Background

The main aims of Cela are:

1. To allow for a more life like musical instrument by self generation of patterns and notes

2. To be simple enough for anyone to pick up and play

3. To not feel static and allow for many sounds and effects from the instrument

The Cela was built with two underlying concepts:

1. Conway's Game of Life

2. MIDI Launchpads

Conway's Game of Life is a Celluler Automita and works on the principle that cells can become alive or die based on the cells around them. The standard configuration and the one that starts in Cela is:

• Less then 2 cells or more the 4, the centre cell will die (due to over/under population)

• 3 cells alive next to the centre cell and it will become alive (birth)

This set up allows for cells to stay alive with 3 or 4 neighbours but still allows for changes with more or less cells alive.

MIDI Launchapds are a standard grid size of buttons that light up. They work on the function that they control a MIDI value and therefor can output triggers to samples and other events. The function of pressing a button and something happens is a great mapping which inspired Cela to try and have a similar feel.

The idea for a cellular automita based device is not the first of its kind. Nadjah, N., Bezerra, H. D and Mourelle, L.M. (2018) looked at a fundermantal comuter based hardware that worked with the principle of cellular automta.

The oldest M4L device that has a function of a Cellular Automata is ZlatkoBaracskai's zb.cellular 1.0 (2011). It allows for a user controlled grid size where the notes of the grid are deteremed by chords or melodies. This lays a great foundation of what Cellular Automata can be for musical instruments.

Following ZlatkoBaracskai we then had Ndivuyo (2021) with Cellular Degradation which looked more at the propertys of the sound being automated by the cells. The use of the Cells to generate the sounds is also their but has more of a focus on the type of sound via the cellular automata.

Following Ndivuyo the last one we have is IrisS02 (2022) with Iris Ipsum Cellular Mod 1.0. This device switches from a 2-D Cellular Automata to a 1-D which generates a 2-D images. The 1-D switches different notes on with control of how the sound is generated.

The latest study we have about Cellular Automata for music is Lugo, I., & Alatriste-Contreras, M. G. (2024) who looked at generating the underlying grid to be in a musicicaly intresting and pleasing grid through the gerenration of Cellular Automata. Their grid was a 50 x 50 grid which is very large for a musical device but shows one of the fundermantal challanges, and solution, of Cellular Automata devices.

            IrisS02. (2022, April 26). Iris Ipsum Cellular Mod 1.0. www.maxforlive.com. https://maxforlive.com/library/device/8105/iris-ipsum-cellular-mod

            Lugo, I., & Alatriste-Contreras, M. G. (2024, November 29). Musical composition and 2D cellular automata based on music intervals. arXiv.org. https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.19844

            Ndivuyo. (2021, February 18). Cellular Degradation 1.0. www.maxforlive.com. https://maxforlive.com/library/device/6997/cellular-degradation

Nedjah, N., Bezerra, H.D. and Mourelle, L.M. (2018) 'Automatic generation of harmonious music using cellular automata based hardware design,' Integration, 62, pp. 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vlsi.2018.03.002.

ZlatkoBaracskai. (2011, August 1). zb.cellular 1.0. www.maxforlive.com. https://maxforlive.com/library/device/836/zb-cellular