Jean Michel Jarre laser harp. Laser harp based on Arduino. Justification of the circuit elements

somewhat reminiscent of the story of Michael Oldfield. It seems like the music is beautiful, and in some places even brilliant, but no one wants to study it. And so on until he meets a more or less intelligent businessman who needs material to promote his studio. In Michael Oldfield's case it was Richard Branson. In the story of Jean-Michel's Oxygen, Francis Dreyfus had the final say.

This man generally did quite a lot to shape the musical tastes of France. For example, he opened for the French such world-famous performers as Pink Floyd and. Francis also believed in a young composer named Jean-Michel Jarre.

Those record companies that rejected the young musician with contempt then bit their elbows in despair. Because Oxygen has conquered the whole world. It topped the charts all over the world, which was a complete surprise for those companies.

Kraftwerk's music was lifeless. We can talk about this with every right, since the musicians of this group themselves are proud of it.

But Oxygen has become a real symphony in the world of electronic music. In this music, it was not electronics that subjugated the musician, but, on the contrary, the musician’s soul took its form in electronic harmonies, taking on hitherto unprecedented poetry and beauty.

Oxygen 4, the main part of the album, became an extremely popular tune in a variety of films.

The next album repeats the success of Oxygen. "Equinoxe" - "Equinox". It can rightfully be said that thanks to this album, Jean-Michel gained worldwide fame.

In 1981, a historical event takes place: Jean-Michel flies to China to perform a series of five concerts. After Mao's death, none of the European composers and musicians visited this country with their concerts.

At those concerts, he found something to touch the soul of the Chinese: he very subtly and masterfully used the artful interweaving of Chinese folk instruments with electronic ones.

Since then, Jean-Michel has often taken part in various social events. For example, the same expensive record in the history of France, which was sold only once.

Then he just learned about the upcoming exhibition of young artists. There was almost everything from the sphere of modern art, including paintings and sculptures. But there was no music dedicated specifically to this event. Then Jean-Michel locks himself in his studio for three months and releases the album “Music for Supermarkets.” We have already talked about the fate of this disk in a previous article. It was hugely sold at auction, after which Jean-Michel allowed it to be played on the radio only once, strictly prohibiting copying of the recordings. All other recordings of this album were demonstratively destroyed. Jean-Michel wanted this album to become something like a painting or sculpture that exists only in a single copy.

The following year he published Zoolook, which brought the musician another wave of popularity. The listeners were especially captivated by the fact that Jarre made full use of the human voice as an instrument. This was a novelty for electronic music.

NASA once ordered Jarre to hold a grand event. NASA itself was about to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary. In addition, the celebration of the sesquicentennial of the state of Texas was just being planned. Therefore, we decided to amaze the whole world with an unheard-of novelty.

The concert was called "Houston Date". It had to be played and recorded not just anywhere, but in space!

Ron McNair was supposed to play it on saxophone while aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Yes, yes, the same one that exploded during takeoff. They planned to transfer his image to the wall of the building, which was completely turned into a fantastic-sized screen. But... it didn’t work out. And for very good reasons.

Therefore, the concert in Houston still took place, but from a celebratory event it turned into a memorial one, as a tribute to America.

Six months later, Jean-Michel decides to take on another, no less grandiose event, and organizes a concert in Lyon. It just coincided with the arrival of the Pope, and the concert was almost canceled again. The authorities were barely persuaded, after which the Lyon security services were mobilized and a concert using a laser harp was held for the first time.

The laser harp is an amazing musical instrument that uses rays of light instead of strings. It is mainly used at his concerts by Jean-Michel Jarre, who invented it and glorified it himself. This instrument is notable for the fact that it has a hollow octave, on which you can play absolutely any sounds in pitch. Diatonic notes are played on green rays, and chromatic notes on red rays.

Revolutions

The next Revolutions album was almost banned. Afterwards he was banned as obscene, but with grief he was released. And everything was due to the fact that Arabic singing sounded on it. Well, times were pretty tough back then.

Jean-Michel dedicated this album to Dulcie September, who was killed in 1988 in Paris as a victim of apartheid.

At some point I found myself confused. So, what does the separation policy have to do with it? In some ways, even preferential behavior, which allows two contradictory cultures not to be an eyesore for each other. But in reality, everything is somewhat more complicated.

Apartheid is now associated with South Africa. More precisely, this is how the wiki associates him. To make it clearer, this is the same thing that the Europeans did to the Native Americans. At best, they allowed Indians to live on designated reservations.

For example, laws during apartheid prohibited marriage between specified races, outlawed sexual relations between a man and a woman of these races (immorality laws), mixed marriages were prohibited, population registration was carried out on the basis of skin color, and other regulations that were in fact all those the same actions that were once established by Hitler on the same grounds.

But because Hitler was among the losers, his policies were considered illegal and illegitimate. And practically the same policy of the winning countries was considered completely legal and worthy of respect. It was this state of affairs that both the UN and Jean-Michel Jarre fought against.

After the release of this album, Jarre decided to perform a concert in London, which he did, despite the rain. Based on some moments, one can judge that he made the rain part of the scenery, although it disabled some of the electronic instruments.

In 1989, Jean-Michel breaks his own rules, and instead of the usual grandiose concerts, he does a very small, twenty-minute mini-concert dedicated to the centenary of the Eiffel Tower.

Since then, Jean-Michel has so often timed his concerts to coincide with certain dates that it makes no sense to list them all. Hundreds of concerts and all significant. He is no longer so much a musician as a public figure who plays music.

However, in the nineties he decides to further expand the scope of his activities and becomes editor-in-chief of the magazine Figaro. The number of unrealized and outright failed projects is increasing.

As a public figure, he was used by UNESCO in 1993, when he gave a series of concerts in strategic places. Then he releases his new album, called “Chronology”. And again concerts, albums, continuation of Oxygen...

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Introduction

Modern digital technologies have changed literally everything - from our everyday life to art, in any of its manifestations. A wooden frame, strings, a bowed sound are the first associations that arise when the word harp is mentioned. But what if you imagine not one of the most ancient plucked instruments, but an instrument that works using modern technologies and produces music when you move your hand in the air? Everything seems incomprehensible and intriguing. The idea of ​​creating such an instrument was inspired by a light show by the French composer Jean-Michel Jarre. It should be said that electronic musical instruments appeared in the late 70s of the 20th century, such as electronic guitars, synthesizers, and drum sets. The first technologies for using a laser beam to create musical instruments appeared in the last decade. Unfortunately, to date they have not yet become widespread. The reasons for this are the high cost of this device and the lack of Russian production.

Object of study: the process of designing and creating electronic musical instruments;

Subject of research: the use of laser as a technological basis for the operation of electronic musical instruments;

The goal of the project: to create a musical instrument - a harp, the operating principle of which is based on the use of laser beam technology;

Research objectives:

Study and summarize information sources on the research topic;

Analyze the market for such devices;

Develop a prototype and specification of electronic components of a laser harp;

Model and produce the design of this device;

Assemble, complete, program and test the device;

Carry out a feasibility study of the project and develop recommendations for its use.

Research methods: study and systematization of information, design, computer modeling, coding (programming), testing

Historical aspect of the project

The harp is one of the oldest musical instruments of mankind (Fig. 1). It came from a bow with a stretched string, which sounded melodiously when fired. Later, the sound of the bowstring began to be used as a signal. The man who first pulled three or four strings onto a bow, which, due to their unequal length, produced sounds of different pitches, became the creator of the first harp. Even in Egyptian frescoes from the 15th century BC, harps still resemble a bow. And these harps are not the most ancient: archaeologists found the oldest harp during excavations of the Sumerian city of Ur in Mesopotamia - it was made four and a half thousand years ago, in the 26th century BC.

In ancient times in the East, Greece and Rome, the harp remained one of the most common and favorite instruments. It was often used to accompany singing or playing other instruments. The harp also appeared early in medieval Europe: here Ireland was famous for its special art of playing it, where folk singers - bards - sang their sagas to its accompaniment.

In the 20th century, due to the advent of digital technology, the laser harp was invented. The laser harp was first used at JMJ's Chinese concert back in 1981 and made a great impression on the audience. A more complex one, the two-color laser harp, was invented and manufactured in 2008 by Maurizio Carelli. An Italian software and electronics engineer has created a portable two-color laser harp called the KromaLASER KL-250. It was based on weak (only 80-100 mW) laser beams, because it was just a prototype of the currently existing Laser Harp. Carelli then developed a final and more powerful version of the Laser Harp called the KromaLASER KL-450. A characteristic feature of this instrument was a configured full octave with green beams for any diatonic notes and red beams for any chromatic notes. In the second half of 2010, Maurizio Carelli also developed a full color version of the laser device, a daylight-independent stand-alone model with a 1W laser called "KromaLASER KL-PRO", as well as another version of the laser harp capable of driving ILDA laser scanners using blue/ blue color for the implementation of the first multi-color laser controller: “KL-Kontrol”, the prototype of which was “KL-ILDA”.

As part of our research, an analysis of the market for musical instruments of this kind was carried out, as a result of which it was found that existing instruments can be classified according to their operating technology:

frameless,

frame,

by scope:

office,

concert

A frameless (open) laser harp is usually an unenclosed laser “fan” emanating from a laser projector of one design or another. That is why it is called “open” because it is not closed by anything either from the sides or from the top. When used indoors, the rays simply reach the ceiling, but in open areas they can freely go into the sky. (Fig. 2)

The first laser frame (closed) harps were single color - usually with green beams. This is due to the peculiarity of human vision: with the same power of a laser projector, green laser light is much more visible to us than red. But then two-color and multi-color laser harps began to appear. (Fig. 3)

How laser harps work

From the point of view of physical processes, the operation of a laser harp is based on the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect - i.e. the ability of a substance to emit a stream of electrons under the influence of light - the photovoltaic effect (Fig. 4). It was first observed in 1839 by the French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel. In 1888, Alexander Stoletov created the world's first photovoltaic cell, and in 1905, Albert Einstein explained the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect in his work, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

The operating principle of open laser harps is quite complex, and the main role here is played by special sensors located below, at the performer’s feet. These sensors register light flashes from the performer's hands: when the musician covers one or another beam with his palm, his palm flashes with bright light. Based on the operating principle of these sensors, the open laser harp is divided into hardware and software-hardware.

In the first, signals from photosensitive elements are processed by devices based on microcontrollers, in the second, the sensors are usually high-speed video cameras (from 60 frames per second and above), the image from which is processed by special programs on computers in real time (Fig. 5).

As part of our project, we chose the frame version of the technology. The harp in this case is a closed structure in which vertical laser beams strike photocells, as in laser signaling systems or subway turnstiles. Photocells, in turn, depending on the brightness of the light flux, produce electrical signals of a certain level, which are then converted into sounds (Fig. 6).

Economic justification for the relevance of the project

As part of this study, we analyzed the market for musical instruments in order to determine the cost of modern laser harps. Based on the results of the analysis, the following data were obtained:

the minimum price for a closed harp is 270 dollars (18,500 rubles) on the Chinese website (Aliexpress).

the highest price for an instrument is 490 thousand rubles.

Having analyzed the market for such musical devices, we conclude that laser harps are very rare in musical instrument stores, and in Russia they are completely absent. Below is information about various laser harp models (Table 1):

Table 1

Characteristics of laser harps

The number of closed-circuit harps is relatively small compared to the open type. The country of origin of both types is China. There are no analogues of this device produced in Russia. In the absence of such devices in our country and the high cost abroad determines the relevance of our work.

Design of a closed type laser harp

To functionally organize the operation of the device, we needed the following set of electronic components:

Arduino UNO microcontroller - the controller is built on ATmega328. The platform has 14 digital inputs/outputs, 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connector, a power connector, an ICSP connector, and a reset button. To operate, you need to connect the platform to your computer via a USB cable, or supply power using an AC/DC adapter or battery. (Fig. 7)

Semiconductor lasers are lasers with a gain medium based on semiconductors, where generation occurs, as a rule, due to the stimulated emission of photons during interband transitions of electrons under conditions of a high concentration of carriers in the conduction band (Fig. 8).

Resistors and photoresistors. The main functional element in our device is a photoresistor - this is a sensor whose electrical resistance changes depending on the intensity of the light incident on it. The more intense the light, the greater the flow of electrons and the lower the resistance of the element becomes (Fig. 9 and 10).

Buzzer (piezoelectric element) is a signaling device, electro-mechanical, electronic or piezoelectric. (Fig. 11)

Laboratory power supply. (Fig. 12)

An electrical signal is taken from photocells and supplied to a piezoelectric element, which produces sound.

As for the design of the future device, having considered all the options, from classic style to high-tech, we decided to develop our own. The shape of the harp frame will resemble the well-known sheet of the SIBUR company. Using the capabilities of the Fusion 360 3D modeling environment, we developed a model of the frame of the future musical instrument, which will be created as a result of work on the project (Fig. 15)

Based on the large size of the harp, we decided not to print it on a 3D printer, but to use a laser machine for cutting plywood. To do this, we used the Sliser program for Fusion 360 (Fig. 16).

Laser Harp Programming

This system is controlled by a programmable microcontroller Arduino UNO, we chose IDE as the programming environment. The IDE is the single program in which all development is carried out. It contains many functions for creating, modifying, compiling, deploying and debugging software. A fragment of the control program is presented below.

Laser Harp is a light-sensitive musical instrument. Control occurs by interrupting laser beams to send MIDI commands. These commands can be sent to various electronic devices such as synthesizers, samplers and others. Laser harp- a new unusual musical instrument that will give you many pleasant emotions!

Our project has an interesting feature - the rays are not limited by anything, they go up into the sky, creating a stunning effect! Using a harp indoors is no less interesting. Using a system of mirrors, rays can be directed in any direction, multiplied and scattered, thereby creating laser decorations, labyrinths and fractals.

The commercial version of the laser harp Evolution Harp is a full-fledged laser harp, with the ability to switch electronic from high to low and vice versa. In addition to the basic package, we offer you an exclusive harp assembly. You can choose the number, power and color of lasers at your own discretion.

VINTAGE LASER HARP

This video clearly shows how the laser harp works.

Compactness and installation:

The laser harp is easy to transport and assemble. When folded, it fits into a wooden box measuring 30x40x40 mm (included), and the tool is assembled in 5-10 minutes.

Safety :

Working with lasers poses serious dangers. We urge you to download the safety instructions. The laser harp has a position sensor, which ensures safety when working with it. When the harp is tilted at an angle of more than 20 degrees from the vertical, it automatically turns off, i.e., the rays are completely prevented from entering the eyes of the audience.

Specifications:

Lasers: semiconductor, 100, 150, 200 mW (your choice).
- Strings: the number of laser strings of your choice.
- Dimensions: box ~ 30x40x45 mm, frame ~ 120x90 mm, weight ~ 7 kg.
- Power supply: U=3V, A=5A, powered by 220V mains.
- Interface: USB (Virtual midi?)
- Connectors: USB, network.

LASER HARP (CLASSIC VERSION)

The laser harp can be custom made to suit your size and configuration needs. Additionally, we can install a laser system next to the classical strings. The Laser Harp is ideal for a science museum or children's center. Your Laser Harp can be in the shape of an old Oak tree, with lasers shining from the tree's root! Tell us your ideas and we will turn them into reality!

A laser harp in a classic design will help the musician express his creative talents in a new way and will fit perfectly into the interior due to its design and appearance

LASER HARP (HI-TECH VERSION)

The laser harp is a new musical instrument consisting of laser beams that need to be interrupted, similar to the strings of a regular harp . The laser harp can control not only audio, but also video; you choose the content yourself. The number of beams can be unlimited, but on average it starts from 8. The laser harp and music creation program is a new musical instrument that will allow you to unleash all your creative ideas. Unusual shows of the future or a laser harp, as an installation for event guests. Music and video creation can be recorded during the game and then given to guests with their own creations and music videos! The software also allows music and video creation, even for a beginner!

Laser high-tech harp in action:

The high-tech Laser Harp certainly provides a welcome alternative to the musty retro look that many have become accustomed to over the past decades, and this change is felt by a significant number of people after experiencing our new Laser Harp attraction.

DIY LASER HARP

One of the key elements for an instrument such as a laser harp is that the housing that supports the lasers and optical sensors must be completely stable to maintain excellent visibility of each laser. We use a variety of tracking devices to allow the sensors to easily locate the lasers and compensate for audio delay from playing the laser beams.

Laser harp - operating principle

In its simplest form, the Laser Harp is a multimedia midi controller device. When a beam is interrupted, the optical sensors send a message to the software, which analyzes the beam number and activates previously selected events.

In the “framed” type of laser harp, the program and hardware are a single launcher complex, with the ability to turn on from 1 button

The software is fully customizable to produce a wide variety of different visual effects.

The history of the creation of an innovative musical instrument
Laser Harp:

The phrase "Laser Harp" was first coined by inventors Geoffrey Rose and Bernard Szagner. In turn, the Italian engineer developed new software and a musical instrument called “Laser Harp controller KromaLASER KL-250.” Maurizio’s first laser harp consisted of 80-100 mW laser beams. It was a new musical instrument - a laser harp. After this, he developed the final and more powerful version of the KromaLASER KL-450 Laser Harp. A characteristic feature of the laser harp instrument is a configured full octave with green beams (for any diatonic notes) and red beams (for any chromatic notes). In the second half of 2010, Maurizio Carelli also developed a full color version of the laser device, a completely plug & play, daylight-independent stand-alone model (with 1W laser) called the KromaLASER KL-PRO Laser Harp. .

The laser harp is a high-tech musical instrument. Many may remember the laser harp at the performances of the world famous Jean Michel Jarre. Thanks to the use of this harp in his performances, Jean Michel made the light show even more futuristic. As part of this show, he played some tracks on a laser harp, blocking the laser beams and thereby forcing it to extract sounds from it.
Many years have passed, but the laser harp is still the most unusual and mysterious musical instrument. And thanks to technological progress, almost every average person has the opportunity to order a laser harp for rent.

Are you a musician or DJ?
Add unusualness and magic to your performance. After all, now it is becoming more and more difficult to surprise a sophisticated viewer.

You are the event organizer.
Add some interactivity to your event. Renting a laser harp will make your event extraordinary. Invite your guests to play the most unusual instrument.

A laser harp is a software and hardware complex consisting of a laser, which can be green or colored. Special sensory equipment with which laser beams begin to make sounds. Fog generator for favorable perception of laser beams.

In some cases, to add scale to the event and enhance the visual effect, you can install two more laser projectors, which, by the way, can, for example, draw a company logo.

Options for using a laser harp:

• Musical arrangement of the event
• Meeting with guests
• Support for stage performances
• Stage light and music show
• Club party

Often the image of a harp is used as a symbol of music, but everyone knows that it is a complex instrument that is difficult to master. There are many different instruments that have been created to be electronic, and the harp is no exception.

Description of the laser harp: how it originated and where it first appeared

A laser harp is an electronic musical instrument that consists of several light beams. Lasers can be of different lengths and numbers, starting from 5 and up to 28, and the range and sound capabilities of the instrument depend on this.

These rays need to be blocked with your hands, and this process is similar to touching the strings on a regular classical harp. Also because of such rays it was nicknamed the laser harp. The evolution of such an instrument was observed back in 1981, when such an instrument began to be used at the Chinese JMJ concert. In this case, it is worth noting that the harp made a great impression on the audience, and it must also be said that from that time on it gained this kind of popularity.

The development of the instrument began in 1979, and, as it became known, after a year of work on it, it began to appear at concerts, and musicians wanted to learn more about it and try to play it.

The most interesting thing is that this instrument is in no way similar to the classical harp, but it is its prototype, which can be quite interesting in appearance. Also in this case, it is worth noting that the instrument is a kind of classical harp, and its sound is also different from the original.

How the tool was created

In order to create such an instrument, a lot of time and effort was required, but this is due to the fact that connecting it to a synthesizer became a problematic process. Also in this case, adjustments were constantly made to improve its appearance, but the result that we see now suggests that the creator of such an instrument tried very hard to make it look most beautiful and impressive.

Benefits of the tool

Of course, such an instrument will not pose any threat to the hands, because many people know that when playing strings, the fingertips constantly become rough. This effect is especially common among musicians who play the harp, since constant contact with the strings makes itself felt.

Of course, this cannot compare with the classical sound of the harp, but its laser look is also created for more modern music, because it is very difficult to imagine before your eyes a classical performance of, for example, G. F. Handel’s “Concerto for Harp and Orchestra” in the game on the laser view of the tool.

For the most part, the impression of such an instrument is created in the evening, since it is in this case that lasers can be very beautiful, and the movement of the musician’s hands with interruptions in the glow of the rays also has a rather impressive appearance.

At daytime concerts, this type of instrument will not bring such courage and a bewitching view, but as soon as it gets dark, lasers can amaze even experienced music lovers. Everyone knows that the use of different types of instruments is also mainly based on visual perception, since in any case we all look at the appearance, and this helps us to feel the musical accompaniment well.

Also, thanks to such a harp, you can create many different modern compositions that can be easily used in different types of music. It can be electronic music, modern rock and punk rock, pop music and hip-hop. This becomes quite convenient, since you can understand that a given instrument can have different sounds. Depending on what synthesizer was connected.

Where is the laser harp sound used?

Since it is an expensive instrument, it is not used very often, and it is quite difficult to learn how to play it masterfully. This instrument is mainly used at contemporary music concerts. A laser harp can be brought to an event and used as an accompaniment to different styles. Although this is not a full-fledged harp sound, it is worth noting that this can be used mostly as a visual addition, as it looks very impressive.

How to make a laser harp

You can create a laser harp with your own hands, but this will require a lot of effort, materials and time. The fact is that lasers must be reflected by small special mirrors, but at the same time these rays must react to the obstacle of the hand and at this time make a sound.

In this case, this instrument is connected directly to the synthesizer, and when the rays are touched, the harp produces a sound.

In order to create such an instrument, you will need a synthesizer, a power supply, a place for the operating mechanism (sensors, lamps, mirrors), motion sensors and lamps that will reflect light rays. All these elements must be fastened and connected in such a way that the entire structure has a high-quality appearance.

It is very important to pay attention to connecting motion sensors to the synthesizer, since without this factor the laser harp will not work.

In order to create such an instrument at home, you need to know the specifics of electronic music and understand the mechanism of the synthesizer.

Photo of the instrument

We invite you to consider what a laser harp looks like. Photos of different types of such a tool will help you understand the principle of its operation, as well as have an idea of ​​what kind of tool it is and by what mechanism it works.

Bottom line

The laser harp is a rather complex instrument that can fascinate with just its appearance. In order to understand on what principle it works, you should first note that it is connected to a synthesizer, which has the ability to produce various kinds of sounds.

For the most part, the laser harp is captivating in its appearance and requires some skill to play it. The harp is generally a fairly difficult instrument to master as a musical skill, but this type of melodic accompaniment requires great precision.

The laser harp is not so popular at the moment, since for the most part musicians may give preference to classical instruments that can be at the same time beautiful and have high-quality sound.