Dan Overholt’s Matrix synthesizer is a unique new instrument that gives users a 3-dimensional tactile interface to control sound.

According to Overholt, “Matrix provides a very intuitive method of manipulating sound with an amount of control that has never before been implemented in real-time.”

The Matrix generates musical output by mapping a performer’s expressive gestures to a variety of sonic parameters. It acts as an input device that directly manipulates the parameters of a synthesis engine (eg. additive, granular, wave-terrain…), or an effect alogrithm (eg. delay, reverb, filter-banks…) in response to the changing shape of the interactive surface.

One mapping uses the individual rods of the Matrix to directly control the digital waveform of a sound, thereby “sonically sculpting” the timbre of the sound.

See Overholt’s site at MIT for more information and demos.