Medium: NoisePen01.pde – interactive audio-reactive drawing app

This installation asks the user to:
‘Feel free to draw/write/leave a message, and experience its changes live to sound:
– See how your ‘ink’ reacts to the ambience
– Clap/make some noise to sound check your drawing
– Try a moving life drawing of something/someone
– Read out loud to animate your word/rap/poetry
– Put on a song to create a live-drawn music video
Press spacebar to restart.
Have fun!’

Inspired by visuals directed by Raul Gonzo for ‘ONE OK ROCK: Change Japanese Ver. [Official Music Video]’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha6Fy_LeWtI), I found a non-vocal version called ‘ONE OK ROCK – Change [Instrumental]’ by Silens | Filtered Instrumental (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in6Hfer9K3Q), to draw & record a focused live response with the tool.

The recording was edited for smooth looping & listening, with live audio mastered to a safer volume using Adobe Audition & synced up to match the experience in accuracy.

These 9 screenshots, taken from my YouTube-linked screen recording, demonstrate one of its uses to music.

2 accompanying gifs speedrun through my drawing process to test the tool’s audio-reactive uses to sound, with or without music, to get it ready for launch.

Some of the drawings created at the Degree Show by myself & visitors on the tool, were documented with the help of friends, Venus Wong & Fiona Douglas, including a Youtube-linked playlist of interactions.

A surprise trail of business cards connected my works between different spaces for 1 night at the Degree Show, featuring a seal/moustached original character from a self-motivational merchandise project throughout my degree, from a peeking pocket design for screen-printed T-shirts & tote bags, as well as a badge selection, to polymer clay earrings worn at the Show.

As a cellist & music lover, I coded this tool on Processing from p5.js with the help of Paul Maguire & Alistair McClymont.