Unlike the Nintendo conductor game, this system uses acceleration and orientation data to control the Mac’s selection of string sounds in real time. In other words, for example, when I make large gestures, samples of musicians playing loudly are used. In addition to controlling the volume of the sounds, the timbre of particular sounds is determined by dynamically selecting the sounds the musicians originally played.

Sound source material is housed on disks (or generated by the computer) and is organized by performance software. Sequencer software is then used to pull in the right sounds for the particular musical elements called for by the score (or by the musical keyboard or other instrument).

Computing power is now great enough that the real-time selection of a single note from among hundreds of Gigabytes of data is performed within a few miliseconds.

Still, a skilled musician is needed to shape and balance the performance. Purchasing a digital orchestra system no more guarantees musical results than buying a Stradivarius violin. Without the talent, training and sensitivity of performing musicians digital orchestra instruments can sound just as clunky and un-musical as any other instruments — maybe even more so!

Live digital orchestral music is performed by incorporating real-time performance control into the above mix. Companies such as Real Time Music Solutions have been developing this capability for the past 15 years. Researchers also have been actively pursuing projects that interpret and interact with the gestures of performing musicians (particularly conducting gestures). The incorporation of promising research in this area with already well-proven digital music production technology is one of the areas the Digital Orchestra League fosters.