Orbit by Ean Golden

Playing music with friends can be one of the most fun, and connecting activities humans engage in, but very few get the opportunity to experience that process with creative barriers being so high. Just like sitting down at a table, and talking or laughing over food, there is something special about standing around in a circle and playing together as a group. Nightclubs are becoming increasingly disconnected with higher dj booths and larger VIP sections, so we wondered what would happen if you created a space where people could come together and play music in an un-expected environment.

The table intentionally avoids any touch screens or small controls so anyone can play the music by ear and focus on looking at those around them. Traditional instruments evolved to be very simple, and don’t require a lot of visual attention – freeing up the player to engage, smile and connect in the moment. Many have described Orbit in a variety of ways, but the most simple might be the best: it’s the modern electronic drum circle.

For the technically-minded, Orbit is basically a giant custom MIDI controller with 12 jog wheels, 6 USB interfaces, and some pretty impressive visual feedback provided through over 1000 LEDs. The jog wheels are sending high-resolution position data to Ableton Live, and displaying that position through the ring of LEDs around each wheel. When touched, the wheel “reveals” that part and the LEDs immediately in front of the wheel pulse in time with the rhythm of that part, thanks to a clever MaxMSP plugin written by Jeff Lubow at CNMAT.

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