The GMEM - Centre national de création musicale's research and development activities are based on the following projects in the field of technologies for music and sound:
- Microsound synthesis with GMU
The GMEM is developing a sound research environment dedicated to granular/microsonoric synthesis. The fundamental principle, initiated by the work of the physicist Denis Gabor and taken up by many composers such as Iannis Xenakis or Curtis Roads, is the accumulation of small sound events to create complex macro structures by emergence. The proposed environment consists of a real-time interface in MaxMSP and a prototype of micro-sound analysis/synthesis in delayed time.
- Space and spatialization with Holophon
This project, initiated in 1996, is dedicated to the writing of space and sound spatialization, in other words, to be able to position and set in motion captured, pre-recorded or synthesized sounds on several loudspeakers. One of the main achievements of this project is the Holo-Edit sound trajectory writing software.
- Interactive and multi-touch interpretation interfaces with ProGest
A gesture extension device for the control of musical processes.
The GMEM sets up multipoint tactile devices (interactive table, touch screen). Research is focused on the ergonomics of the hardware/software interface and on new metaphors for the control of synthesis and spatialization.
Within these projects, the GMEM is particularly interested in the problems of writing, whether they are directed towards a certain fixity of the medium (music on tape) or towards a writing of control and interpretation (real-time synthesis/processing).