Sonic Maze: Pressure-Sensitive Drawing as an Affective Sonic Practice

This paper introduces Sonic Maze, a sonic drawing system that translates gestural force into spatialised sound. Developed through an iterative prototyping process, the system uses a load-cell interface to capture the physical act of drawing and convert it into real-time spatial audio. Situated within a practice-based research framework, the project investigates how drawing may function as a mode of listening and composition, beyond its conventional visual role. Initial pilot sessions with artists suggest that the interface supports affective engagement and encourages improvisational interaction. The paper contributes to ongoing discussions in embodied sonic interaction and spatial audio by presenting an interface that invites non-linear, situated approaches to sound-making. Preliminary reflections indicate the potential of such systems to act as tools for cognitive exploration and sonic navigation in performance and installation settings.