LEMUR musical robots featured in Pat Metheny's Orchestrion

LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots is proud to announce that over 40 of its robotic musical instruments are featured on Pat Metheny's Orchestrion album and tour. This is the culmination of a collaboration between LEMUR, a group of artists who create robotic musical instruments, and the 17-time Grammy winning guitarist.

LEMUR produced an orchestra of instruments for Metheny, including GuitarBots (LEMUR's specially-invented robotic slide guitars), mallet instruments (marimba, vibes and bells comprising over 100 beaters) and a large array of drums and percussion.

Like LEMUR's previously created instruments, these are computer-controlled mechanized acoustic musical instruments which can perform music by and with human musicians. LEMUR's instruments, augmented with instruments by other roboticists, comprise the Orchestrion, a robotic orchestra entirely under Metheny's compositional and improvisational control.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• LEMUR
• musical
• robotics
• instruments
• pat
• metheny

[zwartepiet412]

how does he control an instrument such as the drums? can any of the robots receive input from other robots? i think it would be cool for instance if pat plays a phrase and the marimba interprets that phrase in a slightly different way, and then the bass and drums play off the marimba and then several measures later change the rhythym a bit...

[esinger3141]

They all respond to MIDI so anything is possible. If you wanted robots to respond to each other, the best way would be to generate the responses internally in a computer using a program like MaxMSP. A lot of the music is pre-composed and played back from computer. Pat also plays some of the instruments live using his MIDI guitar to the instruments.

[Kohntarkosz]

Wait, did I see a Synclavier sitting behind Pat?! Is he actually using that, or is it "just for show"?

[esinger3141]

You did, and he does still use it. He doesn't tour with it any more, but he still records with it.

[miccuenta]

So basically these are MIDI-controlled (electro)acoustic instruments (see FAQ #4). It's an interesting concept, as the output is not a synthesizer sound but a more "humanized" (electro)acoustically generated sound.

[esinger3141]

Exactly. To see more LEMUR robots in action, go to lemurbots (dot) org

[minami935]

Lemur musical is great.

[dioewms]

I just saw Metheny in concert at Michigan State University performing with his Orchestrion montage. It was the most fascinating performance I have seen in my life. One man controlling what must have been 30 music making devices. I've been a fan for over 20 years. I've seen Metheny in concert 5 times. This one ... is totally mind - blowing. If you have a chance to see it in person please do so! Sit as close as you can afford to sit to the stage. Yes it's the music but it's also the motion too!

[nancyl2]

Love watching an Artist create his particular work of art. Fantastical this truly is. :-) To my Angel THANK YOU once again from bringing me back to such a fun place. : -) <3

[esinger3141]

He uses a combination of these techniques. Much of the music is composed, but he does play some instruments live via his MIDI guitar.