The interface revolution continues to roll on and this time round musical instruments are getting the treatment. Reactable is the result of this treatment, more than just a touch screen surface, it is a tangible interface. Developers Sergi Jordà, Marcos Alonso, Martin Kaltenbrunner and Günter Geiger working at the University of Spain developed the Reactable over 3 years, releasing it publicly in 2006. With soldering irons and circuit boards the Reactable was born. A musical instrument at its most basic, it is much much more. Analogue synth, mixing desk, sampler, metronome, sequencer and harmonizer, all built into one silky smooth interactive surface interface, a Tangible user interface –TUI -.

Various blocks called tangibles are placed on the surface and used to interact with various functions of the Reactable. Printed onto the faces of the tangibles are a black and white pattern or fiducials that are recognized by a camera on the underside of the table. Also built into the underside of the table is the projector that provides the image on the Reactables surface. The camera is responsible for driving the interface, the projector gives you feedback and the software reacTIVision brings it all together, presenting fluid motions and instant reactions.

The TUI recognizes movement and rotation of the fiducials, proximity relative to each other is also used to build connections between tangibles. Twists and turns alter the sounds, placing down a tangible to kick of the next drum sequence or twisting the master volume tangible, this is the latest in interface design wrapped in the coolest of musical instruments.

2010 saw a mobile version of the Reactable released for iPad, a logical progression. While real tangibles aren’t used the touch interface is put to good use on the virtual tangibles. It’s popularity isn’t limited to the Apple tablets either, they are selling commercially to musicians and being installed Nero has used the Tangible in their latest track Promises, an excellent track made even better.

The Reactable revolution also involves collaborative DJ’ing, the interactive surface draws multiple DJ’s around, with plenty of surface area to work with, making it’s easy for 4 or 6 people to co-operate in producing a track. Not many musical instruments can claim that. Is this the ultimate studio in an interactive box or another passing fad, only time will tell. Here at Highpants all we know is if it sounds good keep turning it up, play it loud.

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Buddha’s Brother out…