The instrument's multi-faceted aluminium chassis is covered by oak veneer, contrasting with the sleek, dark sensor panels, which create a unique, pyramid-shaped control surface. NEP7UNO is a DIY exploration of 'musical entanglements', with origins in accessibility design research. It demonstrates how tonal constraints, together with non-linear sensor mapping, can be conducive to experimenting with gestural duration and dynamics to manipulate carrier and modulator oscillators with high-resolution and low latency. This piece shows my progress as a digital luthier, using my knowledge of design engineering to gradually incorporate advanced creative computing practices. Ultimately, the instrument has become an indispensable component of my solo performances, serving as an accompaniment to my spoken-word poetry.

The instrument runs on a Bela board, combining low-latency performance with custom capacitive sensing hardware based on Trill. This setup allows for continuous data streaming over I2C, providing real-time FM synthesis control. The software will soon be open-sourced, as it is designed to be shared and further modified.

NEP7UNO has been recognised for its unique design, winning 1st prize at a Drake Music Hackathon and 2nd prize in the element14 Music Tech Design Challenge. It has been performed live across venues in London’s experimental music scene, featuring at Iklectik, New River Studios and Ormside Projects, as well as La Mina and Deskomunal in Valencia and Barcelona respectively.

Performance at Iklectik – https://eevee1.bandcamp.com/album/live-iklectik-20230325