Meyer was born with a physical disability and, therefore, uses a robotic arm, with a hand that can be controlled by means of electrical impulses that are picked up directly at the end of his incomplete limb. The problem is that, as much as his “bionic” hand is modern, it has no precision that comes close to a real human hand, which makes it difficult for Meyer to control the synthesizer, full of small buttons and that must be handled subtly . Knowing that the modular synthesizer is controlled by commands that use voltage in a range from zero to 10 volts, Meyer concluded that if he applied these voltages directly to the buttons, he could control the synthesizer without touching it physically. The idea was to adapt equipment that would take electrical impulses from its mechanical arm to the synthesizer. Now, the problem would be to generate electrical signals with the voltage necessary for the modular synthesizer to recognize them as valid commands. Creating the “SynLimb” Meyer found a KOMA Electronik analog audio station at his home, which served as an amplifier circuit for electrical signals, with voltage between zero and 5 volts.
With the help of her husband, Daniel, and technician Chrisi, from KOMA Electronik, Meyer created the “SynLimb”, a prototype circuit adapted to his prosthesis, which can be connected to the synthesizer using two cables. SynLimb is now able to pick up electrical impulses (generated in the brain) directly from Meyer’s incomplete limb, and turn these signals into commands with the correct voltages, which are leveraged by the modular synthesizer. In this way, Meyer manages to modify the beat of the song through his thinking. And he says it’s so natural that he doesn’t have to make any effort. Chrisi, from KOMA Electronik, was responsible for finishing the circuit that is attached to the prosthesis, while Daniel (Meyer’s husband), 3D printed an adapter that fixes the circuit to the base attached to the prosthesis.
