Review: Percussa AudioCubes

Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By David Battino

SHINE ON, YOU CRAZY DICE

BONUS MATERIAL
Dressing Up a Square and pdf of specifications.

AUDIO PROCESSING

AudioCubes' most unusual feature is their ability to process audio and transmit it over infrared to adjacent cubes. With enough cubes, you could set up an optical modular synthesizer — patching oscillators, sample players, granulators, and distortion effects together in ever-changing ways — simply by shuffling boxes. The circuitry has 9-bit, 32 kHz resolution, which produces a cool lo-fi effect (see Web Clip 2).

AudioCubes currently offer 12 synthesis and processing algorithms that you configure with another Max/MSP patch. Some parameters can be altered on the fly by signals from adjacent cubes. Percussa currently regards the audio functions as experimental and thus skips over the details in the manual, but it gave me some preliminary documentation (see Web Clip 3).

I initially had trouble aligning the cubes precisely enough to establish optical audio flow. Percussa suggested moving them farther apart to prevent the sensors from saturating, which helped.

SQUARE DEAL?

A pair of AudioCubes costs $399, and a set of four will set you back $699. It's hard to put a monetary value on such a unique device, of course. Similar tangible interfaces with visual feedback exist only in labs and universities, and most require pricey projectors and bulky furniture (see Web Clip 4 for an extensive list). Boutique instruments naturally cost more, but you usually pay more for anything unique. Consider, too, that AudioCubes look striking, work with popular software, and offer enormous potential for customization. Inventor Bert Schiettecatte fairly bubbles with ideas, and his Max-based development system allows him (and savvy users) to implement new features quickly.

However, the construction of the cubes is flimsy. They just feel cheap, with sharp edges, creaking joints, and a wiggly top panel. On the other side of the die, so to speak, the type of DIY performer who'd be most attracted to AudioCubes would probably enjoy repackaging their electronics into custom housings. The circuit board's design should make that relatively easy.

A bigger question is how well the cubes facilitate musical expression. Throughout history, the instruments that have succeeded are the ones that fluidly map gestures to sound, supporting both nuance and drama as well as a path to virtuosity. I can imagine AudioCubes coming alive in the blazing hands of a juggler or turntablist, but I found the sensors too inconsistent to allow satisfying control. At present, AudioCubes shine as a cool-looking device for experimentation and live performance. Only you can say whether that novelty justifies the boutique price; the results will depend on your creativity.

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David Battino (batmosphere.com) is the coauthor of The Art of Digital Music (Backbeat Books, 2005) and the audio editor of the O'Reilly Digital Media site (digitalmedia.oreilly.com).

PRODUCT SUMMARY

MIDI controller and audio processor
set of two	$399
set of four	$699

PROS: Exotic look. Flexible software. Huge DIY potential. Phlegmatic lo-fi sound.

CONS: Flimsy construction. Inconsistent sensors. Volatile memory. USB cable may block one sensor. Expensive.

FEATURES	1	2	3	4	5
EASE OF USE	1	2	3	4	5
DOCUMENTATION	1	2	3	4	5
VALUE	1	2	3	4	5

Percussa
percussa.com