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Novalia Partners with Bud Light,McDonalds and Yo Gabba Gabba: Bluetooth MIDI Happy Meals

The MIDI Association

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TMA member Novalia has recently had three very successful partnerships to bring interactive conductive ink installations featuring BTLE MIDI to SXSW, McDonald’s locations in the Netherlands and Moogfest 2016. 

Novalia creates paper thin self-adhesive touch sensors from printed conductive ink and attached silicon microcontroller modules. Their control modules use Bluetooth MIDI connectivity. 

Novalia’s technology adds touch, connectivity and data to surfaces around us. We play in the space between the physical and digital using beautiful, tactile printed touch sensors to connect people, places and objects. Touching our print either triggers sounds from its surface or sends information to the internet. From postcard to bus shelter size, our interactive print is often as thin as a piece of paper. Let’s blend science with design to create experiences indistinguishable from magic.

by Novalia

DJ QBERT: INTERACTIVE DJ DECKS

 

One of Novalia’s first big projects came about when they worked with DJ Qbert to create the world’s first interactive DJ Decks in an album cover.

QBert’s Kickstarter funded Extraterrestria album featured a set of working Bluetooth MIDI decks and controls that connect to iOs and OSx. Touching the paper connects to the Algoriddim DJAY app, allowing the user to scratch, mix and fade any songs they load into the software.
Complete with two decks, a cross fader and an array of SFX buttons beautifully printed onto paper using printed electronics and artwork designed by Morning Breath for QBert, the decks demonstrate the possibilities for interconnectivity between the physical and digital in a way that can enhance user experience.

Bud Light Interactive Wall at SXSW

 

At SXSW, Novalia partnered with SXSW sponsor Bud Light and Mediacom, to create interactive music walls that connected people to music  through touch, connectivity, and data. Up to 15 people could interact with the music simultaneously. 

Novalia shared a video of the SXSW Bud Light Interactive Wall with us that we are happy to premiere here. 

​McDonald’s McTrax

Perhaps the Novalia project that got the most press was the Mcdonald’s McTrax project. 


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McDonald’s Turns Placemats Into Little Music Production Stations Connected to Your Phone | Adweek

Wasn’t it fun when we were kids to doodle on restaurants’ paper placements with crayons? Well, McDonald’s has introduced a high-tech, musical version of that sort of play with McTrax—a snazzy placemat that acts like a little music production station. TBWA\Neboko in the Netherlands created McTrax.

 

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/mcdonalds-turns-placemats-little-music-production-stations-connected-your-phone-171195

However there was very little explanation of how MIDI enabled all of this cool technology. The placemat, developed with This Page Amsterdam and Novalia uses conductive ink, a small battery and a thin circuit board with 26 digital touchpoints. The Novalia board sends MIDI signals via BTLE MIDI to a smartphone that has the McTrax music app downloaded on it. The contains audio loops, synths and musical effects and you even sample your own voice.

Recently  Kate Stone, CEO of Novalia ,was at Moogfest where she presented some Novalia controllers with DJ Lance Rock (Yo Gabba Gabba!), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Bootsy Collins (Parliament/Funkadelic), Malcolm Mooney (Can), Peter Conheim (Negativland), Dr. Kate Stone (Novalia), Van Partible (Johnny Bravo), and DJ Nanny.

Bud Light, McDonald’s, Yo Gaba Gaba, Devo, Parliament, Novalia conductive ink and BTLE MIDI.

Now that’s what we call a Happy Meal!