The Design of Tangible Digital Musical Instruments

Here we present guidelines that highlight the impact of haptic feedback upon the experiences of computer musicians using Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs). In this context, haptic feedback offers a tangible, bi-directional exchange between a musician and a DMI. We propose that by adhering to and exploring these guidelines the application of haptic feedback can enhance and augment the physical and affective experiences of a musician in interactions with these devices. It has been previously indicated that in the design of haptic DMIs, the experiences and expectations of a musician must be considered for the creation of tangible DMIs and that haptic feedback can be used to address the physical-digital divide that currently exists between users of such instruments.