Ruin & Wesen is an internal collaboration company focused on building innovative, open source electronic music instruments: Ruin is Phil Baljeu, based in Canada, Wesen is Manuel Odendahl, based in Germany. They build both MIDI controllers and synthesizers using a mix of digital and analog technologies: Ruin builds nasty, gritty, industrial-sounding analog modular synthesizers, while Wesen focuses on slick digital controlling algorithms. Both Ruin and Wesen are musicians, with Ruin doing ambient core and harsh industrial beats, while Wesen does his own melodic take on minimal tech-house. So they know the products musicians need, and build devices that are immediately useful. The first product of Ruin & Wesen is the Minicommand, a completely open source MIDI controller: you can download firmwares built by other people (and a host of firmwares written by Wesen himself), or write your own using the Mididuino environment. Once the firmware has been flashed, the device is completely standalone, and doesn't need a computer to run. It comes with an extensive set of firmwares to control the Elektron Machinedrum and Elektron Monomachine, completely changing the way you work with these devices.

In this workshop, held by Wesen, attendees will enter the world of MIDI hacking. After a short introduction into MIDI (the protocol, the uses), programming with Arduino and some basic electronics, they will form small groups to build a MIDI controller project. Using the extensive MIDI framework developed at Ruin & Wesen, as well as a multitude of electronic sensors, the projects can go from a simple ribbon controller to sensors involving pressure, temperature, and movement, or traditional MIDI controllers and sequencers. Also, traditional synthesizers and controllers can be hacked to extend their functionality (for example, playing polyphonic notes on the MachineDrum, or using a PadKontrol as a sequencer).

Workshop location and date: 19th Friday Niu - Free entrance
(Almogàvers, 208 - 08018 Barcelona)

http://www.ruinwesen.com