Music and Machines

At the turn of the 19th century, the invention of electricity brought about enthusiasm and curiosity which could hardly be predicted before. In several decades, the Dynamophone was patented as the first electric keyboard instrument of history which was to inspire many others. Almost none of those designed in the first half of the 20th century managed to survive after the 50s. However, in the way they opened, other keyboard instruments have been evolving which resemble conventional acoustic instruments, and therefore are considered more conservative in comparison. After the 70s, the growing value assigned to design opened new horizons in electronic keyboard design. Incorporating electronic means of sound generation, these electronic keyboard instruments were freed from many limitations of conventional instruments. This book intends to elucidate on the influence of industrial design and interaction design on the evolution of music in the context of musical instrument interface design and might be helpful to researchers working on instrument-performer interaction. In addition, readers who wish to see the evolution of music from a different perspective may find this book interesting.