It seems that the quest to control synthesizers in more and more elaborate ways is neverending and recently we've seen two more contenders. The first is deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA as most of us know it. This method comes courtesy of Giorgio Sancristofor, a synthesist and sound artist who created sound design apps such as Berna and Gleetchlab. Giorgio shared a video online that shows how he has been dabbling with DNA controlled synthesis lately.

Check out the video below where he showcases how the F5 gene of his chromosome 1 (Exons and introns) is being used to program a modular synthesizer. The video is a direct live recording on Zoom H5 with no editing or effects added, which makes it all the more impressive. Giorgio started a sci-art research project on his whole genome at the EU's Joint Research Centre in 2019 and this experiment is just a continuation. A lot of people claim that music is in their DNA, but it looks like Giorgio is one of the first to actually prove it!

For a completely different approach, there is the "jumpSynth" courtesy of Yann Seznec. According to him, it is a "trampoline-based portable synthesizer for making noise in the woods alone." Strangely enough, it's not the first time that he has dabbled in creating music through jumping as musical trampolines also featured in the "Room to Play" workshops he was involved with in 2016.

Seznec explains on his website that the premise of the jumpSynth is very simple as it makes use of copper tape underneath the trampoline for a switch circuit that is completed each time someone jumps. Every jump is basically a button press which can then be used to make noise. The actual synth part of the setup is a Pure Data patch that is running on Bela. The synth, which features 8 analog control inputs, was designed with sounds that work well with the jumping interface. What makes this synth even funnier is the fact that Seznec originally planned to involve goats in the sound-making process. Unfortunately, he quickly discovered that goats are not exactly known for jumping on command, so he was left controlling the synth himself.

Anyone with an urge to create their own jumpSynth to perhaps prove to a significant other that playing with a synthesizer doesn't have to be a stationary hobby can find the code and more technical information on the Github repository for the project. Also, be sure to share the photos and videos on our forum if anyone does actually go through with the process of creating their own jumpSynth!