Pocket SCION

Pocket SCION is a portable device that captures biofeedback data sourced from contact with living organisms. This data is used by the onboard sound engine to generate evolving soundscapes and a range of MIDI messages. The data is also accessible as OSC messages which are broadcast from the accompanying desktop application.

Anyone can create, shape, and enjoy music with Pocket SCION regardless of existing musical experience. Despite its stand-alone, plug-and-play interface, experienced or adventurous users can use the MIDI and OSC output capabilities to integrate Pocket SCION and biofeedback into their studios, installations, and audiovisual projects.

Pocket SCION includes instruments created exclusively for the device, made in collaboration with Tarun Nayar (Modern Biology), an ecologist, musician and prolific user of our Eurorack format SCION module.

Simultaneous to audio and MIDI, when used alongside the desktop application, Pocket SCION can also broadcast OSC messages from the selected OSC port, based on the stimulation of the internal biofeedback sensor.

This feature allows Pocket SCION to become a portable means for data sonification and visualisation with a variety of audio and visual based software, such as: Max/MSP, Pure Data, Touch Designer, Unreal Engine, and more.

Pocket SCION hardware features

• Four custom instruments
• Sound generation via the capacitive touch pad or sensor clips
• Five note polyphony
• Raw signal output
• TRS-MIDI and USB-MIDI output with single- or multi-channel MIDI voice allocation
• Open Sound Control (OSC) data over USB via the desktop application

Pocket SCION software features

• Customise scales, ratcheting of instruments
• Customise octave range, offsets, MIDI channel and CCs of voices
• The following six values (in ms) are broadcast as OSC messages:
  • /min – shortest pulse period
  • /max – longest pulse period
  • /mean – average period
  • /delta – max − min (spread)
  • /variance – average squared deviation from /mean
  • /deviation – square-root of variance

What’s in the Pocket SCION box?

• Pocket SCION
• Senor Cables
• QR Code card (Links to Online Manual)
• A5 Card from Tarun Nayar