Adapting the trombone: a suite of electro-acoustic interventions for the piece Rouse

Three electro-acoustic systems were devised for a new trombone work, Rouse. This paper presents the technical systems and outlines their musical context and motivation. The uSlide measures trombone slide-extension by a minimal-hardware ultrasonic technique. An easy calibration procedure maps linear extension to the slide "positions" of the player. The eMouth is a driver that replaces the mouthpiece, with software emulation of trombone tone and algorithmic musical lines, allowing the trombone to appear to play itself. The eMute is built around a loudspeaker unit, driven so that it affects strongly the player's embouchure, allowing fine control of complex beat patterns. eMouth and eMute, under control of the uSlide, set up improvisatory worlds that are part of the composed architecture of Rouse.