using USB controllers, joysticks, Wii Remotes, anything. Some of them are generating sound by manipulating ChucK code in real time.”
Wang has also tapped into MacBook sensors to augment sound during a performance. “We use the built-in accelerometer a lot in our compositions,” he says. “You’ll often see me signaling to the musicians, asking them to tilt their notebooks to one side, forward or backward. We can map those changes in position and use them to change sound.”
Every MacBook in the ensemble is linked to its sound system through a MOTU UltraLite stand-alone audio interface. “The UltraLite takes the digital signals from the Mac and translates them to analog signals for the sound systems,” says Wang. “It also has volume controls that we use during our concerts. With this setup we have a number of options at our disposal. We’re able to have truly spontaneous performances.”
A Diverse Ensemble
SLOrk performers are equal parts musician and computer scientist. Some members are obsessed with code, others are hooked on sheet music. All of them joined SLOrk to do something different with electronic music. “The ensemble is really two classes in one,” says Wang. “There’s programming, there’s computer music, there’s composition and arrangement, and on top of it all it’s a performance class. The best part is there are no requirements to join, just an excitement about music.”
With the MacBook and ChucK, Wang bridges the gap between programming and music, giving all his students a chance to create and perform. “We teach the programming tools and the music together,” he says. “If a musician comes into the class with no programming background, they learn it as part of class. Unlike more traditional programming courses, the end goal is to make an instrument, make a piece, and perform it. Programming just becomes a natural tool in the process.”
Composing the Future
Since its debut in early 2008, SLOrk continues to perform on and off campus, giving students and music fans a chance to experience the ensemble’s unique fusion of code and music. Among other projects, the orchestra collaborated on an Internet-based performance with musicians at the Central Conservatory of China in Beijing. The SLOrk ensemble connected to Beijing via the latest internet audio system from SoundWIRE (another research group at CCRMA, led by the Center's director, Chris Chafe) and jammed with conservatory musicians in real time. It was the first performance of its kind in history. Wang plans to hold more Internet concerts with orchestras across the world, and hopes to meet up with the Beijing musicians—in person—in the future.
But live performances alongside traditional orchestras are just the beginning. Wang plans to find new ways for people to make music with computers and code, taking advantage of emerging technologies to further blur the lines between composition and computers.
Once again, Apple products seem perfectly aligned with the orchestra’s aims. For example, Wang says, “There is amazing potential for the iPhone to be a musical instrument, starting with the combination of multi-touch, accelerometer, and portability. I think there are many unique possibilities there for music-making!” In the future, he adds, SLOrk could also incorporate other iPhone and notebook features such as touch screens, pressure sensors, light sensors, and built-in video cameras.
“I’m very excited about the future and how we’re going to explore new ways of making music,” says Wang. “We’re going to experiment with sound in ways that we’ve haven’t even imagined. We’re going to make it creatively, quickly, and expressively—and we’re going to use the Mac.”
