Derivative’s TouchDesigner is a new programming tool, at least for me. It’s a graphical programming language for art, video game prototyping, 3d animation, audio and more. It’s also got support for OSC, XML and html, and that’s a good thing! There are two versions, one free and one you have to pay for. Here’s a list of some of the things it can be used for.  I would like to try it out when I get some free time..

Derivative’s net site
Here is the wiki

The C++-based OSC-controler I’ve been working on for my master degree in music technology is nearly finished.
Here is a screenshot:

As you can see it’s on Windows, but since I’ve been using the openFrameworks library, it should be possible to compile it for Mac and Linux as well.
The sound is generated in Max. The only thing you have to do in Max is load samples, everything else can be controlled from the application itself.

Here are some of the features:

• 16 step drum sequencer with individual settings per step and the ability to store patches
• 16 step synth sequencer (a little cheesy at the moment, but it might become cooler) based on a simple synth design with saw, recangle and noise oscillators + filters and envelope
• For the step sequencer, you can adjust BPM and lenght (1 to 16 steps)
• Sampler with 25 voices with looping. Each voice has it’s own filter, distortion and frequency reduction effect and it’s own send to grain
• Pitch controller per sample voice
• Samples can be sequenced, but for now it’s only note on and note off
• 4 effects; reverb, delay, ring-mod and flipper (FM-style modulation) – for delay and reverb effects I use freware VST-effects (for best result)
• Granular effect – audio output form every synthstep, drumstep and sample voice can be sent here
• Circle-based effect parameter editing
• Audio recorder – controls audio recording in max
• Mixer with 7 channels: drum, synth, sampler, granular, fx, audio recorder, and main
• Each channel has it’s own volume and pan controls, and sends to the four effects (excluding the effects, audio recorder and main channels)
• It’s sadly not possible to save patch settings (exept for the drum sequencer)
• Different screens is selected with tab-buttons on the left side
• Signals are sent via Open Sound Control to Max

The program is made primaraly for use with a touch-screen monitor, but it’s of course possible to use a regular mouse. No support for multitouch.

Here’s a little example I made, please be aware of loud noisy sounds:

The file is about 20 minutes and 30MB so it might take some time to load it completely.
It’s improvised, and besides converting to MP3, I’ve done nothing with it after recording.
Here I use the sampler, loaded with single shot drum sounds. They are played back at different speeds and the sound is sent to the granulator and the other effects.

It’s also possible to make some less experimental music with the application. I will post more examples later..

Through wire to the ear I discovered a new modular synth for the Iphone. I usually don’t bother to mention that particular phone too often, but this time I’ll do it, and just because the program I’m talking about is so bloody cool. The program in question is called Jasuto. It’s a soft synth that wire to the ear compare with the Reactable, but imo it’s a lot cooler than that (and a lot more portable as well). Besides, its available, and it don’t cost much; price is 1$ from the Apple shop. Here’s a demo:

There’s a VST available as well, it can be downloaded here (for free). I haven’t had time to test it yet..
VST version is written in C++ using OpenGL and the multiplatform Juce library.

Go to website: http://www.jasuto.com/

Bill Buxton of Microsoft research has made an overview of what has happened in multi-touch research. For those of you who thought multi-touch first came with Jeff Han or the Iphone, have a look at this page. The picture on top here is from the Multi-Touch Tablet developed at Toronto University in 1985.

By the way, what is Jeff Han up to now? This video shows him demonstrating a new type of bidirectional LEDs capable of sensing your fingers. Check it out:

More about this project here.

On Cycling ’74’s site I found a video of a drum machine someone have made in Max/MSP. They use it with a cheap touch overlay and the result is very impressive. A real performance tool!

read more about the project here

I usually avoid writing about apple products, but this video is ok:

It’s Brian Eno’s ambient music application for Iphone or Ipod Touch. Just flick your finger on the screen and piano tones pops up. It’s relaxing!

I stumbled across a brilliant post on Synthopia, a video showing a demo of the project the Sound of Touch. The instrument is made by David Merrill at MIT and is based on using a contact microphone and DSP to record and manipulate the sounds. I’m glad to see that there’s still some good ideas out there. Just wish I could do something like that..

More aboute the project on this link
See some of David Merrillis other projects

Om man er registrert bruker av Audio Ease Altiverb kan man laste ned en impulsrespons fra Gol stavkirke som står på Norsk Folkemuseum på Bygdøy. Impulsrespons- og konvulsjonsteknologien har blitt veldig populær, men er kjent for å bruke mye minne og prosessorkraft. Altiverb går vel for å være en av de beste programmene for IR-klang, og de har et veldig stort utvalg av impulsresponser som man kan kjøpe til eller laste ned fra hjemmesiden deres. Men skal du ha programmet må du ut med iallefall 600Euro, noe som er i overkant mye synes nå jeg..

Gol stavkirke IR
Test av Altiverb versjon 5 i Sound On Sound
AudioEases nettbutikk

Skwrk (whatever that means) is a new front end to Csound that seems very promising. It claims to give Csound possibilities of real time rendering and automatic score generation. Still only for Windows, but that’s fine with me. Haven’t had a chance to try it out though..

The official Csound site
Checkout this cool music made with Csound

Surroundmiksing med JazzMutant Dexter

Les anmeldelse av Dexter i Future Music.
Eller hos SonicState – se videoen!
Nettsiden til JazzMutant.

Dexter er jo uten tvil en heftig kontroller, men prisen på 2700EUR er ganske høy.

Posts marked multi touch at Gizmodo
Posts marked multi-touch at Engadget 1
Posts marked multi touch at Engadget 2
Posts marked touch screen at Engadget

The reacTable

The ultimate multi touch gadget must be the reacTable from PFU in Barcelona, Spain.
Here is a video featuring the reacTable

openFrameworks, et bibliotek for C++ som jeg bruker i min masteroppgave har fått ny framside på nettsiden sin:

http://www.openframeworks.cc/

Her presenteres nå forskjellige prosjekter som er lagd med hjelp av biblioteket.

openFrameworks er en slags C++variant av det populære Processing som gjør det enkelt å programmere applikasjoner som inkluderer audio, video, bilder, fonter og interaksjon. Siste versjon, 0.05, gir også muligheten til å sende og motta OSC. Altså akkurat det jeg trenger til masteroppgava. Har jobba med openFrameworks fem-seks måneder nå. Biblioteket er et utmerket verktøy til å lære programmering!

Check out this cool video of Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones playing the Fairlight CMI.
This beautiful synth / sampler / sequencer / music system was revolutionary in the late 70’s / early 80’s. Even now the Fairlight system looks and sounds very futuristic and cool.

Now Fairlight makes an audio controller, the Xynergy.
The Fairlight history.
Other cool Fairlight videos on YouTube:
Greg Sneddon demos the fairlight
Peter Gabriel also used this expensive synth to sample ethnical sounds

Sommerskole i Genova, Italia 9 – 11 juni. Tema her er “Gesture and Music – Embodied Music Cognition, Mobile Music Systems and Active Music Listening” så kanskje litt på siden av det jeg driver med.
Nettside: Genova 2008