Music Hackspace

Befaco - modular synth workshop
2015-10-17 11:00 - 2015-10-18 19:00 (Europe/London) | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
The Befaco team is back for a DIY modular synth workshop on 17th and 18th October 2015 at the Music Hackspace (ContainerVille).
Information about modules and prices: http://mhproduction.wpengine.com/befaco-diy-modular-synth-workshop-17th-and-18th-october-2015/
Please register via workshops@stagingmhs.local

Ross Flight - sound design interaction talk
2015-10-15 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Ross Flight is and sound and interactive system designer working in designing for theatre for the last ten years.
Ross will present a short musical performance followed by an explanation of the processes involved in the data translation and the importance of mapping when it comes to interactive sound design.
Ross’ work has increasingly begun looking at interactive technologies and new forms of real world sound control. He is currently working on an interactive sound piece supported by the National Theatre Studios generating sound from the blooming of an evening primrose flower in real time, but will be using this platform at Music Hackspace to demonstrate his research into using depth sensing camera technology to create complex sound design interaction through human body gestures.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Becky Stewart – Artist Talk at Music Hackspace
2015-10-08 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Becky Stewart will share her work combining music with textiles and will bring along samples to demonstrate. She will show Solo Disco Scarf and Sound Direction, both developed as tools to teach simple analogue audio signal processing through sewing and crocheting circuits. She will also show her current work using textile interfaces as capacitive touch control surfaces for music and dance performance.
‘Solo Disco Scarf’
Becky Stewart is a co-founder and the Head of Learning at Codasign. She is an engineer, developer, and educator working with physical computing and specialising in e-textiles. She recently released the book, Adventures in Arduino(Wiley), teaching programming and electronics to ages 11-15.
Becky completed her PhD in acoustics, spatial audio and interfaces for music search with the Centre for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London in 2010, an MSc in music technology at the University of York in 2006 and a BMus in music engineering technology and computer science at the University of Miami in 2005. She works on creative technology projects for clients through Anti-Alias Labs and has had her work performed at the Tate Modern and covered by the BBC and New York Times.
More info and projects can be found at theleadingzero.com

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

DIY Electronics Course with Ewa Justka
2015-10-07 - 2015-11-14 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
During the six weeks you will build The Ultimate Headbutting Machine – 10 step sequencer with drums and cymbals. You will learn principles of electronics starting from simple circuits to more complex ones. Each class (4h per week) will be focused on building different modules of the UHM, exploring CMOS technology in depth. Participants will be encouraged to experiment with circuits, hack toys and use organic materials implemented in the machine in order to modulate the sounds.
The classes will not only be focused on building final musical device but also on learning principles of electronics. After the course hopefully you will be able to read schematics and build devices yourself.
After each class you will be given hand outs with resources.
All the materials are included in the price and you take the final machine with you.

At the beginning of each module the participants will work on breadboards to freely experiment with the circuits and play around with different components in order to familiarize themselves with CMOS technology and feel more comfortable with circuit design experimentation.
Next, after the participants are introduced to the principles of the electronic circuit’s mechanism and they are happy with the design they will solder each module on copper strip boards / or PCBs.
The whole 6 weeks course will be focused on those modules, where participants will start from building simple oscillators to more complex circuits.
For more information contact curators@stagingmhs.local. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Buy DIY Electronics course with Ewa Justka
Module 1
Date: Wednesday 7th of October (18:00-21:00)
Location: Music Hackspace, Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, London E2 9DS
Subject: Noisy Oscillators.
TOPICS:
Introduction to electricity: current, voltage, resistance, capacitance, Ohm’s Low.
Basic functions of a circuit.
Introduction to components .
How does the sound look like? introduction to measuring tools.
How does the breadboard work?
Introduction to oscillators.
Combinational logic.
During this module we will work on breadboards, experimenting with different frequencies of oscillators and different resistive materials. We will learn how to build oscillators that modulate each other and use them to control pitch, timbre and speed.
Module 2
Date: Wednesday 14th of October (18:00-21:00)
Location: Music Hackspace, Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, London E2 9DS
Subject: Melting solder and making noise.
TOPICS:
Introduction to soldering.
Looking at different soldering techniques and different kinds of copper boards.
Troubleshooting principles.
Module 3
Date: Wednesday 21st of October (18:00-21:00)
Location: Music Hackspace, Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, London E2 9DS
Subject: Sequencing in silicon.
TOPICS:
Introduction to sequential logic.
Building LED driver.
Controlling the sequence with fruit ‘n’ veg.
Audio sequencer vs. Gate/CV sequencer
Driving circuit bendet toys in sequence.
Building a 10 step sequencer.
During this module we will build different kinds of simple experimental sequencers, playing around with various triggers. We will explore decade counters.
Module 4
Date: Wednesday 28th of October (18:00-21:00)
Location: Music Hackspace, Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, London E2 9DS
Subject: 808 Cowbell demystified.
TOPICS:
What is a harmony mixer?
What is a frequency modulation?
Introduction to XOR gates.
Metallic sounds vs percussive sounds.
Introduction to control voltage.
Transistors and buffers.
We will build the cymbal/cowbell module. We will experiment with different values of components in order to produce various sounds: from metallic ones, to high hats, cowbell and cymbals.
Module 5
Date: Wednesday 4th of November (18:00-21:00) and Saturday 14th of November (12:00-16:00)
Location: Music Hackspace, Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, London E2 9DS
Subject: Filters and Drums.
TOPICS:
Active and passive filters.
Introduction to op amps (Operational Amplifiers).
Why does drum sound like a drum?
Simple distortion effect.
During this module we will learn about importance of an amplification. We will build simple drum module, that will be implemented in the final machine.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Atau Tanaka - Artist Talk at Music Hackspace
2015-10-01 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Atau Tanaka (eavi.goldsmithsdigital.com) will present twenty years of work in corporeal interaction with computer music systems, with a focus on electro-myogram based muscle interfaces. He will talk us through his artistic practise and academic research as well as his work in the music technology industry.
In addition, the event will feature a demo, and samples of his recent projects on biophysical musical interfaces in collaboration with Myo, Bitalino and Rebel Technology, with working prototypes available for attendees to try out!
The event will also feature composer and sound artist Miguel Ortiz from Goldsmiths University. Miguel will show various EMG data acquisition devices and provide a hands on introduction to the basics of using EMG in Music/Sound contexts using MaxMSP.
Atau Tanaka creates musical instruments using sensing technology to capture movements and gestures of the performer’s body. Atau studied at CCRMA Stanford, and conducted research in Paris at IRCAM, Centre Pompidou. His first inspirations came upon meeting John Cage during his Norton Lectures at Harvard and would go to on re-create Cage’s Variations VII with Matt Wand and :zoviet*france:. In the 90’s he formed Sensorband with Zbigniew Karkowski and Edwin van der Heide and then moved to Japan, playing with Merzbow, Otomo, and KK Null. His work has been presented at the ICA, NTT/ICC Tokyo, Ars Electronica, Transmediale, Eyebeam, Wood Street Gallery, and SFMOMA. He has been Artistic Co-Director of STEIM in Amsterdam and is Professor of Media Computing in the Embodied Audio Visual Interaction (EAVI) research unit of Goldsmiths.
@atautanaka

Caption from Global String (2001), a multi-site network music installation, connected via the internet, by Atau Tanaka in collaboration with Kasper Toeplitz.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Introduction to Audio Synthesis & Processing for iPhone/iPad
2015-09-30 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Simple playback of audio files within the iPhone environment has always been relatively straightforward. But what if you want to do something more sophisticated with audio in iOS? In the past, the Apple frameworks for doing this have been relatively inaccessible.

This workshop will focus on how to use Pd (Pure Data) patches as an easier way to create more sophisticated audio-based iPhone/iPad apps. This will include learning how to link audio parameters (e.g. volume, pan, filter cutoff) to standard Apple UI elements (e.g. gesture recognisers, accelerometers, sliders, toggles, etc.). In addition, we’ll look briefly at Apple’s new AVAudioEngine framework as another accessible alternative.

Requirements: You will need to arrive with an Apple laptop with XCode installed. Experience with XCode will helpful but not essential. It will also be helpful to have a basic knowledge of Pd, though we can provide some basic patches if you don’t. Note that any Pd patches you bring should be made with Pd-Vanilla.

For any questions email curators@stagingmhs.localBuy Introduction to Audio Synthesis & Processing for iPhone/iPad

Brane Zorman – Artist Talk and performance
2015-09-24 19:00 - 22:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Brane Zorman is a composer, sound and radio artist and founder of CONA. Based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he has composed numerous sound works for theatre and dance performances, new media and internet events and projects. His work examines and explores the possibilities of processing, presenting, perceiving, understanding, positioning, manipulating and reinterpreting the sound and space. Employing old (analogue), digital technologies and techniques his work traverses the fields of music, multimedia and visual space. By using both sophisticated and simple tools he is developing strategies, methods, dynamic and interactive interpretation models, soundscapes, creating electronic and acoustic evolving sound sculptures.
Brane Zorman works with ready-made and transformed images, video clips and databases of vulkanos, lava bursts and explosions from the web and private collections. Out of the photos, locations, temperature variations, chemical reactions and recorded data he creates and manipulates live and pre-recorded sound sculptures and sequences that relate to colors, light intensity, shadows, contrast and shapes of the treated visual materials. He is transforming a visual representation of lava eruptions and flows (lines, points, cracks, amorphic- organic forms) to a sequencer score using various software tools and predefined parameters assigned to sensors thus driving and modulating sounds that are result of his field recording sessions. By analyzing visual sources he is building an unique and constantly changing compositional dynamics and dramaturgy of sound sculptures and sequences presented in a surround spatial performance, giving deep, emotional, sometimes scary and very physically intense low frequency experience, thus contrasting the relaxed, blending and fading, calm and monotonic video slide projection of the transformed photo sources in the background.
Brane will talk about his work and will perform Hidden Materia, a sound composition inspired by and conceived as an ongoing journey of the raw, liquid, vivid force of terrestrial magma carrying the unparalleled and hidden amount of energy and threat. “Hidden Materia” project was created and developed as a trilogy of live sound and video performances between 2012 and 2014.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Tara Pattenden - Artist Talk at Music Hackspace
2015-09-17 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Tara Pattenden is an artist, musician and maker of electronic noise
instruments. For the past 5 years she has been working with soft
circuitry to create interfaces for audio electronics that manipulate
sound through touch and movement. She will be presenting and
discussing some of her creations.
As Phantom Chips she performs with an array of home made electronic
instruments, samplers and wearable noisemakers. Concocting rhythms
from manipulated found and recorded sounds Phantom Chips invites the
audience to wear and play her costumes and join in with the audio. The
costumes create sound through movement and allow audience members to
experiment with a brand-new form of musical expression. The
deliberately clumsy and awkward interfaces invite playfulness and
improvisation.
Australian-born Tara Pattenden works in the field of analog
electronics, noise performance and soft circuitry. She has been making
interactive noise and mess for over 15 years performing with kunt,
monster zoku onsomb and various other collaborators.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Vahakn + Human Instruments, Artist Talk
2015-09-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Vahakn Matossian-Gehlhaar is an artist with BA’s and MA’s in Product Design from Brighton and Royal College of Art respectively. Alongside his father Rolf Gehlhaar -researcher in assistive technology for music- he runs Human Instruments. A new company dedicated to the design and production of digital musical instrument interfaces for people with varying physical ability. Working closely with the British ParaOrchestra, Human Instruments are currently developing the worlds first commercially available hands free instrument that will give its player total musical freedom of expression, with a resolution of sound as close as possible to traditional orchestral instruments.
Vahakn also runs an independent design studio in East London that specialises in interactive and real-world public projects. His past clients, collaborators and employers include, Yamaha, Troika, IRCAM, Glastonbury Festival, British Film Institute, Innovation Labs, Hulger, and Cybersonica.

Yuri Suzuki - Artist Talk at Music Hackspace
2015-09-03 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Yuri Suzuki is a sound artist, designer and electronic musician who produces work that explores the realms of sound through exquisitely designed pieces.
Suzuki was born in Tokyo in 1980. between 1999 and 2005 he worked for Japanese art unit
Maywa Denki, where he developed a strong interest in music and technology. In 2005 he moved to London to study at the Royal College of Art.
Suzuki’s work raises questions of the relation between sound and people and how music and sound affect people’s mind. Suzuki’s sound art pieces and installations have been shown in exhibitions all around the world. In 2013, Suzuki was appointed as platform tutor at Design Products department in Royal College of Art and member of New Radiophonic Workshop. Following 2014, Museum of Modern Art New York acquired his work OTOTO the DIY musical instrument, comprising of a built-in a synthesizer and sampler and Colour Chasers to their permanent collection.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Gawain Hewitt - Artist Talk at Music Hackspace
2015-08-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Gawain Hewitt will share two of his pieces “Forest of London” – an audio sculpture made of steel, wood and gold leaf, and ‘Conversations’, a photograph/conductive thread piece as part of talk and discussion about his work, the inspiration of place and the tranformative power of sound in art.
Additionally he will touch on his other works, including installations for The Royal Albert Hall, and a large sonic quilt he is making with Stewart Francis Easton for a Tithe Barn in Somerset at the moment.
Presently Gawain makes his work using Raspberry Pi, Pure Data, Arduino, Touchboard, Makey Makey and various conductive materials. Recordings are made with a variety of mics and a sound devices preamp/converter into an Edirol R4 and the technical side of his work will be demonstrated and discussed also!
Gawain Hewitt is a musician, sound artist and educator, he is head of R&D for Drake Music and a frequent collaborator with Music Hackspace.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Adam John Williams – artist talk at Music Hackspace
2015-08-13 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Adam John Williams will present work on his current project, Research-Driven Dance Music (RDDM), which explores the combination of psychoacoustics and electronic music into something intended to be experimental, yet danceable and highly beat-driven.
So that you can find out why you might want to try making some RDDM for yourself, the practical applications involved will be discussed, as well as the techniques Adam has used so far.
He will also cover some of his recent work with electronics, including seeking your suggestions and feedback on a new Eurorack DSP synth module he is currently designing.
Adam is a musician, artist and hacker. He currently works as director of the Music Tech Fest Hack Camp, and has been a regular face at the London Music Hackspace for the last few years.

This programme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

OWL Modular Launch Event
2015-08-01 17:00 - 21:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Rebel Technology will be holding a little launch event for the OWL Modular at Music Hackspace, this Saturday 1 August at 5pm.
Come down to see us and get hands on with the new arrival!
We’ll be showing off the sonic capabilities of the patch library as well as demonstrating how to load up Faust, C++ and Pure Data patches.
Bring your own code!

Gen.AV 2 Performance at Goldsmiths University
2015-07-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Goldsmiths, Professor Stuart Hall Building, Room LG01, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, United Kingdom
The event will present projects developed during the second Gen.AV – Hackathon on Generative Audiovisuals which took place at Music Hackspace on 25-26 July 2015. The projects will be performed by their creators. Additionally, the projects are open-source, and can be downloaded from https://github.com/avuis (work in progress until the date of the performance).
Entrance is free. Please get your free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/genav-performance-tickets-17878378712

Audience members will be invited to fill in a short questionnaire about the performance.
Estimated duration of the performance: 120 minutes
Facebook event
More information on the projects will be available here from 27/July:
www.gen-av.org
The hackathon was co-organised by Goldsmiths / EAVI group (http://eavi.goldsmithsdigital.com) and the Music Hackspace. It is part of the Enabling AVUIs research project being conducted at Goldsmiths / EAVI group, and supported by the European Union (Marie Curie programme).
More information: http://avuis.goldsmithsdigital.com.
(Image: Adam John Williams and Bruce Lane presenting ABP at Gen.AV 1, by Alessandro Altavilla)

Gen.AV - Hackathon on Interactive Computer-Generated Audiovisuals
2015-07-25 - 2015-07-26 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
We are organizing Gen.AV, a 2-day hackathon on the topic of interactive computer-generated audiovisuals. During the hackathon, we will develop functioning prototypes of software tools for audiovisual performance. In particular, we would like to explore issues such as interaction design, reconfigurability, ease of use, audience involvement, and computer-generated sound and visuals. The hackathon is co-organised by Goldsmiths / EAVI group (http://eavi.goldsmithsdigital.com) and the Music Hackspace (http://mhproduction.wpengine.com). It will be conducted by Nuno Correia (http://eavi.goldsmithsdigital.com/staff/dr-nuno-correia/).
The hackathon will take place on the 25th and 26th July 2015, from 10am to 8pm each day, at the Music Hackspace. A performance presenting the successful results will take place on the 30th July at Goldsmiths, University of London. Participation in the performance is optional. More information on the performance will follow later.
The hackathon follows upon a previous one conducted half a year ago, but is independent from it. Previous participants are welcome to participate again. Information on the previous hackathon and performance: http://avuis.goldsmithsdigital.com/gen-av-feb-2015/
Participants in the hackathon should have the following profile/experience:

knowledge of programming – ability to develop a software prototype (for example using Processing, openFrameworks, PureData, Max/MSP, Javascript…); and
interest (or experience) in audiovisual performance.

Participation in the hackathon is free of charge. Participants should bring their own computers, headphones, and development software/environments. Code from the different prototypes will be released as open-source. Successful projects will be presented by the participants in a performance.
Please apply for the workshop here, until 10th July: http://goo.gl/forms/MBst5erLOm

Confirmations regarding application will be sent 11th July.
For any enquiries, please contact Nuno Correia: nc@goldsmithsdigital.com
The hackathon is part of the Enabling AVUIs research project being conducted at Goldsmiths / EAVI group, and supported by the European Union (Marie Curie programme). More information: http://avuis.goldsmithsdigital.com.
Image: Adam John Williams and Bruce Lane presenting ABP at Gen.AV 1, by Alessandro Altavilla

Mobile Audio Hackers meet-up
2015-07-22 19:30 - 22:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
The Mobile Audio Hackers night meets periodically to share knowledge, tips and tricks about coding audio on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) of all persuasions. Potential topics include real-time synthesis, streaming audio, multipeer connectivity, Pd integration, and third party frameworks, with possible applications in live improv, arts projects, and game development, etc.

In our next meeting, Martin Roth from Enzien Audio (and formerly from RjDj) will discuss Enzien’s project, Heavy. They explain it in this way: ‘Heavy is a Pure Data-to-C compiler. If you provide a Pd patch, Enzien will send you an optimised vanilla-C library that can be used in embedded hardware, mobile, desktop, console, and the web. It is meant mainly for advanced users for whom running libpd in their app is out of the question (perhaps for integration or performance reasons). These users probably have a lot of signal processing code that needs to be run quickly. They want to retain the flexibility of designing and changing the software in Pd, but want the speed of native code.’

enzienaudio.com

Entrance is free

11th and 12th July - Befaco workshop DIY Analogue Modular Synths
2015-07-11 11:00 - 2015-07-12 18:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
We welcome Befaco for our next DIY modular synth workshop on 11th and 12th July 2015 at the Music Hackspace (ContainerVille).
When: 11th and 12th July 2015, 11am to 6 pm.
Where: Music Hackspace, ContainerVille, Unit 15, 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, London, E2 9DS United Kingdom
Hands on workshop: build your own synth modules on eurorack format. We provide all the necessary components to build your device from scratch. Each participant builds her/his own machine during the workshop.
Target audience: People interested in analog synthesis, modulars, experimentation, DIY, performance, sound.
Material Costs: NO Fee, just pay for the kits you build. Kits include PCB and all electronic parts.
Required skills: interest and patience. No previous experience in electronics is necessary.
Required materials: Fine tip soldering iron less than 25w is recommended (we provide soldering irons and tools if you don’t have your own).
Participants can choose to build any of the Befaco modules that are available:
Spring reverb …………………130 GBP
Even VCO ……………………125 GBP
BF22 VCF……………………130 GBP
VC ADSR………………………110 GBP
Slope Generator 2…………125 GBP
Instrument Interface………115
GBP Output module………………65 GBP
Mixer………………………………50 GBP
Crush Delay……………………110 GBP
Hexa VCA………………………140 GBP
Power Bus ………………………80 GBP
Dual Atenuverter………………55 GBP
Joysitck controller……………100 GBP
Befaco is a Synth DIY/open hardware platform focused on designing modules and organizing modular synth workshops regularly in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and London (and recently in Japan).
Please register via workshops@stagingmhs.local
We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

MIDI keytar workshop for Mac, Rasp Pi, Windows, or Arduino
2015-07-04 14:00 - 17:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
“Set up this low-cost but reliable keyboard as a wireless controller for almost anything with a USB input. This workshop focuses on using it as a MIDI instrument with Mac OS X, Windows XP/7, or the Raspberry Pi. It also works as a wired controller for the Arduino Mozzi synth library, and you could potentially do something similar with any other game controllers you already own – email in advance for compatibility advice.
Includes a fully-working 2-octave MIDI key tar from the 2010 heyday of Rock Band/Guitar Hero games – this beginner-level workshop shows to get it working with music software like GarageBand for Mac or free synths for Windows or Raspberry Pi, no soldering and (hardly any) programming required!
Price includes key tar, batteries, shoulder strap, and a cardboard box (59cm x 10cm x 22cm) to take it home in – in the unlikely event that your laptop or Rasp Pi can’t be persuaded to talk to the key tar you’ll get a free reprogrammable Arduino synth.
Workshop led by Dave Green, who’ll be constantly updating www.CheapSynth.com with improved code and instructions.
What to bring:
Mac owners – laptop with USB input, MIDI music software like GarageBand
PC owners – laptop with USB input, MIDI music software like http://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth (free download)
Raspberry Pi owners – blank 4gig SD card (16gig if you’d like to use Pure Data), blank/reusable 4gig SD card (16gig if you’d like to use Pure Data in future), headphones or speakers to plug into the audio jack socket.
Arduino (if you already have one) – ideally a 32 KB/ATmega328 Uno, Duemilanove, Nano, Pro Mini or Leonardo, see http://sensorium.github.io/Mozzi/ for further info.
Please register via email: curators@stagingmhs.local

Open evening
2015-07-02 19:00 - 21:30, 2015-06-11 18:30 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Bring your projects, work in progress and prototypes to demo in a casual environment, find collaborators and other solutions for projects.
We will have affordable beverages and we count on you to join a pizza order! We look forward to seeing you!
Location: Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, E2 9DS
For any questions, email curators@stagingmhs.local

Kazumi interface and DIY kit by Luis Zayas
2015-06-25 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Makerversity member Luis Zayas brings Kazumi, an accessible instrument for aspiring musicians and makers designed to remove as many barriers to participation as possible.
Each of the seven surfaces are touch-pads subdivided into five configurable electrodes. The structure can be rotated on its base to transpose the selected scale. Playing music on Kazumi is a tactile, sensory experience, hands exploring and caressing to draw different notes from the speaker embedded in the peak.
It has been designed as an open-source DIY kit. This will not only allow anyone to learn about the materials and processes that have gone into the instrument but it will empower users by encouraging them to hack and customise it as the ultimate way of appropriation.

SuperCollider workshop: Zero to Light Speed
2015-06-24 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
SuperCollider is an incredibly powerful, open-source, cross-platform, audio engine and programming language, used not only to create music, but also for machine listening, audio/music reactive installations, performance, interactive systems, research, live-coding and much more.
This workshop is aimed at those with little or no experience of SuperCollider, but are interested in applying their music or programming knowledge to the world of computer music and audio. No experience with SuperCollider is necessary as we will be starting from scratch.
You will need your own computer (OSX / Windows/ Linux), and a pair of headphones, all other material will be provided. You are invited to bring any MIDI controllers / input devices, or applications that communicate via OSC.
The workshop will be led by Arthur Carabott.

The Optosynth Workshop - Ewa Justka
2015-06-20 11:00 - 2015-06-21 17:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Build your own Optosynth and learn basics of electronics!
This Optosynth (or optical synth) will allow you to create noises and strange sounds by means of light and touch.
The synth contains two oscillators that are light dependent, delay and reverb effect which is controlled by a pot and vintage light bulb which can be triggered by touch (which can be also a CV input).
All of the materials are included in the price.
During the workshop you will learn soldering, reading schematics and datasheets, principles of electronic engineering and troubleshooting techniques.
The workshop is for patient beginners as well as for more advanced participants.
Workshop times are 11am-5pm each day.
PLEASE BRING WITH YOU 9V 600mA POWER SUPPLY AND A BOX (PREFERABLY NOT METAL ONE).
Price for 2 days: £60 for non students and £50 for students/unemployed.
Max amount of participants: 12.
Bookings and enquiries via workshops@stagingmhs.local

Ewa Justka is a polish electronic noise artist and instruments builder based in London.
Justka’s main field of research is based on exploration of materiality of objects, vibrant, ontological systems (human bodies, plants’ bodies, electronic circuits: varied range of micro and macro environments and relations between them) and an investigation of modes of quasi-direct perception through noise performance actions, interactive installation, DIY electronics, hardware hacking, plant-molesting, breaking, deconstructing and collaborating. In her artistic work Ewa attempts to explore the concept of materiality of the hidden.
Ewa has performed at Network Music Festival, Birmingham, UK; Supernormal Festival Oxfordshire, UK, Club Transmediale Festival Hacklab, Berlin; Exploding Cinema, Goldsmiths College, London, UK; STEIM, Amsterdam, NL; Moving Forest, Chelsea College, London, UK; Colour out of Space, Brighton, UK; Beam Festival, Brunel University, London, UK; Cafe Oto, London, UK and more.
Video

Max Connect - London, with Cycling '74
2015-06-18 19:00 - 22:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
For this open evening, we will host the first Max Connect London, the first Cycling ’74 meeting of Max Connect Europe.
“Max Connect is back (formerly known as Max 7 Hang)!
The previous events were such a hit, we had to do it again. This time we are blazing through Europe, visiting old friends, making new ones, and sharing our love of Max 7 and all its creative possibilities.
Whether you’re a seasoned user or have only thought about downloading our 30-day demo, we want to hang out with you and talk about Max.
Not since the introduction of Max 5 has a new release included so many updates and changes. Max 7 introduces a new video engine, quicker patching via new objects and an entirely new time stretching algorithm built from the ground up. In addition, it’s now easier to drag and drop audio, video, VSTs and Max For Live devices directly into your patcher and be up and running.
Come for some swag, linger for refreshments, and stay for the people.
Max Connect London is presented with our good friends at Music Hackspace, on Thursday June 18 at 7PM”.
https://cycling74.com/2015/06/04/max-connect-europe/
#maxconnect
Date: Thursday June 18 at 7PM.
Location: Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, E2 9DS
For any questions, email admin@stagingmhs.local

Mobile Audio Hackers meet-up
2015-06-10 19:30 - 22:00 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
The Mobile Audio Hackers night meets the second Wednesday of each month to share knowledge, tips and tricks about coding audio on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) of all persuasions. Potential topics include real-time synthesis, streaming audio, multipeer connectivity, Pd integration, and third party frameworks, with possible applications in live improv, arts projects, and game development, etc.
In this, our third meeting, composer and sound artist Katharine Norman will discuss her hybrid approach to iOS audio in her recent iOS text/audio-based apps, Window (for John Cage), and Paul’s Walk, which use a variety of software, including javascript, OpenFrameworks, and Pure Data. Katharine describes Window as ‘an interactive, immersive artwork, a sound essay about listening and everyday experience’. Paul’s Walk is ‘an interactive musical/text work for performers and iOS app’.
Meetup organiser Ron Herrema will also briefly talk about his exploration of real-time synthesis on iOS using The Amazing Audio Engine and Synthesis Toolkit.
Entrance is free

novamara.com
itunes.apple.com/gb/app/window-for-john-cage/id924243804?mt=8
itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pauls-walk/id959655981?mt=8
theamazingaudioengine.com/https://github.com/thestk/stk

Meet Leslie Deere, composer in residency
2015-06-04 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
We are very excited to announce our selected artists to participate in an Embedded Composer in Residence programme at the Music Hackspace, made in partnership with Sound and Music.
We are thrilled to welcome sound artist Leslie Deere into our organisation, to develop her projects and engage with the Music Hackspace community for the next 6 months as part of the programme.
Seeking to explore recently emerging performative areas of her practice, Leslie will aim to combine AV elements as part of a multi faceted performance, incorporating gesture into digital sound making, coupled with projected imagery.
In the presentation Leslie will introduce her proposed project with more depth; it will be an excellent opportunity for the community to explore engaging with the residency.

Leslie Deere is a London based artist. Originally from Tennessee, Leslie moved to the UK to study Sonic Art, continuing on from a performing arts dance scholarship in New York City. She holds a BA Honours degree in Sonic Art under Hugh Davies at Middlesex University and an MA in Communication Art & Design from the Royal College. Commissions include sound installations for Kew Gardens and the SoundUK 2013 tour. Most recently Leslie completed the inaugural year of the KULES residency in Stoke-on-Trent. Situated in a large warehouse space, Leslie created an 8 Channel installation utilising the natural reverberation present and found cassette tape.

Monthly Open Evening
2015-06-03 18:30 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
Bring your projects, work in progress and prototypes to demo in a casual environment, find collaborators and other solutions for projects.

We will have affordable beverages and we count on you to join a pizza order! We look forward to seeing you!

Date: Wednesday June 3rd @ 18:30 – 21:30
Location: Unit 15 (ContainerVille), 5–10 Corbridge Crescent, E2 9DS

For any questions, email curators@stagingmhs.local

Drake Music Hackathon at Web Web Want festival- Southbank Centre
2015-05-30 10:00 - 22:00 | J.P. Morgan White Room at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre Belvedere Rd , London , SE1 8XX, United Kingdom
Drake Music, Music Hackspace and Furthefield are partnering to host an Accessible Music Hackathon at the Southbank Centre as part of the Web We Want festival.
Technologists and coders are invited to come together to work on new accessible music technology projects and showcase innovative music technology made to make music accessible for disabled musicians.
Challenges include Imogen Heap’s Mi.Mu Gloves lead by Kris Halpin and John Kelly’s new accessible Guitboard guitar.
Selected projects will be presented on Sunday 31 May as part of the Web We Want Day Pass talks programme.
To welcome participants, introduce challenges and form groups, there will be a pre-hackathon meet-up at Drake Music as part of their regular Accessible Music Technology Hackmeets on Wednesday 27th May. All participants will be reminded and given more details about the pre-hackday meet up.
Registered participants are allowed to bring existing projects and propose new challenges. If you have an instrument or idea that you would like to develop, we would like you to get in touch about the idea to gawainhewitt@drakemusic.org
To register as a technologist, coder or artist please book your free ticket!

More info here.
For any other questions about the event email gawainhewitt@drakemusic.org or wwwhackathon@southbankcentre.co.uk
Drake Music are leaders in music, disability and technology. They pro-actively explore ways in which new technologies can make writing and playing music more accessible.
Furtherfield is a technology and community space creating online and physical spaces for people to come together and get involved with contemporary arts and digital technologies.

Meet Jack James, composer in residency
2015-05-28 19:00 - 21:30 | Music Hackspace, Somerset House, West Service Yard, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom
We are very excited to announce our selected artists to participate in an Embedded Composer in Residence programme at the Music Hackspace, made in partnership with Sound and Music.
We are thrilled to welcome sound artist Jack James into our organisation, to develop his projects and engage with the Music Hackspace community for the next 6 months as part of the programme.
Through the residency, Jack James will collaborate with the Music Hackspace community and the wider public to explore the implicit meaning and unearthed potentials in objects created to serve as consumptive rather than productive devices.
In the presentation Jack will introduce his proposed project with more depth; it will be an excellent opportunity for the community to explore engaging with the residency.

Jack James is an artist interested in events, happenings and the role of media in everyday life and culture. Often featuring domestic technologies (re)positioned to explore their relationship with people, Jack’s work traverses the fields of sound and social practice, through installation and performance. He is part of artist’s collective thickear with whom he created Ministry of Measurement, Pink Sheet Method and initiated the Data and Ethics Working Group at ICT & Art Connect 2013, Brussels. Leading to string of European engagements including Experiment #2 Consent exhibited at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
Jack’s past appearances include opening SPILL Festival of Performance 2012, monomania, BEAM: Brunel Electronic & Analogue Music Festival, Wysing Arts Centre and Rushgrove House, London. During his recent residency with Metal in Peterborough Jack received support from Arts Council England to create Temporary Local Broadcast and convene the symposium, Capturing the “REAL” in response to the ‘subject’.

LCDD, Tasos Stamou & Arma Agharta
2015-05-23 20:00 - 23:00 | Troyganic, 132 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8DY
An evening of extreme sonic presentations, of extreme sounds made with extreme DIY electronics. Spanish circuit bent orchestra LCDD will be leading a fiesta of handmade live electronics, musical cynicism and playful noise, followed by solos of circuit bending master and free improviser Tasos Stamou and Lithuanian sonic performance star Arma Agharta.
When: May 23d @ 20:00 – 23:00
Where: 132 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DY
BUY TICKETS: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/319341
More details:
LCDD (Los Caballos De Düsseldorf) (ES)

One of the very few exclusively circuit bent toy orchestras globally, LCDD from Spain were formed from the ashes of a previous punk band, while the members replaced their traditional rock music instruments by strange toy looking noise machines. LCDD are based in Madrid and spread their obscure live electronica around the globe through their channel of devoted followers, also by a number of physical releases in vinyls and cassettes. They are visiting London for a two-day residency at Cafe Oto and before that they will first introduce their music performance and their unique instrument designs at the Music Hackspace. LCDD have toured throughout Europe, Japan, USA and Mexico performing at festivals such as Sonic Protest in Paris, Bent Festival at the Silent Barn in NYC, Art Basel in Switzerland, at Le Dernier Cri’s Vendetta Festival in Marseille and venues ranging from Pudel in Hamburg, SuperDeluxe in Tokyo to the Antique Toy Museum (MUJAM) in Mexico City.
Band leader Olaf Ladousse, a talented illustrator, musician and instrument designer, is responsible of making all the band’s obscure and unique electronic instruments and interfaces.
http://lcdd.bandcamp.com/

TASOS STAMOU (GR)

Tasos Stamou is a senior Music Hackspace Member, a music technologist and an exploratory music performer. He has been presenting his free improvised electronica in venues such as Cafe Oto, Apiary Studios, NOISE=NOISE in London and abroad (Bent Festival NYC, SOTU Festival Lithuania, etc.).
He also has a number of releases of his his music and sound projects through various record labels (Absurd, Kukuruku Recordings, ORILA record, Lal Lal Lal, Linear Obsessional Recordings, etc.)
His current setup consists of circuit bent sound toys and hacked domestic equipment, specially modified to incorporate with an analogue modular synthesizer as parts of the system. Vivid and playful, his music music performance consists of a constant sonic conflict between structured forms and chaotic patterns of live manipulated and hardware hacked electronic equipment.
www.tasosstamou.info
www.stamouinstruments.blogspot.com

ARMA AGHARTA (LT)

The sound performances of Arma Agharta span a broad territory between unbridled eruptions of chaotic noise and hypnotic psychedelic rituals. Although his live sound, created by analogue instruments and vintage or modified electronic equipment, formally fits into the familiar shelves of lo-fi, drone, ritual noise etc., it contains many more shamanic elements that are hard to describe yet are perceived instinctively and gutturally. Techno-ritualism, absurd humor and extreme costumes characterize the nature of his performances.
Since 2007, under different conceptual solo projects he did over 150 shows in Canada, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, UK, Norway, Austria, Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Serbia, Slovakia,  Hungary, Czech republic and Baltic states.  Participated in the festivals: Sonic Circuits (USA), Cocart (Poland), Experi-mental (USA), Sound Around (Russia), Sonic (Denmark), SOTU (Netherlands), Porin Juhlaviikot (Finland), and in all the main Lithuanian festivals: Speigas, Supynes, Menuo Juodaragis, STRcamp, Centras, Dezintegracija, Creature.  His music has been released exclusively on limited edition cassettes on Russian and Lithuanian labels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M36Gyv9ce2Q
www.arma.lt
