Description:

 Let the Sunshine in is a collaborative instrument using light and shadow to create different combinations of sounds. Each player (up to 4) has in their hands a photocell and a flashlight. On the computer, they are correlated as well with a type of drum, and a musical sample. A brief flash of the light across any given photocell triggers a drum beat (so the player is responsible for maintaining the rhythm). A steady light held at full brightness triggers the song sample.

 

Components:

• 4x photocells, with extra long leads for mobility
• 4x 10K resistors
• 4x flashlights (ideally head mounted ones)

 

Arduino Code:

int bluePin = 0;
int yellowPin = 1;
int greenPin = 2;
int redPin = 3;

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop()
{
  Serial.print("B");
  Serial.println(analogRead(bluePin));
  Serial.print("Y");
  Serial.println(analogRead(yellowPin));
  Serial.print("G");
  Serial.println(analogRead(greenPin));
  Serial.print("R");
  Serial.println(analogRead(redPin));
  delay(1000);
}
 

Processing Code:

/*

 * Let the Sunshine in

 */

import processing.serial.*;

import krister.Ess.*;

String buff = "";

int NEWLINE = 10;

int valB = 0, valY = 0, valG=0, valR=0;

int currentB = 0, currentY = 0, currentG=0, currentR=0;

int lastB = 0, lastY = 0, lastG = 0, lastR = 0;

int threshold = 300;

AudioChannel sunshineB;

AudioChannel sunshineY;

AudioChannel sunshineG;

AudioChannel sunshineR;

AudioChannel beatB;

AudioChannel beatY;

AudioChannel beatG;

AudioChannel beatR;

Serial port;

void setup()

{

  size(200, 200);

  // Print a list in case COM1 doesn't work out

  println("Available serial ports:");

  println(Serial.list());

  port = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[0], 9600);

  // start up Ess

  Ess.start(this);

  // load accent samples

  /*

  sunshine_B = new AudioChannel("ceelo.aif");

   sunshine_Y = new AudioChannel("aquarius.aif");

   sunshine_G = new AudioChannel("blindedByTheLight.aif");

   sunshine_R = new AudioChannel("rayOfLight.aif");

   */

  sunshineB = new AudioChannel("ceelo.aif");

  sunshineY = new AudioChannel("aquarius.aif");

  sunshineG = new AudioChannel("blindedByTheLight.aif");

  sunshineR = new AudioChannel("rayOfLight.aif");

  // load beat samples

  beatB = new AudioChannel("kick.aif");

  beatY = new AudioChannel("snare.aif");

  beatG = new AudioChannel("kick.aif");

  beatR = new AudioChannel("snare.aif");

}

 

void draw()

{

  while (port.available() > 0) {

    serialEvent(port.read());

  }

  background(valR, valG, valB);

  dropBeats();

}

 

void dropBeats(){

 // if (lastB < threshold && currentB > threshold) {

   if(valB<300){

    println("BLUE");

    beatB.play();

  }

//  if (lastY < threshold && currentY > threshold) {

  if(valY <300){

    println("YELLOW");

    beatY.play();

  }

//  if (lastG < threshold && currentG > threshold) {

  if(valG<300){

    println("GREEN");

    beatG.play();

  }

 // if (lastR < threshold && currentR > threshold) {

   if(valR<300){

    println("RED");

    beatR.play();

  }

 

  if(valB > 900){

    sunshineB.play(Ess.FOREVER);

  }

  else sunshineB.stop();

  if(valY > 900){

    sunshineY.play(Ess.FOREVER);

  }

  else sunshineY.stop();

 

    if(valG > 1000){

    sunshineG.play(Ess.FOREVER);

  }

  else sunshineG.stop();

  if(valR > 900){

    sunshineR.play(Ess.FOREVER);

  }

  else sunshineR.stop();

}

 

void serialEvent(int serial)

{

  // Are you reading data or linebreaks?

  if(serial != NEWLINE) {

    buff += char(serial);

  }

  else {

    if( "".equals(buff)) {

      return;

    }

    println(buff);

    char c = buff.charAt(0);     // What player is this data for?

    buff = buff.substring(1);     // Separate player ID

    buff = buff.substring(0, buff.length()-1);     // Discard the carriage return at the end of the buffer

    lastB = currentB;

    lastY = currentY;

    lastG = currentG;

    lastR = currentR;

    // Parse the light value into an integer

    if (c == 'B'){

      valB = Integer.parseInt(buff);

      currentB = valB;

    }

    else if (c == 'Y'){

      valY = Integer.parseInt(buff);

      currentY = valY;

    }

    else if (c == 'G'){

      valG = Integer.parseInt(buff);

      currentG = valG;

    }

    else if (c == 'R'){

      valR = Integer.parseInt(buff);

      currentR = valR;

    }

    buff = "";     // Clear the value of "buff"

  }

}

public void stop() {

  Ess.stop();

  super.stop();

}