Workshop Statement

The goal of this workshop is to build a custom USB-MIDI-Interface on the base of the Kaputverboten boards. The current version of Kaputverboten is capable to host up to 6 analog inputs, 3 analog outputs, 18 digital inputs and 14 digital outputs. Part of the workshop will be assembling the board (this is optional, the boards are also available fully assembled), mounting the board in a housing and mounting a variable amount of sensors or actors like LEDs. The boards interface capabilities will also be tested in various software environments. The workshop is intended for beginners and intermediates. Soldering or programming is not necessary but can also be done if attendees wish to do so. The Kaputverboten board is an open source design based on V-USB-MIDI. It sends MIDI messages over USB and hence is capable to control a broad spectrum of softwares, preferably but not only musical applications or audio programming environments which often lack good interfaces. The included firmware enables the user to just plug any type of resistive sensors, switches and even actors like LEDs or low power motors to the board. There is no programming needed just a simple configuration by some mouse clicks. Future versions will contain more inputs and outputs and additionally provide the OSC and HID protocols.

• Felix Krüger studied physics at the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany. He is currently working at his Phd at the Institute for Nuclear and Particle Physics of the TU Dresden. Besides his interest in physics he is also a musician playing in various Jazz- Rock- Electro- and Pop-bands since 2000. In his musical works he tries to combine physical and electronic instruments which results in self-made hybrid instruments constructed by digital, analog and physical parts. Some of his installations and performances where shown in art festivals, theaters or concerts in Dresden, Berlin and other German, Czech and Polish cities. He is also organizing and presenting at a monthly workshop/ lecture in Dresden where he presents technical and aesthetic concepts of his works.
• Felix Pfeifer studied computer science and musicology in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany. He is currently preparing for the degree. He played piano in various jazz ensembles in Berlin and also composed electronic music for theater plays and electronic art performances. During his studies he taught two seminars at Humboldt University at the chair of media theory mostly about the real time musical programming language puredata. His interest in interfaces is a result of the work with puredata and other computer music applications/ languages which often lack good interfaces. Developing hardware interfaces which he uses in performances and installations is becoming one of his main focuses.