Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1277927
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 61 Kyma seems to operate more like an instrument than a plugin. Could you generally explain the unique structure of Kyma? This is how Carla Scaletti & Kurt J. Hebel (the creators of this sound design tool) define the Kyma: "A language is a set of words and a set of rules for combining those words into expressions. Despite the fact that both the set of words and the set of rules are finite, the number of expressions you can generate by combining the words is infinite. Kyma, too, is a language, a language for creating and manipulating sound. It provides a vocabulary (a set of basic modules) and a means for combining those elementary modules into an infinite number of arbitrarily complex sound." Since Kyma is a language, Kyma is unique. But, as with all languages, using Kyma demands a certain amount of time to master and express yourself correctly. Additionally, like a musical instrument, using Kyma effectively demands regular practice and creation to progress. I would also add that, for me, Kyma is a rich and generous tool box that I use to build and create my own plugins (or complex sounds) and thus develop my own style and esthetic. What are the specific unique benefits you feel Kyma adds to your arsenal? What freedoms does it give you as an artist? I have been using Kyma for sound design for the last 15 years. Throughout those years, I have created multiple complex sounds, with the imperative that the results be as organic sounding as possible. Most of these complex sounds did not exist as plugins at the time (and for many, that is still the case). This makes Kyma the perfect complement. Even if there is an equivalent plugin to the Kyma module, I will choose the effect that gives me the best desired result, depending on the circumstances. With Kyma, I can also adjust and perfect my complex sounds regularly, which is not possible to do with a plugin unless you buy the update. Additionally, I control Kyma through MIDI, with a [Haken] Continuum Fingerboard, which is a multidimensional surface controller. The keyboard resembles a flat piano keyboard with the notes drawn on rather than raised, which allows you to go from one note to the next in a continuous manner, from one end of the keyboard to the other. The control is also multidimensional, with horizontal (X), vertical (Y), and is reactive to the pressure applied (Z). This allows me to assign an X, Y, or Z parameter from one of my complex sounds, such as the pitch to X, the frequency of a low-pass filter to Y, and the amplitude to Z, and then control them all simultaneously. Lastly, and most importantly, Kyma has allowed me to think in "music" and to pursue my "obsession": A master sound (orchestra conductor) can control its slave sound in amplitude and frequency. Sound designer and Kyma artist Sylvain Lasseur