My name is Liam Lacey and I’m a software developer and musician originally from Wales but now based in Bristol, UK. As a day job I’m the Head of Development for British hardware synthesiser manufacturer Modal Electronics, helping in developing the software for many of their products. However in my spare time you’ll find me working on a range of music tech development projects, writing articles for AskAudio magazine, or writing songs and playing guitar.
Music and software programming are two of my biggest passions in life, and Music Tech Fest – and it’s Hack Camp in particular – has always been one of the best places and platforms for me to combine them. My biggest project to date has been the Vintage Toy Synthesiser – a vintage wooden toy piano converted into a standalone digital synth – which won me a trip to MTF Berlin 2016 to present the project on stage; however prior to that I’ve taken part in the Hack Camp a couple of times, developing anything from novel MIDI controllers to generative music software, though I’ve also attended as a representative for the AlphaSphere MIDI controller which I used to develop software for.
The most exciting project I’m currently working on is a collaboration with instrument designer and musician Moldover. He’s currently building a new version of his MC1 instrument – an augmented microphone controller – which I’ve been helping him write the firmware for. However I also have half a dozen other projects on the go too - DIY guitar FX pedals, a MIDI visualiser application, and Vintage Toy Synthesiser v2 to name a few. I love to explore new and novel ways for creating and performing music, and I attend as many music hackathons as possible for opportunities to do this.
I also try and educate as much as possible. I write articles for AskAudio magazine - producing tutorials on music tech DIY and hacking or reviewing new development products – and I have also been an associate lecturer at The University of the West of England where I helped teach software programming on a music technology course.
I also compose and record my own music, with guitar being my main instrument. I’m into a wide variety of genres, and have produced everything from ambient electronica to death metal; however at the moment I’m focusing on singer-songwriter style music that I plan to release someday in the near future.
I’ve never been disappointed by the 24-hour Hack Camp (or MTF as a whole), and am always amazed and inspired by not just the projects that come out of it but also by the people you meet there. It’s a great place to learn new things, and it’s definitely helped me become the developer and musician I am today. Enjoy MTF Stockholm – I’m sure it’ll be a blast.
