MIDI control through gesture - sounds a little far-fetched. But this is no April fool, just an intriguing new idea waiting to be picked up and exploited as a fascinating performance device.

We quite often get letters about MIDI control devices, most complaining about the lack of versatility. Jean-Michel Jarre's Laser Harp tends to figure highly in such correspondence as an example of what could be possible. But as things stand 95% of MIDI controllers are keyboards. Most of the others are MIDI guitars or percussion instruments and there's a smattering of wood and brass MIDI adaptations making up the numbers. This is reasonable enough, given that MIDI was basically designed around keyboards. However, the quest for alternative means of controlling sounds continues.

The result of one designer's quest has lead to the development of MIDI Creator, a novel device which, in simple terms, converts voltage messages into MIDI data. It has 14 inputs into which are connected the voltage sources that trigger the MIDI Creator and produce a range of MIDI messages. The input devices can be virtually anything - a simple on/off switch, a footswitch, a potentiometer, a pressure mat, a pressure strip or a beam such as infra-red, light or ultrasonic (JM Jarre clones form an orderly queue, please). The Creator currently contains eight presets which you cycle through by pressing a button - the current preset number is displayed on a LED.

Each of the inputs can be programmed to transmit a wide range of MIDI data depending on the voltage being generated. So, for example, walking down a pressure mat attached to input 1 could play a scale in C. A mat attached to input 2 could play a scale in D minor. A single switch connected to input 3 could play a walking bass line and a footswitch connected to input 4 could play a chord. See the panel for a full list of presets.

The user cannot currently modify the programs although Creator does have provision for a plug-in expansion card and the manual claims that programmability will be a future option. The box also has MIDI In and Thru sockets, again for future expansion.

MIDI Gesture is an ultrasonic device which is sensitive to movement and generates voltages according to the degree of movement and how far in front of the unit the movement is. It has three ranges - near, medium and far - which you set with a slider on the side of the box. The three ranges work around 1m, 2m and 3m distances.

Gesture is a proportional controller and a very fun method of inputting voltages. When it's used with Program 4, for example, you can almost generate simple tunes - well, at least interesting runs of notes. Children would absolutely love it. In fact, it should be pointed out now that these devices were developed with Special Needs children in mind and are already used to great effect in schools.

The output you generate depends entirely on the program selected in the Creator. Using proportional inputs it's not easy to trigger a particular note so playing 'melodies' is not high on the activity list. To get the most from Creator you need several input devices; as mentioned earlier these can be simple switches but you get far more interaction with proportional controllers.

But, really, it's up to you and your imagination. Even with the one Gesture we had for review, I spent hours running through the different programs. And imagination ran riot. Imagine a room with several Gestures - the music and sound would change according to how many people were in it and to where and how quickly they were moving. Imagine connecting a system like this to a computer that could generate graphics or animation. Several sequencers already have the ability to run slide shows and play animation. How difficult would it be to control this via MIDI? Not very difficult at all, I'd say. A performer - or even a participating bystander - could then control both audio and visual effects. Of course, the system would need some development or extensions to accomplish this, but the potential is there.

I suspect that for serious performance use you would have to create special programs. However, I believe the developers are quite approachable and would be amenable to helping with such a project. As I said, the potential is there.

Of course, you might be thinking, all well and good, but what earthly use is this in terms of conventional music? Well, that's what I thought too - until I looked at a software package called Rock Rap 'N Roll (to be reviewed in next month's issue). This very cleverly generates a backing track, instrument solos and vocal parts (admittedly, from preset arrangements), simply by letting you select options on a computer screen.

If the Creator was programmed to select accompaniments and arrangements in a similar way, perhaps using pre-recorded grooves in a sampler, you'd be able to do a similar thing. Instant music in rock, rap, house, rave - or any other style - but also continuously variable according to the movement going on around it. Here's a wild vision - the dancers on a dance floor being actively responsible for the music they are dancing to. Bio feedback would have nothing on this!

The only niggle I had with the package was that the photocopied manual is not particularly good: it's brief and doesn't fully explain some of the options. The connections - and there are quite a few to make - are relegated to the back page, with no reference to them elsewhere in the manual. Two of the pages were even the wrong way around. At a guess I'd say it was written by the developers who assume everyone knows as much about the products as they do. Operation is not difficult, but better documentation would certainly be in order, especially as the units are not primarily aimed at the hi-tech user.

Dawsons are apparently developing several alternative input devices along with a Pro Creator (although I'm not sure if that's the name it will eventually be given) which will be a 3U 19" rack-mount version of the Creator. It's scheduled to appear this summer.

The Creator and Gesture work extremely well together and if you're one of the many who have bemoaned the lack of alternative MIDI controllers here's your chance to try something different. It could be the start of a whole new art form - interactive music.

THE LAST WORD