The ROLI Seaboard: Toward A New Understanding Of Musical Interfaces

Pioneer Research Program

STS Research Paper

Abstract :

In the realm of music technology, the concept of interfacing with technical objects has largely been examined with a singular focus on physical components (buttons, idles, keyboards, etc.) Despite the utility of a technocentric emphasis, musicologists and STS scholars have shed light on how the designs of musical interfaces are inextricably linked to cultural perceptions and relevant social groups.

However, two decades of growth in MIDI controllers and computer synthesis software created new realities that weakened the social determinist view of electronic instruments. This paper seeks to argue for an expanded conceptualization of how musicians interact with musical instruments, where software, hardware, and cultural components are analyzed as equal actors constituting the entire interaction. This argument is demonstrated through an empirical analysis of the ROLI Seaboard, an instrument that challenges the boundaries between electronic and classical music, digital and physical technologies, and general and technical usages.

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Keywords :

Actor-Network Theory; Musical Interfaces; MIDI; MPE; ROLI; Science Technology and Society

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Advisor: Professor Marianne de Laet | Harvey Mudd College ​

 

Published in the September 2022 Issue of The Schola.