Engineering overview of the Integrated Cybernetic Music System research project

Abstract

The Center for Music Research at the Florida State University School of Music has embarked on an ambitious research project which will culminate in the creation of an Integrated Cybernetic Music System (ICMS), a general purpose computer system for music research, composition, performance, and instruction. The ICMS project involves the design and construction of several computer devices, and the completed ICMS will be able to read printed scores, "hear" melodies either sung or played on musical instruments, play music automatically through a powerful multi-voice synthesizer, and print music via standard computer printing hardware. All components of the ICMS can communicate through a single central database. The ICMS will permit interactive editing of music in standard music notation.The creation of the ICMS represents an interesting engineering challenge, because music is inherently such a complex and high-bandwidth artform. Each user's "music station" must perform special purpose computations locally. The ICMS research will include experimentation with new types of "human input" devices, which will permit real-time user control of computer-aided performances.