FUN AND AWE OPERATOR BUILDS BEATS

The intersection of music production and spatial computing finds a bold new expression. Designed by FUN AND AWE, OPERATOR is an app for Apple Vision Pro that allows users to construct electronic music compositions by building elaborate, visual XR sculptures. The tool is rooted in the philosophy of intuitive, modular systems, making music creation accessible to people without any prior experience.

 

all images courtesy of FUN AND AWE

 

 

produce music through building blocks

 

The core of the FUN AND AWE‘s OPERATOR app is its music system. It is composed of a set of colored cubes that represent samples, including drums, synths, bass, and effects, along with simple tools like a voice recorder and a frequency filter. These blocks are accessed from an inventory that acts as a portal, visible only from the front. Users arrange these blocks on a sequencer that can be extended infinitely — like a game of Snake — to form their electronic compositions. Both the recorder and filter are controlled by just a single UI element, providing customization and a personal touch without a complicated setup.

 

The visual component is just as critical as the musical foundation. As the user arranges the blocks, the resulting sound composition is simultaneously realized as a customizable, dynamic sound sculpture integrated into the user’s real-world space.

operator turns music production into building xr sculptures 2
Apple Vision Pro users can work with music from anywhere

 

 

The experience is heavily informed by classic modular systems, particularly the Lectron system developed by Braun in the 1960s, which emphasized learning by experimentation through magnetic blocks. Architectural models and sketches also informed the app’s sculptural shapes, creating flexible systems where different instruments and tools unite to form a single, captivating sound system. OPERATOR turns the act of music production into a visual, spatial, and inherently playful building exercise.

operator turns music production into building xr sculptures 1
users can intuitively create music with their hands

operator turns music production into building xr sculptures 3
colored cubes represent samples, including drums, synths, bass, and effects like a voice recorder

operator turns music production into building xr sculptures 4
the app can be used in two different scales

 

 

 

project info:

 

designer: FUN AND AWE

app: OPERATOR

 

 

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