bauml.

Bauml. is a MIDI controller that uses the movement of a pendulum to generate various musical patterns in real time, which can be sent to up to 16 different MIDI channels.

Bauml. is a MIDI instrument that can be used both for improvisation and as an aid to composition. Thanks to its intuitive and simple design, it is an ideal tool for overcoming creative blocks. By adjusting just a few parameters, the user can quickly assign different musical structures to the pendulum’s movement, which can serve as a springboard for new compositions. You simply select a scale, set the root note and the range of the notes, and the pendulum immediately generates various melodies.

The user can freely adjust the speed at which the note and velocity values are generated for each of the 16 MIDI channels, with a maximum of around 16 ms. In addition, the range of the note and velocity values can be adjusted individually for each channel, with a maximum range of around 10 octaves.

Each position of the pendulum is assigned a specific note and velocity value; the MIDI notes can either be transmitted continuously or saved as specific pendulum positions, so that the notes are only triggered when the pendulum is at the saved position. Whether the notes are generated continuously or only at specific points can be set individually for each MIDI channel. Furthermore, the user can choose from a selection of 40 scales, making bauml. suitable for a wide variety of musical scenarios.

The pendulum’s two-dimensional movement is tracked in real time by a camera, with its position generated in both Cartesian (x, y) and polar coordinates (radius r and angle φ). The pendulum’s frequency f is also generated. These values are then either converted into MIDI notes and velocity values or sent to the DAW as MIDI CC messages, allowing various parameters to be controlled at will by the pendulum’s movement.