Tim Palm - DJ Arthro
Tim Palm is DJ Arthro. He’s an engineer, an electronic music producer and inventor. He drives a spaceship, he builds things with software and electronics, he’s a drummer, he produces and releases dance music and performs it live - mostly using his nose to control all of the instruments.
Tim teamed up with some other brilliant MTFers at our labs in Stockholm last year, and those collaborations have resulted in him starting a new company, winning financial and business support for his team’s invention from the university incubator KTH Innovation, heading to London to play a sell-out live show, his music’s been featured on BBC radio, and it’s been picked up as the theme to a new weekly podcast to promote Stockholm City that’s being released soon.
AI Transcription
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
music, people, tech fest, rig, play, thought, nice, spaceship, ableton, software, ep, dj, synth, mtf, wheelchair, vocalist, drumming, drum machines, kth, tim
SPEAKERS
Andrew Dubber, Tim Palm
Andrew Dubber
Hi, I’m Dubber. I’m the director of Music Tech Fest. And this is the MTF podcast. So for background Music Tech Fest, not so much a place where people come to show off the things that they’ve made, or sell their shiny new products to you, but it’s to start new things with new people, things that might go on to have a bigger life beyond Music Tech Fest. It’s about collaboration across different disciplines, working with brilliant people you might not otherwise have imagined you’d ever work with, and creating things you might not have expected. And then those things going on to become significant to have a life beyond the MTF Labs, creating entirely new markets, addressing grand challenges. That’s kind of the whole point of what we do. It’s what we mean when we say innovation. So I want to introduce you to someone who really captures a lot of what MTF is about. He’s an artist, an engineer, a music producer, and educator is someone who will try new things to see if they’ll make the world a better place. And he’s someone who totally gets the value of collaboration. Tim Palm is DJ Arthro. He drives a spaceship. He builds things with software and electronics. He’s a drummer, he produces and releases dance, music and performance at live. What he tends not to do quite so much is use his arms to make any of those things happen. The arthro in DJ Arthro is short for arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which is why Tim uses the wheelchair and why when he plays music. Mostly he’s playing it with his nose. Tim teamed up with some other brilliant MTF Labs and stuck on last year. And those collaborations have resulted in him starting a new company winning financial and business support for his team’s invention from the university incubator kth innovation, heading to London to play a sellout live show his musics been featured on BBC Radio. It’s been picked up as the theme to a new weekly podcast to promote Stockholm city that’s going to be released soon. And why he’ll certainly be back to the next MTF Labs in Stockholm in September, which I’ll tell you more about and how you can get involved right after the interview. Here’s DJ Arthro. Tim, thanks so much for joining for the MTF podcast
Tim Palm
Nice to be here.
Andrew Dubber
So you’re known as DJ Arthro. I want to unpick that a little bit. Why DJ?
Tim Palm
Because the thing is my artist name comes from my diagnosis, which is arthrogryposis multiplex congenita in Latin. So if you search arthro Yeah, which is a Latin word. Yeah, we get all this like medicine. I get all this like, for some reason and all this kind of weird stuff. Yeah. So I wanted to have some way to like not find medical stuff when searching for my name, right? I still have the diagnosis name in the artist name. Okay, and by putting DJ in front of it, find me and not medicine, because because what you do is more like DJing than it is like MCing for instance. Yeah, okay, but it’s not really DJing what, you know, when I started, I didn’t know that it wouldn’t be okay. I started to, like, producer, and when I didn’t know stuff, it was like, Yeah, a producer is DJ or a DJ is a producer. So I felt like I should become the DJ, because I will play on stage, right? And then the first year I bought for like playing live. Was this. DJ equipment was it like, like, pioneer days, it was a pioneer DDJ-WeGo. It’s a small one. Because my arms can’t really reach for the big one. So I bought a small one and then mapped it and made it like function for me. Okay, we have like the functionality of the bigger ones mapped into a smaller one. All right, this is an audio format. So describe what what the limitations that you’re you’re talking about? Somebody who can’t see you, right? Yeah, so my diagnosis, basically, it makes my joints unable to move, it’s like 30 degrees movements, like an arms and legs. And because of that, my muscles also losing strength. Right? It’s like a two part situation. So I’m sitting on a, like, special built wheelchair. And I’m performing performing with my nose.
Andrew Dubber
Right. Right. So you have sort of limited range of motion of the limbs.
Tim Palm
Yeah.
Andrew Dubber
But - a flexible face. Yeah, you can actually operate gear like that. So let’s talk about your gear. Yeah. So I, okay, somebody like me, who recognises that it’s an iPad, but not necessarily the software that you’re using what’s actually in the rig.
Tim Palm
So we start with the iPad. The main application is called the touchAble, which is an app built to integrate with Ableton, which is like the main software I use. So it’s fully integrated so I can control the MIDI software can control the CC and the everything is fully functional. Launching clips and scenes in BPM and everything and I can rearrange it however I want. If I want the big buttons, I can get big buttons I want, right? So I have this like template that I use to perform.
Andrew Dubber
Okay, but there’s more going on than an iPad. Okay.
Tim Palm
Then I have, oh, it’s a big one. It’s like half circle of gear.
Andrew Dubber
You’re sort of, it’s right around, it’s like Rick Wakeman. Kinda,
Tim Palm
yeah. So there’s a synth as well, the Yamaha reface synth, which is the only thing I’ve found with no knobs only like up and down sliders. Because turning knobs with your lips. It’s quite difficult. I can imagine you can’t make the 360 but your head. That’s true. That’s impossible. Yeah, for sure. Having this just up and down sliders for everything. Gives me full control over this. Yeah. And I found it like, four years ago now I think. And I was like, I have to buy this one. Yeah, because it’s quite boring to just have this software since. Yeah. Yeah. So you’ve got physical something your rig. Yeah, yep. Now sliders. Yeah. an iPad? Obviously laptop somewhere? Yeah. The laptop is it’s an all in one computer. A 23 inch touchscreen. Okay, right in the middle of the rig. Yep. So I have like Ableton full screen there. So if I need to change something, or, like, if it crashes, I need to be able to reach the computer, right? But I’m not using the computer as an instrument. It’s more like backup safety. Okay, because if the computer would crash, yeah, I need to be able to by myself go in and change settings or do stuff like that. I don’t want to call up an assistant or someone else to help me. Sure. Sure. I built it to be able to control everything, and the whole rig itself, which surrounds you on stage, but you sort of move around from sort of one part to another. You call it a spaceship? Yeah, I call it especially Why? It’s funny because I had a gig. Yeah. And I I just call it the rig at first. Yeah. But then someone that have no idea about electronic music came up to me. What will you do with your spaceship? And I was like, yeah, it kind of looks like a spaceship. It’s like the control room. And then I just went with, right. Okay, and it’s way more. It’s like explaining it as an complicated spaceship is way better than say, yeah, it’s a rig with synths and loop stations and blah, blah, blah. Yes. The people that don’t know, they don’t know. Right. So you’re seeing a spaceship? Oh, that’s cool. That is cool. And it’s like, I feel like I’m controlling a spaceship. Yes, like so many parameters to control. And, like, there’s an entire system built that I have in my head. Right? Sort of like controlling a spaceship. And I think I haven’t controlled a real spaceship design. I wouldn’t you imagine? Yeah.
Andrew Dubber
But you do have a technical background?
Tim Palm
Yeah, yeah. I study at kth. Now to become a teacher and engineer in maths and computer science. Okay. And I started, like, technique for gymnasium. And it’s called Swedish technique for three years. Okay. So I didn’t want to start the music. Because I felt like I would learn music by myself. Right? I didn’t want to ruin it with studies, because studies become boring after a while. Right? Okay. I don’t want to have music be like boring. And I have to do. Right. I want to do
Andrew Dubber
you want music to be your hobby? Yeah,
Tim Palm
maybe professional later. But at that time, it was like a hobby. Right? You do have quite a kind of a technical approach to the making of the music, even though the music itself is creative. Yeah, totally. So it’s like, because I have this technical approach I tried to make. I tried to try different stuff. What happens if I cannot listen to this? What happens if like, like the synth into my vocoder? And then back in and the technical approach, but still creative. Yeah. And also, I rearrange the software, I add, I use two software’s when I for life, is the tractor by Native Instruments, and Ableton. And like four years ago, they couldn’t sync right now there is this link that syncs them automatically. Uh huh. But not back then. So I found an internal MIDI clock in that that can be downloaded in a map both those to the software hadn’t seen internally. Like this was this wasn’t normal back then. So I had this like, one of my kind, synth kind of hacked it. Yeah, I had been able to do the loops and synth with my DJ set. So we’re the start for you. What was the kind of the seed that went you know what I want to I want to set up a electronic music rig and perform Okay, so I had no idea that was my plan. I started as a vocalist taking singing lessons, went on to try guitar failed miserably. I thought we would be able to play with my feet. Because I played guitar hero. Right? And I thought it would be the same thing. But slick string and Emboss. Like, are impossible but an unlimited amount of ways to put your toes or feet. fingers on. So I played the smoke on the water riff. Okay, now now I’m done. Now Now,
Andrew Dubber
you’re saying what you’re saying is you’re as good as me on.
Tim Palm
And then I felt like the normal person I am, drums with this limbs that can’t move. I should play drums. Right? It makes total sense. Of course, everyone thought I was an idiot. But me and my dad is an engineer. And I looked at this in a like, technical way as well. Sure. thought like, there should be some digital drum that you could could use. So we went to music store. bought one of those earlier, Roland handwraps. Okay, yeah. And then I applied for drumming lessons. And thought like, this would be so good. I have a plan. I can drum and I could make this before taking drum lessons. Yeah. So I went there. And when I went into the classroom, first time, there was this 16 year old guy. And I panicked at first, because I wanted a young man like new in technology, like, Yeah, but this guy is a pioneer in in electronic music. In his house, he has the first electronic drum is like working with newer drum. It has all the drum machines. And so he was absolutely right. And he was like, Oh, this will be fun. Uh huh. He took it as a challenge. Yeah. To make me able to be a great drummer. Okay. And then I went on to wanting to be able to loop stuff. Yeah. Because like with engineering, My mind went like, what can I do to make this even more? Yeah, so and when I started to look into looping, I found out that music software would be the best possible way. Because I can sync it with like metronome and stuff. Yeah. Because with limited movement, I can’t press multiple buttons. Right. So I had to find a way to trigger the loop. Then start drumming and an envelope cutting still have it in sync, which won’t work with this like Bose foot controllers. Okay, because then you have to press at the same time to start drumming.
Andrew Dubber
Right.
Tim Palm
Yeah, gotcha. So then I bought Ableton. And from there on, I just like, looked into everything that was in electronic music. Oh, Launchpad would be nice. So since when I saw this Akai MPK mini piano would be nice. I can’t play piano but a planet would be nice. Yeah, and so on and so on. until I finally had like, first rig.
Andrew Dubber
So you’re a gearhead Really?
Tim Palm
Yeah, yeah. But yeah, he liked he liked the kit. I like the kit. So just just to sort of clarify what you’re making at this point, because the way that we’re talking about it, and the experimentation and the plugging, listen to that and see what happens. makes it sound like you’d be making very experimental avant garde music and you’re not No, I’m not. No. Tell me about the music that you make. So it’s, it’s based in the like, electronic dance music scene. So yeah, like, love pop music, but you can hear it on the radio. Like tomorrow land is like, that’s the cool, right? But then I like to experiment that was that. So? Like, the latest EP, I have this combination of jazz and electronic dance music. Yeah, there’s a real I mean, you say it’s not pop music, but it’s a real pop sensibility to it. I mean, you you It fits on the radio. Yeah, exactly. If it’s on the radio, but it’s not like you wouldn’t hear it on the radio before. It’s like, sure. It’s like news. It’s not out of place, but it’s not the same as what else Exactly, yeah, yeah. Interesting, because I realised that I don’t want to make pop music. I want to make music that I like, but I I have influences in pop music.
Andrew Dubber
What are they?
Tim Palm
For example, Ed Sheeran? Can see use for loop station. And great lyricist. Yeah. So that being able to take the stage by himself and all that is like a huge inspiration. And then like, sounds from Daft Punk. is like those vocoders like I love them so much. So like, vocoder and also the Swedish duo Galantis. Make like really, they like house pop music like, okay, every single one of the tracks are amazing. So that’s like the main inspiration. You mentioned your dad, tell me about your parents and how What they do has affected we’ve ended up. Okay, so so my mom is this really driven person she wants, she wants the best for everyone. And she knows she’s able to like raise voice if it’s needed. And yeah, this, everyone respects her, and she knows how to get things done. So every time when I want to do something, say I wanted to play music, well go apply that. Yeah, go ahead. But make sure you also study because you have a plan B to survive. Sure. So she has always been this, you should do it. But you should also know what you’re doing. Like both of this craziness and this realist in one person, which is quite an interesting combo. Yeah, she’s totally fantastic. So the pusher and the realist, and once my dad is more like these technical guys is, is something not not to do in the same way. Sorry that the thing is like, okay, so Tim has this problem. He can’t reach his iPad. How can we fix that? Or right? I found this new thing. On the internet. Have you checked this out? and more like nothing to music is like the real gear guy? Uh huh. Like most of the things is like, Oh, you should buy this. Yeah, I should. So more like the technical background? Sure. Where does the musical interest come from? Do you think they are dancers? They met as dancers. Right. So it’s like, always been music in the house. Yeah.
Andrew Dubber
But that’s. So I think like the rhythmical feeling comes from dancing. I think actually, there’s a lot more to it than that. When you put those things together, you get the gearhead, you get the person who will just have the confidence to go out and do stuff like you’re getting up on the stage by yourself. Yeah, there’s not a lot of people really want to do to be honest with you. And kind of the musical instrument and death. It’s dance music, those things all kind of fit together really in a really interesting way.
Tim Palm
Yeah, that’s true. I haven’t really thought about it in like the bigger image. Yeah, that is kind of pieces together. Yes. Yeah. So what’s the what’s the big plan? So the big plan would be like to live on music, like in the long range, to be able to have the music in my living, also a hobby, because I’d say, I used to say that. Plan A is music. Plan B is engineering and fancies teaching. It’s quite. Yeah, it’s quite a great plan. Yeah. quite difficult plan as well. But I suspect you’ll figure out a way to do all three of those things simultaneously as well. So yeah, that’s that’s kind of interesting. The, the ship the spaceship. Yeah, you took that ship idea. And you’ve applied it elsewhere as well. Tell me a bit about that. Yeah. I wanted to have a theme and everything. And like, why shouldn’t everything be ship related? So I had a spaceship. And then when I released my like, first series EP, let’s call it friendship, and have it shipped ending. Also with this, like, because a lot of support from my friends, I made the music myself, man, but transporting and all that, and I had this, every song was quite different, and had this feeling of different friends. So when I heard one song, I thought a friend, I thought, like, friendship would be nice. Yeah. And then when I released the new EP, now, I want to do the same kind of thing, keep the theme going. And this time, I’ve collaborated with a lot of musicians. And like, partners in crime or something like that. So partnership, was the name for that. It just is like collaborating with vocalists and with musicians and studio guys and master guys. And it’s like, felt right to call the partnership. So that’s just out now. Yeah, yesterday. Right. Well, so at the point of recording is yesterday when we when we hear it on the podcast, it might be a week or two, but it’s the 24th of April. So now you know exactly. Exactly. And it’s already had some some coverage and some you’ve had some airplay. And yeah, it was played on BBC Radio, which is quite amazing. Yeah. And hopefully gets picked up from there. People can get it on Spotify and you’re elsewhere. You can buy it online. Well, iTunes and Amazon and then stream on Spotify
Andrew Dubber
to listen to a track from it. Yeah. Why should we listen to?
Tim Palm
We should listen to them? I thought about the jazz one so we should listen to that one. It’s called first time.
Andrew Dubber
So that’s first time by DJ arthro. And you can get that on Spotify and Apple Music and basically any way you can get music. Tell me about the recording of that. How did that happen?
Tim Palm
So, I met a guy who had a studio in Stockholm, like 15 minutes walk from kth. And I was like, Hey, can I can I use the studio? for like, three days to record my vocalists? Yeah. And he was like, sure. If you help me edit the video, I’ll give you the studios. It’s like, I help him. He helped me sort of deal. So I plan everything I booked the vocalist, so they will go to Stockholm and everything. And then he mentioned is like, 50. stairs. Down. Right. And now you’re listening. But I’m in a wheelchair. Right? So these 50 stairs are like, quite quiet and challenge each one of them as an obstacle. Well, yeah, exactly. Yeah. But it’s like, I want to do this. It’s like, students three days in studio, like, dream. For that price. It’s not even a price. It’s a deal for deal. Yeah. So I make sure that I have two assistants with me, so that they can carry me down. Oh, this needs to be done. Sure. So they carry me down. Yeah, it takes quite some time and open doors. Like stop on the way and everything and it’s a tough task.
Andrew Dubber
Yeah, I bet.
Tim Palm
And then what was down like after, like, we need lunch? We had to get up again. Nah, nah, we’ll just order food here. But there was no toilets down there. And I didn’t want to like stop the recording session to go up the stairs. No, I’ll do this. I managed this. Like, three long days. That. Wow. And we did the the collaborators come from, from all over the place. Like, some of the guys are from my city where I live, where I lived. I live in Stockholm now, but where I lived like two months ago, which is in shopping, oh, yeah. So I had this guy. We started taking drum lessons together, but then quit after like a year or two. And but he went over, we wanted to jam a bit. Yeah. And I showed him this track that I’m working on. And I told him I have this idea of sort of a rock combination of rock and like trap music. Neil’s like, well, let’s record some electric guitar then. So we plugged in the guitar, and we recorded this, like, really distorted guitar over it. Yeah. Which you can now hear on the track and I don’t mind. So we put the background done. And then I sent it to a vocalist that I’ve played on same stage with like, Hey, I know you’re quite rock sing. I know you sing really well. wanna sing on this track? And then went to the studio together, like quite simple. And the other two vocalists are from kth. Okay, so we study the same programme. Yeah. And I heard them sing on like parties and Okay, and other stuff. And I knew they were really good singer. I just talked to them, like, Hey, I have this new EP coming out and I want to have you as a vocalist. Would you be up for it? Yeah, sure. And you’ve written the songs. You’ve composed the lyrics yourself. And it’s different for the song. I don’t mind. We did it together. My my room. So we did the melody and everything together. For the butterfly effect. I had this melody idea. But then we went together to write lyrics and finalise the vocals. And the melody for her voice, right?
Andrew Dubber
butterfly effect is kind of the hit single, isn’t it?
Tim Palm
Yeah, it is. Yeah. It wasn’t meant to be. Yeah. But when it was finished, I was like, This is damn good, right? Like it went way over my expectations. But this needs to be promoted. Because when I showed it to people, like friends and family, the reaction to that one was like, way better than the others. Like my sister. She loves music as well as my music most of the time. But she’s more of a pop listener. Uh huh. Yeah. And she was like, this is a puppet. This would be on the radio, like people can seem to this. Yeah. So I felt like that was the right choice to do and test actually have a quick listen to that. Yeah, sure.
Andrew Dubber
That’s the butterfly effect. And that’s on your new EP, this partnership.
Tim Palm
Yes, exactly.
Andrew Dubber
So what’s next for the EP? what’s the what’s the agenda and what goes beyond that for you What’s the sort of the roadmap for for that musical output.
Tim Palm
So now I want to play some gigs. I want to make an awesome live show with this EP and the BBC. Because now I have like a full hour music with music I’m really happy with. So it would be really nice to just go out and play gigs. And then I’m also working on people from Music Tech Fest. Like, Martina she’s a singer and vocalist and writer as well. We’re working on a track together and outside this other track. So I want to release like to sort of summer it’s in the middle of summer. And then I’m working with a friend was also named Tim. We want to make this Tim and Tim EP. And he actually sent over seven track ideas yesterday. So the plan is to take the full summer, like totally music. I’ll start like I’ll do talks music. I’ll see if, yeah, music work full time. Yeah. I’m starting my own company as it is right now. As we speak, I’m starting the company. Yeah. So like full summer music promotion gigs, great music videos. So when the study starts later on, when the school starts, allow enough material to keep giving you guys material while studying. And as to bigger build up this like repertoire of music. And hopefully we’ll get you more involved in Music Tech Fest along the way as well. would be so dope.
Andrew Dubber
Now, tell me how you got involved in Music Tech Fest originally, because you came to MTF. labs.com and you were involved in the labs. How did that happen?
Tim Palm
Because the friend, my friend who I live with right now, we have been really close friends since college age. And they just sent me a link. Like, I found this on like Facebook or something. And it’s like music and take it’s like it’s what you do, man, you should you should apply. And I was like it was a half a year before the actual MTF Labs. Right. Right. So I pressed it. And like, Sure, let’s apply. So I just typed in my information and stuff. Send the bill and forgot about it. Right. And then like a month before the MTF Labs, I got this mail. You’ve been selected to work with 90 people from all over the world when it’s a professor, this super cool guy going doing that. And like not just me watching. But sure, I’ll go there and see what happens. And then I went there, and it was like I felt like home. Like the first second I entered the space. Yeah. There’s like just a coincidence. My friend found it and sent me a link.
Andrew Dubber
What do you mean it felt like home?
Tim Palm
Oh, it’s like, I don’t have that many friends in technological music. I had quite a lot of musician hands. Yeah, but not in the electronic and producing area. Sure. And not this geeky gear area. Yeah, no. And people making stuff. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Which is part of what you do when you are assembling things, not just using musical instruments is that as I’m like reimagining them, sort of and at Get them to work as I want them to. So when I got there, and we posted a blog post before the actual labs, yeah. And people came up to me like, Oh, I read your blog post was really nice reading, cuz I just this really nice welcoming and everyone was interested in the rig and how it worked. And yeah. And when I had questions about anything they could ask. And there was this guy making a face that was planned so we could like, control the music by face movement. Okay, yeah. And I was like, that would be so cool. Imagine to go out from the rig, and just close up camera to the face. And it’s like, doing this weird face. movement. Yeah. And adding that like dubstep bass. Like, would have been such a cool. So like, I get ideas from them. They get ideas for me. Yeah. artist, you know, big inspirational week. Right.
Andrew Dubber
Was that Leon Trimble?
Tim Palm
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Andrew Dubber
Interesting. But you ended up working with a couple other people, Vahaken particularly
Tim Palm
Vahaken and Tim Yates. Yeah,
Andrew Dubber
yeah. Yeah. Tell me what you did.
Tim Palm
So what we did the we had we started as an accessibility first tried to like, what can we do for like, an accessibility area? Yeah. And then when we had this, like, Who are we in this team? I told them about my rig. And I think it was Amy Dickens. Right off the bat asked, What is your problem with the rig? Right? What do you need solved? and everything and a lot of stuff. So I just went on with like, Oh, I want to solve this. I want to solve that. Right? And then there was this one thing. And everyone was that can be solved. Which is the looping that I want to do. On the beat. I told you before, about the problems with looping on time starting and playing at the same time. Yeah. So but we’ve started to think about can that be solved. And with again, when I don’t use my hands, If the button is placed correctly, it should be able to trigger the same time as my nose is touching the screen. Because it’s this forward leaning movement. So my hands could land on the button, the same time as I lean towards the screen, if the buttons on the right place. Yes, yeah. Okay, so that was like the, because normally, the button would be on the interface that you’re exactly right in front of you, and that I use with my nose and I can’t press two buttons at the same time with my nose. Yes. That’s like one of the few impossible things that really is impossible. Yeah. So we started to think if we could put like a small button setup on my wheelchair, and map it wirelessly to Ableton, because it’s a wire, and it will get stuck on the wheel. Yeah. So it has to be had to be wireless. It had to be integrated with my already existing setup, and had to be like, precisely put, then we had an idea. So we went to the workshop, took the measurements and started 3d printing, laser cutting, and like, just in the exact right position. Me and mark and and other people. Meanwhile, Tim Yates had his micro:bit that he started to implement into Ableton, so I had this two team situation, right. And then, at the end of the MTF, Labs, it was a showcase. And they wanted me to showcase this loop, we want to showcase it. And we had done five minutes before the showcase.
Andrew Dubber
I’m laughing but that’s so typical of it.
Tim Palm
Yeah, I know, I’m in the same situation many times before, as well. Yeah. But this is a new way to play. If it would have been just like configuring the iPad or configuring the synth, I would have known how to do it. Sure. But now it’s like this situation of the new way to play. I need to be able to create everything on the fly. And I need to deliver.
Andrew Dubber
How did it go?
Tim Palm
It’s like, it’s so funny, because I think it went horrible. But everyone like stood up and clapped.
Andrew Dubber
Not only because I was there not only do people stand up and clap people stood up and danced. Yeah, and and because the challenge part of the challenge that you would seem to be trying to get around was that you have your spaceship there, but nobody can see you. Yeah, but what this gave you was some freedom of movement to get out from behind the screens and actually interact with the audience a little more. And and that worked really well. Well, yeah, but but from I mean, that wasn’t the end of the story though, because, because then that got picked up from there.
Tim Palm
Exactly. Because when we were done, we thought like, we need we want to develop this further. And then at kth innovation had this competition in like, collaboration or like, twice at the same time as Music Tech Fest. Yeah. Yeah, it was it was part of the the kind of the Music Tech Fest prize that was supporting Yeah, I was like, I I, we could just send this in. It’s like 50,000 Swedish crowns. That would help because we, they have in London, I’m from Sweden, like, meeting up again, without having to pay from cfn would be quite, quite nice. So we sent send them with his fancy brochure and everything. Yeah. And they wanted a meeting. Okay, so we set up a meeting without them, show them the prototype and everything. Yeah. And that, like a few weeks later, they told us one. Oh, congratulations. Did they see that they see commercial potential. And this is something that can be applied more broadly. Yeah, that’s sort of the thought we had like two doors, one builders make really well functioning one for me to some stage show, because this one’s a bit unstable. And the other one, we have this idea of creating a do it yourself kit. Right. Okay. It’s like the thought we have so that it can be really customised. Yeah, yes. And if it will be released or not, we don’t know. But that’s sort of the thought, because there is this. The thought, Well, if it can be customised to everyone, and everyone can have a loop and loop at hand, and it won’t have to be for disabled people. It can be if you want to loop by playing guitar, it’s a four button setup really small. Did you like tape onto the guitar and play with your fingers and three loops at the same time, right? Or you could put it on a wheelchair, and either have bottoms? Or the rest is there is this thing called? Like? paint that is conductive? So you have like electric paint? Yeah. And then you can put this like micro:bit on the wheelchair, and just paint to where you want to balance. If I can can’t use my arms at all. I can just have it my leg. I got three stripes left right in the middle. And it’s like bobbing with my head. Yeah, it would be possible. Sure. Sure. Of course, that’s like the thought behind the commercial part. And if it will come through, it will be that. I can’t tell you now. But it’s it’s a really nice concept. Yeah, for sure. Do you think things are getting better generally for Accessible music technologies? Yeah, I’d say so. If you’re ready to make the the search. There’s a lot of new stuff coming out every year now more like other ways. Like it’s always new stuff coming out.
Andrew Dubber
And people are starting to think about it more seriously, I guess. Yeah,
Tim Palm
yeah. It’s both as people think about it. And also more stuff. So with this, like new, then with this new, new times, I can search for stuff. Like if I want the slide, since I can search for synth with sliders. Now that’s more of a thing, right? And the biggest are lots of lots of stuff. I can find what works for me, the problem with disabilities, that every each disability has their own problematics and own functionality. So I don’t expect anyone to make something that works for me. Right? specifically designed for you because I guess limited range of motion could mean anything exactly, like get full control of fingers. And then you would be able to play like finger drumming, or it can be like one arm not working, then you can play on one hand guitar like
Andrew Dubber
- So what should musical instrument manufacturers be thinking about?
Tim Palm
I think it should be most about customizability. Maybe not in the hardware, because that’s super expensive. But in software, that’s not impossible. say if I want to have buttons do other things, or like sensibility. Lots of drum machines are really tough to hit. I had to use my full strength to get it sound like lowest velocity. Right? Right. So it’s maybe not changing the Galea because there are already way like huge amount of innovative tools. But make sure that they can be used with different strengths or different right differences sensitivities on LCD pads makes a lot of sense. Yeah, yeah, that’s the I can’t play drum machines with my lips because I have to hit the like, full on with my face right? Now, that’s not ideal is the only solution, right? But if there would be like softer buttons, then I can get this like feeling of pressing a button, which would be quite nice because a touchscreen is basically an on off. So yeah, exactly,
Andrew Dubber
yeah. Whereas if you’ve got the expressiveness of a touch sensitive button, but one that you didn’t have to smash your face and you played it, that would be
Tim Palm
helpful. That’s like I was saying that we’ll have a lot of people is because people can have weak hands. That’s like almost every physical disability and like weak muscles in some way. Just having this easy to turn knobs and simple press buttons would be quite dope, right.
Andrew Dubber
And obviously people can get hold of you through your Facebook page if they come up with a solution to this,
Tim Palm
of course, and I’d love to help as well. I have this engineering. Not I’m not an engineer yet, but I’m becoming one. I have this like engineering thinking. So if you want to feedback or discuss ideas I’d love to.
Andrew Dubber
Fantastic. Tim, thanks so much for coming in today.
Tim Palm
Thanks for having me.
Andrew Dubber
Yeah, that’s Tim Palm, aka DJ Arthro. And that’s the MTF podcast. Have a great week and we will talk soon. Cheers.
