My project is an experimental approach to creating rhythmical compositions via a tactile interface. Beatspinner v2.0 allows the user to sequence drum loops and other sound loops and then witness their playback as the interface rotates physically before their eyes. My aim was to create a prototype sound toy aimed at children and young teenagers. I wanted to create something that could be played with and explored the spatial relationship between visual & tangible triggers and basic rhythm/melody.

The interface works by placing wooden pieces on a looping disc where you wish for sounds to be triggered. There are eight potential ‘zones’ spanning the radius of the disc where individual sounds can be triggered and each zone contains eight potential trigger points in the form of small wooden pegs. Placing ‘trigger pieces’ across the disc on the pegs in different arrangements will produce different rhythmical compositions. By sending MIDI note data to Ableton Live different sounds/samples can be ‘attached’ to any of the eight zones allowing for variation of not only rhythms and melodies but timbres and sound itself. This means compositions need not necessarily be bound to traditional instrument sounds so a whole range of synthesized noises could be used and translated into processed output.


The compositional process for Beatspinner is simple. Place the trigger pieces on to the pegs in different places to create different rhythms. Smarter users will realize the relationship between space and timing and will therefore make full use of the trigger points (pegs) and the eight sound zones in order to create rhythms. To reiterate, any sample or sound can be activated by the desired zone. The Yolk 1 MIDI channel is used to send data from all 8 zones to 8 MIDI channels in Live. This then allows for sound manipulation and recording.

Beatspinner connects to the computer via a USB port and the disc rotation can be turned off and off by a switch in the top right hand corner.


The hardware is formed essentially from the basis of a hacked record deck. The needle and audio playback mechanisms have been removed and instead a series of 8 micro switches have been mounted on top to become activated by the rotating trigger pieces. The switches then send data to the computer through USB via a hacked game controller. The game controllers 0/1 inputs have been hacked and re-used to suit this hardware.