press any key to pause or play. (what's this?)
What is this?
This virtual theremin allows users to interact with an ASCII videoscape, generating sounds through the position of their index fingers. Users can intentionally or accidentally play samples and trigger visual changes by touching specific coordinates on the frame or moving in a certain speed, resulting in a dynamic auditory experience.
The samples used by the theremin are sourced from the web, mostly from royalty free stock libraries. Some relate to the the ideas of past, present, and future, while some represent certain instruments (piano, chimes, drums). Others are simply random.
What are the samples?
Sliding one’s finger through the left border triggers samples derived from searches using keywords “retro” and “vintage” (e.g., cassette tape insert, arcade game sound effects, old windows computer sounds, etc.). Sliding through the right border produces sounds associated with the “future” (e.g. futuristic corporate logo effects, plasma gun sounds, rocket launch).
Moving the finger in the middle of the frame evokes familiar sounds of modern technologies, such as iPhone sounds, mouse clicks, and keyboard type noises, depending on the movement speed. Other surprise sounds (chimes, piano keys, drums, “moos”, “meows”, and more) are hidden for your pleasure.
This project was created as a final project for School For Poetic Computation's Musical Web Fall 2023 class.
To fully experience the project, camera and Wi-Fi access is required, and a desktop browser is recommended.