PN & JN

Electronic Violin Project

Päivikki Nykter and János Négyesy


János Négyesy, violin

Robert Willey, electronics

János Négyesy is the world's principle exponent of the electronic violin, and the major contributor to the enlarged spectrum of computer-generated sound which it makes available. Since leaving his native Hungary in 1965, Négyesy lived in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and New York before joining the UCSD music faculty. He has performed at virtually every music festival of major importance in the world.

Robert Willey received his Ph.D in music from UCSD in 1990. Since that time he has assisted a computer music exchange program between CRCA (UCSD), CCRMA (Stanford), and LIPM (Buenos Aires). During that time he has also assisted the development of music technology in Brazil. His specialty is the design of interactive performance systems which he uses in his compositions and in collaboration with other artists.

gareth icon The Electronic Violin is a continuing project of the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts. Other researchers, composers, and performers have been involved with the project at the Center (previously known as the Center for Music Experiment), including Lee Ray, Gareth Loy, Päivikki Nykter, Andy Voelkel, and Tom Erbe.

Presently the performing system uses an electric violin from Zeta Music Systems of Oakland, California, modified by Michael Monfort (UCSD). MIDI signals from the violin are sent to Max patcher software and synthesizers. The audio signal from the violin is sent to signal processors. At times an acoustic violin with midi pitch converter is played in addition to the Zeta.

A 30-minute concert video entitled "Fluxconcert" is available showing the system.

The Electronic String Instrument Project

The Electronic String Instrument Project (ESIP) includes the Electronic Violin work, as well as projects by composers, researchers, and performers at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (UC San Diego), the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (UC Berkeley) and the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (Stanford University). This project is supported by the Yamaha Corporation of America, Zeta Music Sytems, and E-Mu Systems, Inc.


Recordings

The system has been used to record Gareth Loy's "Blood From a Stone", for Mathews electric violin and interactive computer controlled synthesis system (1982-84), released on CD on The Virtuoso in the Computer Age - II, Consortium to Distribute Computer Music CDCM Computer Music Series, Centaur (CRC 2133), 1992.


Center for Research in Computing and the Arts
University of California, San Diego - 0037
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0037 USA
tel: (619) 534-4383


http://crca-www.ucsd.edu/bobw/violin.html / crca / bobw@carla.ucsd.edu

[WITHDRAW]