Oscillotome — a fusion of oscilloscope and microtome — is a visual dissection of sound, translating hand motion into layered sonic cross-sections. Borrowing from microtomy, the slicing of biological tissue for examination, the work treats audio not as a continuous flow but as a body to be fragmented and reorganized. As the hand moves, individual audio samples are severed from their original sequence and redistributed across the canvas, forming translucent geometric traces that preserve spectral qualities while defying temporal logic. Each square becomes both residue and reconstruction — an altered anatomy of the audible, shaped not by time, but by gesture.

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Built with: p5.js, ml5.js, Tone.js

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Instructions:

Click the image above to interact with this real-time drawing tool.

Click “Begin Drawing” and play some music through your computer speakers. Use a pinch gesture (index finger and thumb) with one hand to draw the music onto the canvas — the faster you move, the larger the squares; the higher the pitch, the warmer the color.

Press the “F” key to enter fullscreen mode for the best experience.
Adjust your finger-to-camera distance for optimal interaction.

Adjust your music volume to influence the waveform square shapes.

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Click “Clear Canvas” to start over.
Click “Download PNG” to save the painting you’ve created with your favorite music.

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(Desktop only)