Don Buchla's

Don Buchla

Don Buchla is a pioneer in the field of sound synthesizers, releasing his first units months after Robert Moog's first synthesizers...

 Lightning I (1991) & Lightning II (1995) are in the family of MIDI controller

MIDI controller

MIDI controller is used in two senses.*In one sense, a controller is hardware or software which generates and transmits MIDI data to MIDI-enabled devices....

s consisting of specialized devices which are used to manipulate data spatially.

Description

Two infrared

Infrared

Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...

 emitting wand

Wand

A wand is a thin, straight, hand-held stick of wood, stone, ivory, or metal. Generally, in modern language, wands are ceremonial and/or have associations with magic but there have been other uses, all stemming from the original meaning as a synonym of rod and virge, both of which had a similar...

s 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.

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
  Canadian Electroacoustic Community
  Founded in 1986, La Communauté électroacoustique canadienne / The Canadian Electroacoustic Community is Canada’s national electroacoustic / computer music / sonic arts organization and as such is dedicated to promoting this progressive art form in its broadest definition: from “pure” acousmatic...
  
  .

Of Related Interest

• Thunder
  Buchla Thunder
  Buchla Thunder is one of many in the family of MIDI controllers consisting of tactile control surfaces which are manipulated by hand.A touchplate array is divided into fifty separate regions, or keys. Keys are sensitive to the contact, pressure, and location of manipulating digits. Parameters are...
  
  , a tactile MIDI controller
• Marimba Lumina
  Marimba Lumina
  Don Buchla's Marimba Lumina is one of many in the family of MIDI controllers consisting of specialized control surfaces which are manipulated by specialized controllers. More than one version exists, with similar characteristics....
  
  , a specialized MIDI control device
• The Theremin
  Theremin
  The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
  
  , original analog electronic musical instrument to incorporate spatial manipulation as a function of control.