Tangiballs Spherical Looper

Explorations in recording and playback on magnetic medium in spherical topology. This devices allows a more tangible yet randomized approach to the concept of the delay or looper. By recording audio to a spherical surface, one can not only create linear time-loops but scrub between different times of the recording simultaneously. Additionally, the physical interaction of the performer moving the balls back and forth and around can create non-linear circles, circuits and spirals of sound not traditionally possible.

This project is being developed in two permutations:

1.A heavy roll-ball is coated in magnetic recording medium works with an array of physical tape record an play heads. [pictured below]

2.A digital board is used to create a simulation of the same [pictured above], but with additional possibilities and alternative sound artifacts that result from the digital algorithms.

Information published about the production in: A Spherical Tape Topology for Non-linear Audio Looping in New Interfaces for Musical Expression, (NIME2025)

Watch a short performance from minute 20 in the following video:

Github repository here.