{riversynth}

Riversynth is both an immersive performance and musical interface that mixes live hydrophone streams from six river systems with live processing through a gestural controlled water instrument. Building on a decade of research from the River Listening project, Riversynth creates an entangled performance ecosystem where unpredictable aquatic soundscapes become both the source material and score for a live performance.

The interface consists of a transparent tank filled with water and embedded sensors that detect water movement and light. These parameters modulate, filter and mix the live hydrophone streams via the performer's hands in the water, creating a dynamic relationship between the real-time river soundscapes and the performer's physical manipulation of water.

The technical implementation combines custom-designed sensors, a low-latency streaming network, and a granular synthesis performance tool for live manipulation of the hydrophone streams in surround sound. The interface enables intuitive control while maintaining complexity in the sonic output, allowing for both composed sections and improvisatory responses to the unpredictability of live streams.