Just a quick update to the Live 2 Processing work…
Now with added colour.
…the main goal here was to get Processing to send messages back to Ableton Live. These come in the form of OSC signals, which bang out MIDI notes that I’ve assigned in the Max For Live patch. I also worked the percussion effected rectangles, so they are now responsive to individual drums (kick, snare and hats).
Whilst I’m still learning, it’s quite nice being able to use a graphical programming language, as opposed to a language-based code – flashy lights keep me more satisfied than sexy syntax. Once again, here are the patches for you to (mis)use as you will…
The other night, Gentleforce invited me around to help with the audio/visual collaboration between himself and Julapy, for his upcoming album launch performance(s). Gentleforce will be performing with Ableton Live, so it was a bit of an opportunity to start working with Max For Live, to get his computer talking to Julapy’s excellent live openFrameworks based visuals.
I don’t know a great deal about openFrameworks (other than it quickly becoming the tool of choice for many live/interactive visualists), but it does seem to have much in common with Processing, so whatever I work on should port fairly simply to openFrameworks. I’m still finding my way around Max For Live, so the wonderful (and free) Live 2 Processing plugin by Wiggle was a perfect place to start. It wasn’t long before Julapy weaved his magic with openFrameworks and was receiving peak audio values from Live via OSC.
There’s still a month or so before I’m back to uni for the final year of my undergrad. But being the last year, I’m pretty determined to put my head down and hit the ground running to make sure I’ve got the option of enrolling in Honours for 2011.
I decided as long as 18 months ago that my final year project would work with projection mapping/augmentation. However, it was at a series of talks a couple of days ago that I saw Tom Ellard bulldoze his way through the ideas of content appropriation and the use of technology in the creation of art (notes and slides online), which made me rethink how I should approach my work this year. Quite possibly quoting my own words (Tom is one of my lecturers), Ellard said he “didn’t want to hear people describe their music as being ‘quadraphonic and controlled by Wii remotes‘”. It unsettled me a bit to hear someone saying it, but in reflection, he was absolutely right: I should be working to realise my own ideas, or art – not just being led by the technologies that interest me.
It’s difficult to find the time for blog writing amongst all the drinking, music and general fun that’s been going on around the place over the past month. Instead of dragging everyone through the details, like an Ellis-esque American Psycho, I might just babble my way through the backstory, like a Kerouac-wannabe On The Road…
Home to Bangalow for 10 year reunion, Christmas and New Year. 2 bottles of whiskey, 2 bottles of gin, 2 bottles of tequila and Malibu accompanied several bottles of wine and cases of beer to ensure I didn’t stop drinking for 2 weeks (this is an accurate account, made before the binge began). Things get hazy around here, but I’m pretty sure we all had a great time and I returned to Sydney with a couple of extra kilos under my belt and a dozen unconscious faux-hippies on my lounge room floor. The Sydney Festival and general Australian summer music madness has ensured I’ll be broke until winter: saw Al Green at Festival First Night, next up is Grizzly Bear on the 14th (sadly clashing with Severed Heads), The Books and Signal To Noise talks on the 16th, Smoke & Mirrors on the 20th, Antony & The Johnsons on Feb 1st, Yo La Tengo on the 18th and Faith No More round things up on the 22nd.
…apparently I’m supposed to be saving money to move house around the end of February, so it’s also time to get a (real) job. Amongst all of that, I’m still way behind on my permanent list of ‘to do’ projects that I have to knock out before I go back to uni in March. All of this amounts to more rambling from me, hopefully with the occasional nugget of intelligence breaking through the stupor of far too much fun.
Australians don't have the first amendment, which is becoming clearer everyday.
As Labour have done quite a bit of lately, they’re trying to get more sweeping changes through whilst everyone is looking away. This time, whilst the world is watching Copenhagen, Senator Conroy has suddenly decided that the Australian internet filter trial completed in September was a resounding success and will now become mandatory.
There’s an unending list of reasons why it won’t – or shouldn’t – work, but what concerns me more is the arrogant attitude with which Labour is approaching more and more legislation. They do not have the mandate of the public (nor those who are considered ‘professionals’ in the area) which voted them in not so long ago and should stop behaving as such. It only takes a quick search of Twitter to spot just how many people are baffled by what’s taking place. And once the Government takes control of website blacklisting (claims of an ‘independent board’ are dubious at best), it surely won’t be long before policy dissidents are quietly removed from public view.
So with this kind of attitude coming from those in power, it often feels as though people can’t make a change. And to be honest, it’s unclear whether Conroy will rethink his position. However, we can make as much noise as possible, to let the government know we not only have a voice, but are prepared to speak out against abuse of power. Using the internet against him, fill up Conroy’s inbox with sharp words at the excellent GetUp!, or get involved with those behind No Clean Feed. We may have to use our voices to keep them.
Update 18/12/2009: Bernard Keane has posted an article outlining the best way to ensure your letters to Conroy get noticed. Good advice that I’m betting will annoy a few public servants.
So there is quite a large gap between this post and the last in terms of work done. Whilst the technology I was developing the project with didn’t change too much, I spent a great deal of my time refining its response to the interaction of the dancers. A decision made in my concept, I didn’t want to inhibit the movement of the performers, but instead the technology should support their actions.
So where possible, I continued to map the movements of the dancers and look for clear data that I could use as a trigger. Watching the incoming values within OSCulator and Processing was helpful, even if a little bit overwhelming – the most difficult part was refining the information to block out unwanted noise.
Here are a few sequences during the mapping process (apologies for the poor quality)…
It’s been a while since I posted. The Festival Of Scott began on November 19th and continued for around 4 days, pretty much making me incapable of coherent speech, let alone dispensing worthwhile blog posts. After The Festival Of Scott ended, The Vacation Of Scott’s Immune System began, then I quickly hit The Madness Of Finders Keepers Preparation, which brings you all up to date…
As part of the music stage I was running at The Finders Keepers markets, I decided to introduce some live visuals. I started building a basic video mixer in Processing, but after a few ill-advised incarnations (v2, v3, v4, v5), I was distracted by the flashy lights of the newly released MaxForLive. With Jitter being a part of MaxForLive, I thought it would be a good chance to dip my toe into the graphic-programming-language-behemoth.
It wasn’t long before I realised I was out of my depth. For anyone looking to MaxForLive/MaxMSP for visuals, don’t expect to be able to jump straight into the deep end. You really do need to start with the basics, which Max does provide with a truly excellent tutorial system. Even though it’s a graphic language, it’s certainly no easier than taking on something like Processing. In fact, I’d probably recommend starting with Processing – I personally believe learning the basics of code helps to understand some of the structures within Max. And there are excellent opportunities to combine the two on the way.
It’s been a while coming, but we’re now ready to announce the musical line-up for the Spring/Summer 09 Finders Keepers markets in Sydney. With the exception of two artists, everyone performing will be on their Finders Keepers debut, making for a fresh and diverse music stage once again.
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