Some reflections on the relation between augmented and smart musical instruments

Abstract

Augmented musical instruments (AMIs) consist of the augmentation of conventional instruments by means of sensor or actuator technologies. Smart musical instruments (SMIs) are instruments embedding not only sensor and actuator technology, but also wireless connectivity, onboard processing, and possibly systems delivering electronically produced sounds, haptic stimuli, and visuals. This paper attempts to disambiguate the concept of SMIs from that of AMIs on the basis of existing instances of the two families. We counterpose the features of these two families of musical instruments, the processes to build them (i.e., augmentation and smartification), and the respective supported practices. From the analysis it emerges that SMIs are not a subcategory of AMIs, rather they share some of their features. It is suggested that smartification is a process that encompasses augmentation, as well as that the artistic and pedagogical practices supported by SMIs may extend those offered by AMIs. These comparisons suggest that SMIs have the potential to bring more benefits to musicians and composers than AMIs, but also that they may be much more difficult to create in terms of resources and competences to be involved. Shedding light on these differences is useful to avoid confusing the two families and the respective terms, as well as for organological classifications.