In 2023, I worked closely with classical composer and pianist Charlie Williams of Larkhall Music to create six interactive light towers. These light towers listen to the piano and respond by creating visual elements within the space, to accent and accompany Larkhall’s stirring, beautiful performances.
My aim was to design an aesthetic and material quality to the light towers that would be at home on a concert hall stage with a Steinway Piano.
My role in the project was all aspects of designing and making the towers. This included all the prototyping, the woodwork and metalwork, coding the Teensy, and the wiring and electronics for the 4800 individually addressable LEDs.
Here is an outline of the technology that makes the system work:
Piano -> Max listening to the Piano -> TouchDesigner -> 48 DMX Universes / Artnet -> Ethernet -> Controller box with Teensy 4.1 > Arduino code -> Pixel Pusher v3 Shield -> RJ45 cables -> The 6 light towers with Custom PCB -> 4800 Individually addressable RGB LED’s.
I created everything from the output of TouchDesigner onwards.
This project was supported with funding from UKRI’s Myworld project.