Product Description

The DIEM Digital Dance System is a hardware interface designed especially for interactive dance. The system measures the angles of various limbs on a dancer’s body and converts this data to standard MIDI controller values. The system was developed by Wayne Siegel and Jens Jacobsen at DIEM, Denmarks national computer music center, as part of a research project. After three years of testing and modification, including extensive use in dance performances, the DIEM Digital Dance System version 2.1 is now a fully operational dance interface. Upon request from numerous artists and institutions, the DIEM Digital Dance Interface is being made commercially available on a limited basis.

How does it work?

The system consists of a number of bending sensors, which are mounted on the dancers limbs. Up to 14 bending sensors can be connected to the Dancer Unit, a small transmitter worn by the dancer on a belt. The sensors measure limb angles ranging from 0° to 120° and can be worn on any part of the body that bends. Special custom sewn elastic sleeves have been constructed for mounting these sensors on elbows, knees and ankles. A tricot or costume can be worn over the sleeves to hide them. Users may want to design their own methods for mounting the sensors on other parts of the body such as fingers, neck, hips, etc. The receiver unit worn by the dancer contains a standard 9 volt battery allowing uninterrupted performance for at least 6 hours. The broadcast frequencies employed have been approved by communications authorities for use in Europe and the United States. Two separate systems can be used in the same room at the same time, making possible interactive performances with two dancers.

The Receiver Unit functions as a standard MIDI controller device and can be connected with a MIDI cable to any MIDI interface or device. Sensor data is received by this unit and sent as MIDI continuous controller values 0 - 127 for controller numbers 71 - 84. When the sensors are in a straight position, the Receiver Unit will send a controller value of 0 for that sensor. As the sensor is gradually bent, the controller value will gradually increase to a maximum of 127. Though designed as a dance interface, the system can be used for countless other performance purposes. An instrumentalist’s elbows and wrists might be used to control an effects processor or sampler. Or an actor on stage might control stage lighting with his fingers or knees. The possibilities are endless.

How can motion be translated into music?

The DIEM Digital Dance System functions as a MIDI controller in much the same way as the modulation wheel on a synthesizer. How the controller data generated by the performer will be used in a performance is entirely up to the artists involved. No software is provided with the unit, since any software package can be used to enable the interface to control sound, music or lighting. Specialized programming environments such as MAX from Opcode ® are especially useful for mapping controller data to synthesis parameters or musical processes, but many sequencer programs can also be used.

In Wayne Siegel's composition 'Movement Study' a solo dancer’s fingers, elbows, knees and ankles control the volume and timbre of eight independent musical voices as well as activity levels of computer-generated melodies and rhythms. In his 'Sisters' for two dancers and computer, two dancers control sounds being generated in real time by the computer using MSP digital signal processing software.