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Custom VJ Box version 3

September 24, 2009 – 7:42 pm

Custom VJ Box version 3

I’m getting ready to head to Seattle tomorrow for the Decibel Festival. I’ll be performing graphics live for Dilo on Friday night and Daedalus on Saturday. I’ve spent much of the last two days prepping content and working on (yet another) new performance system/style, and decided to take a break from staring at the screen today to build prototype three of my VJ Box.

This version centers around the APC40, which can face the artist or the audience with a simple flip of the box. Inside the box will be my external hard drive(s), USB Hub, Power Strips and lots of cables. The idea is to plug in as much as possible beforehand, so you have only a few last connections to make once you’ve arrived at the venue.

Inspirational props go to Middleman for his amazing Plexiglass Table, Pleasuretek for making me want a mobile rig, Daedalus for tilting his monome towards the audience for all to see, and VJ Exavior for showing off his Velcro-Filled VJ Coffin all those years ago.

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By Momo the Monster | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Pan Filter for Realtime Sound Synthesis in Flash

August 25, 2009 – 8:07 pm


(Interactive – click on letters to activate, then use your keyboard. Works best with headphones.)

I wanted the ability to pan sounds for the game I’m working on. I wrote a quick note to Joe Berkovitz, who developed the Audio library I’m using. He suggested I write the filter myself :)

I’ve never extended a library before, but he included great example filters and assured me it wouldn’t be hard, so I gave it a try. What do you know – it wasn’t bad at all. So I’m happy to give my teensy contribution back – you can download my PanFilter below and drop it in your StandingWave2 Filters directory.

It works just like the Gain filter, taking in one Number between -1 (hard left pan) and 1 (hard right pan). Zero will give you centered audio, and you can use any float in between -1 and 1 for some subtle effects.

panfiltervar

See interactive movie at top of page for a hands-on example (sounds pan from left to right as you move left to right across keyboard).

Download PanFilter.as

By Momo the Monster | Posted in flash | Comments (0)

New Flash Game In the Works

August 18, 2009 – 11:05 pm

Just a teaser, for now. This is something I’m working on in the evenings. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s just a prototype – the urge to perfect each step of the process (and in doing, overwork each step of the process) is powerful.

I’d originally browsed iStockPhoto for squid illustrations, but wound up liking my version better, anyway. I’m no illustrator, but what can I say – I like my designs.

squid-scene

I’ve currently got about half of the game mechanics working, so I should be able to post up a demo within a week or so.

By Momo the Monster | Posted in flash | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Polyphonic Synth with StandingWave2

August 10, 2009 – 7:18 pm


(Interactive – click on letters to activate, then use your keyboard)

I’ve been working on a Simon-like game in order to stretch my AS3 knowledge, and I’ve been running up against some of Flash’s known issues regarding playing sounds at exact times. I stumbled upon StandingWave2 while searching for developments in the sound-in-Flash arena, and after just a few hours of messing with it, I am HOOKED. I’m not yet sure that it’s going to solve the particular issue I was having with the Simon game, but it’s spurred a few tangential ideas that I may try out first.

In any case, the movie at the top of this post is my first go with the StandingWave2 library, made in the course of a few hours on Sunday. I’m looking forward to more experiments.

By Momo the Monster | Posted in flash | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Master Control System

August 6, 2009 – 12:53 pm

What it Is

The Master Control System is a 2-Player Interactive Video Station designed for temporary installation near loud music.

mstr-ctrl-2up

Each player has an array of buttons and sliders, along with a scratch wheel. Every press, slide, scroll and twitch changes the video, which can be simultaneously displayed on the screen and projected as large as you like. The interface has some items which are quite intuitive, and others which require more experimentation and produce nuance through extended play and exploration.

Inside the Box

It’s a relatively simple setup.

  • A 15″ MacBook Pro runs a customized Quartz Composer scene.
  • A MixMan DM2 plugs into the laptop via USB.
  • Two light sources illuminate the box from the inside.
  • One power strip provides power to all devices, so the box requires only one three-prong grounded outlet.
  • A Keyboard and Trackball provide easy access to setup via the hinged door.
By Momo the Monster | Posted in VJ | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Getting MIDI and OSC into Flash

August 2, 2009 – 4:14 pm

Following up on my post about Controlling Flash with a Monome, I’ve done a bit more research on the ways to get controller data in and out of Flash.

My current conclusion: Oscar for OSC, Red5 for MIDI. Read on for the details.

Oscar

In Short: OSC to Flash, one-way, Mac-only.
Details: The slickest of the controller translation apps, this one is great for connecting up the Monome and any other controllers that support OSC natively. Additionally, if none of the MIDI solutions are working for your setup, you can convert your MIDI to OSC using Quartz Composer and then route it through Oscar and into Flash. Perhaps a forthcoming post on this?

Red5 Flash Server

In Short: Open source Flash Server, includes MIDI functions.
Details: This Java server supports streaming audio, video, and lots of extra stuff. It seems like it’s perhaps overkill if you just want to get MIDI into flash, but hey, it works! The newest stable release (0.8) is available for OSX, Windows, or as source to build on your own box. Unfortunately, the Mac 0.8 installable version needs Java 1.6, which was never released for 32-bit Mac systems. Thankfully, you can download the 0.6 release pre-compiled, and it works just fine. Last updated June 2009.
Starter Code: Lukasz Karluk put together a great starting point: AS3 Code for Red5

MidiToFlash

In Short: A Java applet and bridge that enables MIDI input into Flash, including through a webserver.
Details: I really wish I could have gotten this to work. He’s got an online example that worked for me, but I couldn’t get my local version to connect properly. After messing about with it, I can no longer get his example to see my MIDI messages either (though my devices still show up properly). To be fair, I updated my OS in between the working and not-working tries, so it could be that, or something else I messed up. Let me know if you’ve had success with this project – there’s lots of possibility for fun multi-player MIDI games here.

FlashMIDI

In Short: MIDI input and output from Flash, last updated 2005.
Details: Assumed abandoned, this was a plug-in based on some sort of undocumented feature. It allowed MIDI control, as well as playback of MIDI files. It was mostly Windows-Only, though there was an Alpha version of a Mac plug-in made.

FlashServer

In Short: Max/MSP external allows bi-directional communication- last updated 2006
Details: Assumed abandoned, this was an external for Max/MSP (so you need to write a Max/MSP program that would use it). Mac and PC versions still available for download, current compatibility unknown (written for Flash 5).

flOSC

In Short: A Java server that creates a bi-directional channel for communication between OSC devices and Flash.
Details: I did get it working, but Oscar is much slicker. If you’re on a PC, this is a great (perhaps the only) solution for OSC to Flash communication. There’s a new flOSC by tranxete, but like Red5 0.8, it requires Java 1.6, so it’s a non-starter for me.
Starter Code: From tim, based on the fwiidom classes: flOSC As3 Classes.

Tim, of the flOSC classes above, also has a good round-up on using MIDI in Flash.

By Momo the Monster | Posted in flash | Tagged , , | Comments (4)

APC40 Audiovisualism and Corn Dogs

July 28, 2009 – 11:02 am

I’ve had a bit of time now with the Akai APC40, and I’m experimenting with using it in place of my monome 128 / nanoKontrol combination. My previous AV experiments involved a monome-centric plugin called molar – an amazing vst developed by Steve Duda (who also created Lucifer). I wanted to modify the system to use Live-native devices, and found that I could achieve similar results by using Slice-To-Midi and the APC40. Witness below.

Split-Screen

http://www.vimeo.com/5779669

Full-Screen

http://www.vimeo.com/5779266

The basic data flow is this – Sliced Audio Tracks play back samples, and Dummy Tracks listen to their MIDI and pipe it out through a virtual MIDI port. An external video program (Isadora, in this case) reads the incoming MIDI and plays back video in sync.

Ultimately, I think people are going to develop some awesome Live AV plugins via Max4Live. At that points, I can probably scrap this system and use one of theirs. In the meantime, I’m figuring out what it is I want in an AV system so I can pass that along to the real developers.

By Momo the Monster | Posted in VJ | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

faderTouch DIY touchscreen

July 17, 2009 – 9:44 am

Just got a video update from VJ Fader, who has recently relocated across the world to Beijing.

http://www.vimeo.com/5623028

His ‘faderTouch’ system is a homebrew rear-projection single-touch screen which he  uses to control custom Processing sketches.

fadertouch

The current version is an aluminum frame with wood legs, and a  10 lumen pico projector bouncing off a mirror.

By Momo the Monster | Posted in VJ | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)

Master Control Station is Shaping Up

June 24, 2009 – 11:20 am

mstr-ctrl-assembleWith SOAK just a few days away, I’m putting the finishing touches on the box for the Master Control Station. This interactive piece will be installed near the Main Stage at the campout, and anyone who wants to have some fun controlling a realtime video projection system is welcome to come on up and press the buttons.

There have been a lot of changes from the original proposal. For one, it was supposed to include a Dance Pad, as seen in my last blog post. Unfortunately, though I did get some fabulous help from Laen (via Dorkbot) installing a new brain, we’ve yet to get it sending out the right signals, and with the event just days away, it’s probably best to just focus on what we’ve got for sure.

So we’ll have this mini-arcade-form-factor cabinet surrounding my MacBook Pro, running a custom Quartz Composer patch, controlled by a DM2. The second coat of Marine-grade sealant is drying on the cabinet pieces now, and then I have only a little final assembly to do. More pics and video after the event!

By Momo the Monster | Posted in VJ | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

DDR Pad Project

June 3, 2009 – 12:48 pm

My proposal to create an interactive installation for SOAK (Portland’s Regional Burning Man event) was approved this last week, and I’ve got just a few weeks to put everything together.

One of the proposed components is a DDR Pad that people can dance on to control visuals. BenD, a local artist and Burner, donated a busted pad that he got at the good ol’ Goodwill bins. Now I have to figure out what’s wrong with it.

ddr-disassembled

The end connecter is Playstation-style, which is fine, since I’ve got a PS-to-USB converter. Unfortunately, none of the buttons produce data when the pad is plugged in. Maybe something is blown out in the brain? I’m guessing that my first step is to get my multimeter back from Brandon so I can see if the buttons are registering on the brain. Definitely open to suggestion on troubleshooting this thing.

Upgrades:

Most of the pads have been replaced with home-made versions. I can certainly cut new ones out of some nice acrylic, and even laser-etch the designs right on to them – that could be fun.

I’ve seen some DIY DDR designs that are much more modular – each pad wires into a screw-on post in its square, and the wires all go to breakout box which then connects to the brain. Since these things are so prone to breakage, that seems like a good way to save on upkeep. Also, the brain is in a terrible place right now, you have to flip the pad over and remove some 20+ screws to access. I think I should keep the brain in an external box so I can just pop that open to troubleshoot/fix problems as they arise.

By Momo the Monster | Posted in VJ | Tagged , , | Comments (2)