The WINDTUNER is a mixture of a sound installation and a musical instrument. It consists of a cloth measuring 6.4m x 2.7m, to which a matrix of 256 piezo electroacoustic transducers are attached. The matrix consists of 16 groups of 16 piezos each.
The electroacoustic transducers are coupled and can each be fed with a mono signal. Thanks to the eyelets on all sides the windtuner can be used in various different ways: on the ceiling or in any shape and structure, for instance as a tent or a curtain. Due to its flexible structure, the windtuner can also wave freely in the wind. The distance between the loudspeaker and the recipient’s ear is therefore always subject to constant fluctuation, thus ensuring the permanent modulation of the projected compositions. The piezo electroacoustic transducers can only produce a limited range of frequencies, about 1 to 8 khz. The locatability of the sounds remains unaffected so that composition details can be precisely allocated in space.
The first composition reflects the metaphorical approach of the antenna-like receiver which serves to catch ubiquitous waves and vibrations in closed rooms or in the open. It starts with the musical state of the calibration of the system and then changes into specific musical and verbal messages received over the air, which after a certain stabilisation vanish again in rudimentary and fragmented interference sounds. The piece is designed as an endless loop so that it can operate as a permanent installation.
