SCUBA: The Self-Contained Unified Bass Augmenter

Abstract

The Self-Contained Unified Bass Augmenter (SCUBA) is a new augmentative OSC (Open Sound Control) controller for the tuba. SCUBA allows new expressive possibilities by adding onboard continuous and discrete sensors to provide user-controlled parametric data for the processing of the instruments natural sound in Pd. SCUBA endows acoustic instruments with parametric control of virtual instruments and provides a means of integrating the output of a virtual instrument with the natural sound of the tuba. The user sends controller data from the augmented tuba interface to the virtual instrument via FSRs (Force-Sensitive Resistors) and buttons mounted on the existing instrument interface. An AVRMini microcontroller converts raw sensor data to OSC (Open Sound Control) messages, which are mapped in Pd to control virtual instrument parameters. Virtual instrument output is integrated into the solo instrument interface via satellite speakers mounted in the bell; this allows for mixing of the instruments natural sound with that of the virtual instrument to create the impression of a single instrument. This integration is the goal of the SCUBA project: by providing a flexible but unified control interface and acoustic output, traditional acoustic instrument interfaces can be augmented and paired with virtual musical instruments. [We would like to thank Michael Gurevich, Max Matthews, Bill Verplank, Pascal Stang, and classmates from Music 250 (Fall 04) for assistance in the realization of this project.]