Feedback Instrument

The Feedback Instrument operates on controlled acoustic feedback generated between an omnidirectional microphone, loudspeakers, and a Max processing patch. Real-time dynamic filtering, spectral processing, and subtle distortion continuously reshape the feedback loop, producing a hushed yet restless ambience that erupts into vivid spectral blooms when triggered by a sudden acoustic event, such as a handclap. Crucially, this interaction is purely acoustic, operating without physical sensors, giving the system an organic autonomy while keeping it exquisitely sensitive to human presence.

As the most intangible instrument in my body of work, it transforms the acoustic space itself into the instrument, unlocking vast potential for installation, performance, and composition.

Technical Info

This instrument consists of an omnidirectional condenser microphone, loudspeakers, and a Max patch running real-time audio processing between them. The core concept relies on a clever application of pfft~ to implement a quasi-spectral gate. Because pfft~ allows spectral gating, or even momentarily silencing audio signals to varying degrees depending on frequency bandwidth, it can modify the colors of the acoustic feedback in real time. Downstream effects like dynamic filtering, spectral processing, and subtle distortion serve as timbre articulations, while the pfft~ engine remains the core system.