Buchla Lightning

Don Buchla's Lightning I (1991) & Lightning II (1995) are in the family of MIDI controllers consisting of specialized devices which are used to manipulate data spatially.

Contents 1 Description 2 Featured Examples 2.1 Don Buchla 2.2 George E. Lewis 2.3 Andrew Schloss 2.4 Lê Quan Ninh 3 External links 3.1 Projects using Buchla Lightning 4 Of Related Interest 5 References

Description

Two infrared emitting wands are used to transmit location, acceleration, velocity, and direction to photo-sensors. The brain of the device translates these actions into corresponding, pre-programmed system data.

Featured Examples

Don Buchla

• En Plein Vol (1991)
• Trajectories (1992)

George E. Lewis

• "Virtual Discourse" (1993)
• " Crazy Quilt" (2002)

Andrew Schloss

• "Virtual Iyesa" (1997)

Lê Quan Ninh

• "Oscille" (1997)

External links

• Buchla website

Projects using Buchla Lightning

• Scott, Richard. “Getting WiGi with It: Performing and Programming with an Infrared Gestural Instrument: A Case Study.” eContact! 12.3 — Instrument—Interface (June 2010). Montréal: CEC.

Of Related Interest

• Thunder, a tactile MIDI controller
• Marimba Lumina, a specialized MIDI control device
• The Theremin, original analog electronic musical instrument to incorporate spatial manipulation as a function of control.

References

• Chadabe, Joel (1997). Electric Sound: The Past and Promise of Electronic Music. 
• Hopkin, Bart (1996). Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones: Experimental Musical Instruments.