Sensors for music making, from the group Recursive Dog

The 5th Annual Linux Audio Conference, March 22-25 in Berlin, looks really cool, even if you’re not a Linux die-hard. Sessions include: an open, XML-based format for time and position in audio files, putting together a Linux studio with expert Dave Phillips, open hardware instruments with Pd, Processing, and Arduino, and plenty of synthesis and livecoding sessions.

Linux Audio Conference (Thanks, Malte — take good notes if you make it, please!)

Conference registration is EUR 1495 — kidding. Free as in beer, except a small charge for the concerts.

The most interesting to me of these is the session on open instruments. The idea of a completely open instrument design that can be customized both on the hardware and software ends is pretty compelling, and certainly not limited in its interest to just Linux users. The team offering this session is called “Recursive Dog”:

Recursive Dog Project Pages

They have some beautiful, sensor-packed instrument designs, many of which appear to center around infrared distance sensors. Since the software side is build in Pd and Processing, it’s free for anyone to use. The group also do some gorgeous Processing + Csound visualizations, with dancing 3D visuals and electronic sounds.

Anyone going to the Berlin conference, or working on open instruments of your own? Send us some links, and definitely if you’re in Berlin, be sure to snap some good photos and add them to our flickr pool.

Attend Recursive Dog’s workshop, and you, too, could be building your own DIY instruments.