Author name: Alter Instruments

Various accessories, including sensors, can be used to transform the sound of an instrument using new gestures.

The looper is a very popular way of augmenting acoustic instruments. Dedicated technologies enable loops to be managed with ever greater precision.

Recording technologies have made it possible to create musical works that include triggering pre-recorded sequences, and later, works that use score following.

Adding sensors directly to the body of the instrument is one solution for augmenting musical instruments. This process requires new gestures on the part of the musician.

There are accessories that change the timbre of an instrument without actually being part of it. These are called mutes.

Let’s take a look at the physical or mechanical augmentation of instruments. This will show us the principles of augmentation so that we can better understand electronic instrumental augmentations.

Augmented instruments reflect the desire to extend the sonic possibilities of established musical instruments. To get to the heart of the matter, let’s start with a definition.

Alexander Mihalič and Teresa Rosenberg, founders of Alter Instruments, answer our questions about augmented instruments. Originally published in La Lettre du Musicien, 13 November 2024.