Man-Machine Interface MMI

Pressure and Touch Sensitive Controller

The Man-Machine Interface, or MMI, is a passive touch and pressure sensitive controller which allows the user to direct CV and audio signals at will. The MMI consists of three input/output jacks, and five body contact surfaces in glorious gold.

The zig-zag body contacts correspond to the input/output jacks, with the top zig-zag connecting to the top jack, the middle zig-zag connecting to the middle jack, and the lower zig-zag connecting to the lower jack. The spiral patterns in between the zig-zags are comprised of the two adjacent jacks, so the upper spiral is comprised of the upper and middle jack, while the lower spiral is comprised of the middle and lower jack.

In order to operate the MMI, the user can touch any two points with their fingers, patch cables, a piece of fruit or vegetable, or any other conductive substance or object, in order to complete the connection. The degree of contact made with the MMI, and the resistance of the object completing the circuit, will determine the output that is sent along the circuit. For instance, if a user were to patch a VCO into the top jack, and patch the MMI into a filter in the middle jack, the VCO will be sent to the filter when the topmost zig-zag and lower zig-zag are connected by two fingers, for instance.

But how about the spirals? The spirals offer a way to make a connection with one finger. Using the example from before, the connection will instantly complete when the user touches the upper spiral pattern. Using this principle, it becomes possible to use the MMI in unusual and interesting ways, such as a rudimentary keyboard, a drum controller, a switch and any other number of weird and exciting purposes.

It is also possible to combine several MMI - using two different MMI, it is possible to reach across one zig-zag to another zig-zag, in order to make a different connection, or to place a particularly long vegetable across all the contacts just to see what will happen. The MMI is an unusual patching system for the experimental musician, and lends itself well to all manner of experimentation and weird instruments.

The MMI can bleed a tiny bit of signal when using sharp VCO waves like square waves, while other sounds like sine waves will have softer responses. This can easily be corrected with amplification or attenuation as needed.

The MMI takes up 4HP and is skiff friendly, and is also suitable for installing in external boxes as a passive control unit. You can combine any number of MMI to create increasingly complex keyboard-like arrangements, drum pad matrixes or advanced switch systems.

https://www.herzlichlabs.com/products/touch-and-pressure-controller-4hp-51097