Board

Board An interactive audio-visual environment for prepared board games, two laptops, projector, two Makey-Makey devices, and 4-channel sound (two separate 2-channel speaker arrays)

Centering around topics such as nostalgia, chance-music interactions in the creation of sound art, and the appropriation of game rules to supplant scored and rehearsed actions, Board is an installation event that combines two interactive prepared board games (Troubled, a Pop-O-Matic Trouble game board and Divination, a Ouija board), laptop, Makey-Makey devices, projectors, and 4 channel sound (comprised of two separate 2-channel speaker arrays, run from the same diffusion source/mixer). The installation relies on interactive participation by the audience members, who are asked to play each game by following their respective set of traditional rules and actions.

Each board game is prepared to allow the normal actions of game play—placing game pieces onto spaces while advancing across the board, pressing the Pop-O-Matic die casting bubble, moving an indicator across a board, etc.—to trigger a custom made software patch to perform various commands that create the sonic and visual components of the installation. Each board game is designed to connect to a laptop via an audio interface and a Makey-Makey device, which translates completed circuits through the physical connection of conductive materials to communicate with laptops through their USB port. Audio and/or video events resulting from the interactions with these board games are randomized due to the nature of game play, which allows for the creation of generative, unpredictable aural and visual environments across the duration of the installation.

Information on each of the individual board games/parts of the installation can be found below: Troubled The game board for Troubled is prepared with conductive metal sensors that allow actions such as moving a game piece (prepared with an embedded machine screw) across the board to trigger a connected laptop to playback sound files through the use of the Makey-Makey device (a user-friendly circuit board that allows conductive energy to trigger computer actions). An embedded electret microphone allows for the sound of the board game’s Pop-O-Matic die casting bubble to be sent to the custom software’s audio effect unit to be processed in real time. The prepared game board can be connected to the computer and the Makey-Makey device in under a minute, and the sound files/live processed die bubble audio coming from the computer can be played back through a 2-channel house audio system.

Pictures and Description of Prepared Board Game for Research Presentation

Figure 1.: The Prepared Trouble Board Game. Each space on the game board is prepared with a metallic contact point, allowing the actions of moving wired game pieces around the board to trigger a laptop and custom musical software to playback audio files and/or control video playback. The dice bubble in the middle is also fitted with an internal microphone, allowing the game’s characteristic “popping” sound to be processed through audio effects in real time.

Figure 2.: The Prepared Trouble Board Game – Side View of Connection Ports and Wired Game Piece

Divination

The game board for Divination is a prepared Ouija board with conductive ink traced over each letter, number, and symbol. These conductive ink spots are connected to wires inside the body of the board game’s wooden base, which are in turn connected to a Makey-Makey device. The custom software patch for Divination will not only produce audio material through players’ interactions with the game board, but it will also play a looping video that will undergo gradual changes from various effects processing filters depending on the players’ actions. The board also features contact microphones embedded into its base in order to amplify and process the sound of the planchet indicator being moved across the surface. The plastic planchet indicator is also connected to the Makey-Makey device; as players cooperatively guide the indicator around the board, contact between the conductive ink and the indicator will trigger the software to either playback audio files, modulate the audio signal from the embedded contact microphones, or change the visual effect currently applied to the projected video.

Prototype sketch of Ouija board layout

Anthony T. Marasco Space Requirements for Board • • • • •

Medium sized room with ability to control light level (low light conditions needed for video projection) Two tables/pedestals for board games, laptops, Makey-Makey devices Space to place board game “stations” at least 10-15 feet away from one another Access to power outlet Single blank wall for video projection

Technical Requirements for Board • • • • • • • •

Two laptops (PC or Mac) – Composer can provide one if attending festival, Venue must provide second Two Makey-Makey Devices – Composer will provide both Two custom made prepared game boards – Composer will provide both A audio mixer with at least two input channels (pre-amps) and four output channels – Venue provides/Composer can provide if necessary Two stereo speaker arrays (one for each board game station) – Venue must provide One video projector with HDMI or VGA input – Venue should provide One power strip – Composer will provide All audio/power cables and adaptors provided by composer

Anthony T. Marasco Suggested Layout Diagram for Board

†= Makey-Makey devices connect to prepared game boards through composerprovided cable, Makey-Makey devices connect to computers through USB cable