Image: Bert Schiettecatte (Percussa), CC BY-SA 2.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
Audiocubes
| Category | Electronic (tangible MIDI controller) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Classification | musical instrument |
| Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org |
| Wikidata | Q4819902 |
Overview
Audiocubes are a set of small wireless cubes designed by the Belgian company Percussa as a tangible-interaction music controller. Each cube contains a microcontroller, infrared sensors on each face, batteries, and a wireless link, so the cubes can detect the proximity and orientation of their neighbours. Software running on a host computer maps those spatial relationships to musical parameters — synth voices, sequencer steps, mixer settings — and the performer plays by physically arranging and rotating the cubes on a tabletop.
Origin & History
Percussa launched Audiocubes in the mid-2000s as part of a broader wave of tangible-interaction music controllers that included the Reactable and ROLI’s later prototypes. The product evolved through several generations, adding more cubes, better sensors, longer battery life, and tighter integration with major music software environments. The cubes have been used in research, performance, and electronic-music education contexts.
How It’s Played
The performer places one cube near another to “connect” them; the connecting face determines what is sent. Twisting a cube alters the controlled parameter; moving cubes apart and back together gates the link. With several cubes the user can build up a small spatial network that drives a complete patch — for example, one cube might generate notes, a second filter them, and a third add effects.
Cultural Significance
Audiocubes are an example of how electronic instrument design extended beyond keyboards and grids in the 2000s, exploring physical-spatial interfaces as a way to make sound design and live performance more visible and embodied. They have a small but dedicated community of users and continue to appear in interactive installations and electronic-music classrooms.
Related Instruments
- Arduinome – contemporary open-source controller
- Kaoss Pad – earlier touch-pad controller-effects
- Notron – hardware sequencer contrast
- Stylophone – minimal electronic instrument heritage
- Roland SP-404 – contemporary pad-based sampler
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Audiocubes a stand-alone instrument?
No — they require a host computer running compatible software.
How do they communicate?
Wirelessly with a USB receiver, and between each other via infrared sensing.
Who made them?
The Belgian company Percussa.