Paul Greenway – Looking Outwards – 10

NSynth Super is part of an ongoing project by Google called Magenta that explores how machine learning can become a new tool for musicians. The NSynth, or neural synthesizer, uses algorithms to learn the characteristics of existing sounds and subsequently create new sounds based on the inputs. The results of this process are completely original sounds that may be produced by a combination of more than one instrument. The NSynth not only generates these unique sounds but also gives artists control over the dynamics of the new sounds through custom interface and well designed hardware. All of the code for the project is open source as the project, like all other magenta projects, is meant to be free to access by anyone.

What I found most interesting about this project was its potential for generating brand new sounds un-restricted by existing tools or instruments. In addition, I thought the ease of use and accessible nature of the project both in its hardware and software was another aspect which made it a great project and something that anyone who is interested in it could try out.