Breathing through Controller + Stereo Resonator

[Max & Controller & Resonator] (Duration: 19:10)

October 2024

This is another form of the project The Real-time Symbiosis of Unconscious & Conscious Breathing and Musical Technology. Using a controller rather than a sensor input (in the original research version), I control breath volume, inhalation and exhalation rate, synthesis variables, and signal output balance in Max. The system detects the respiratory cycle, triggers different sound subpatchers based on respiratory rates, and changes parameters in those subpatchers using other faders. Through controlling faders as breath simulation, the performance expresses physical presence and sonic immediacy, revealing unconscious and conscious breathing patterns through digital synthesis at various speeds.

The piece simulates various breathing patterns through scientific data, personal breathing habits, and sleep observations. Unconscious breath presents a unique scientific challenge, operating through autonomic neural control beneath our awareness. It is unconscious when you do not realize that you are breathing. While conscious attention can detect and modify this breathing, the underlying autonomic process continues uninterrupted. When consciously controlling the fader, I maintain steady speeds within 3-6 seconds to trigger the unconsciousbreath subpatcher. I used a controller with faders to simulate breath here rather than a sensor-based belt for detecting breathing using the diaphragm and muscles around it. As seen in the video, I allowed myself to create pauses in different breath patterns, particularly at peak inhalation or complete exhalation. I paused to hear how the sound terminated or faded away, especially in the windowslowbreath subpatcher. Another minor reason is that the whole time, I was counting the time to simulate, and since I was switching between different breathing speeds, I needed to make subtle adjustments to the timing, which would cause pauses.