Noisegate 67 for metasaxophone: composition and performance considerations of a new computer music controller

Noisegate 67 was the first fully interactive composition written for the Computer Metasaxophone, a new computer controller interface for electroacoustic music. The Metasaxophone is an acoustic tenor saxophone retrofitted with an onboard computer microprocessor and an array of sensors that convert performance data into MIDI control messages. While maintaining full acoustic functionality the Metasaxophone is a versatile MIDI controller. This paper discusses the compositionally driven technical and aesthetic concerns that went into building the Metasaxophone, and the resulting aesthetic implementations in Noisegate 67. By juxtaposing the compositional approach to the saxophone before and after the electronic enhancements an attempt is made to expose working paradigms of composition for metainstruments.