synthcar

This project uses Max for Live to enhance the sound of driving. The goal is to select from various themes, e.g, spaceship, race car, freight train, rhinocerous... Or design your own theme. The sounds will automatically respond to driving conditions - speed, acceleration, rage, etc.,

project notes

The first version uses a Max for Live patch to receive and translate accelerometer data (from an Ipod-touch) into MIDI note messages. The algorithm uses the Y axis (forward and reverse motion) data. It features a learn mode to set the useful range and rate of telemetry. I chose not to calculate velocity from the accelerometer because, in practice, the sounds are most convincing when they respond to acceleration and deceleration. And because there's a more interesting way to measure speed (see below).

Here's a tortuously slow video of a prototype which uses the Ipod touch, a wireless router, a Macbook running Max for Live, and a car:

The next step will be to gather wind-speed data by measuring the volume of a microphone attached to the front of the car. A contact microphone will be placed inside the engine compartment to get actual engine sounds for processing.