Serge de Laubier - Méta-Instrument N°4
Abstract :
Developed by PUCE MUSE in collaboration with Catherine Hospitel, Dominique Brégeard and Jérémie Gaston-Raoul, the Meta-Instrument 4 is entirely made by 3D printer.
The result of 5 years of development, the Meta-Instrument 4 embeds 92 high precision sensors and 13 dedicated processors. In particular, ten on-board Meta-Touches measure finger pressure and playing speed with great sensitivity: 3000 times per second on 80 pressure zones. The MI4 is a new generation of digital instrument, fully modular & customizable to allow a new form of virtuosity. The MI4 is a man/machine interface that measures very precisely the touch of the fingertips and the movements of the wrists and hands. Its configuration is adaptable and scalable from beginner to expert. The Meta-Instrument n°4 combines thirteen interfaces measuring 92 sensors & 184 variables. These 92 sensors can all be manipulated simultaneously and independently. This combination of independence and simultaneity makes the Meta-Instrument n°4 a unique instrument offering a new virtuosity to real-time digital. The MI4 offers numerous settings to adapt to the body and sensitivity of each musician. The precision & adaptability of the MI4 allow the development of a new virtuosity in digital music. The interfaces composing the MI4 constitute so many elementary bricks, complementary and conjugable between them. Light & non-intrusive, they can be easily assembled according to the musical practice desired by the instrumentalist. Its customization favors the emotional investment of each musician for his instrument. Its scalability allows to accompany the progression of a musician from his beginnings to an expert gesture.
Bio :
Composer, researcher and musician, Serge de Laubier founded PUCE MUSE with which he co- invented the Octophonic Spatial Processor (patent n°8600153). He is the designer of the Meta- Instrument and the author of the MIDI Formers software (© INA-GRM) which received the first prize at the 1996 Bourges International Music Software Competition. He has received several awards including the FAUST d'OR 1992, the Grand Prix of the Festival Video Art of Locarno 1994, the 1st prize of composition of the international competition of Bourges 1995, the special prize of the jury at SATIS 2001. PUCE MUSE is currently developing applications inspired by the Meta-Mallette, free and accessible to everyone : the Mono-Mallettes.
His latest creations closely mix music, images and new technologies. They often have an eventful and monumental character. They have been performed in prestigious settings such as: Nuit Blanche 2021, Villeneuve-en-Scène 2019, Chalon dans la rue 2018, La Coupe du Monde Rugby 2011, Nuit blanche 2010, Transitarte 2009 in San José Costa Rica, Bains Numériques 2008 in Enghien-les-Bains, Festival international de rue d'Aurillac 2007, Jeux méditerranéens d'Almeria 2006, for the Year of Physics 2005, etc.
