Amazing computer process performance – Sewing machine orchestra
I attended this experimental concert yesterday evening – a half hour performance where Martin Messier from Canada is using 8 sewing machines to produce massive noise, beats and almost modular synth madness with his Singer 😉 sewing machines in action. Martin told me afterwards that he’s using Ableton Live and Max for Live to control them. One wasn’t allowed to film it but found this clip on Vimeo of the show, enjoy
“Messier doesn’t sew : he resuscitates old singers put asleep years ago in order to release, in some magical ways, the luminous and sonorous presence of the past. he carries his public in a dreamlike universe where each machine, as singular subject, is magnified. after years of silence, sewing machine orchestra is giving speech to these surviving objects of the industrial era.
this creation was made possible with the support of the canada council for the arts.”
audio, light, performance : martin messier
electronic: samuel st-aubin
SOUNDOR—Free open source FM Synthesizer for Max4Live & AudioCubes
Percussa has announced the release of SOUNDOR, a free and open source FM Synthesizer for Max for Live, the visual programming environment in Ableton Live based on Cycling 74′s Max/MSP.
SOUNDOR features 4 oscillators each with their own waveform mixers, allowing the user to mix sine, square, sawtooth, triangle and noise waveforms to create totally new kinds of waveforms. Each oscillator section also features a state variable filter (SVF), and can modulate any other oscillator in pitch and/or amplitude. Each oscillator’s output can also be sent via its own ADSR to a master out, for lots of sound possibilities. Oscillators can overdrive each other through the built in waveform mixer, and can be controlled through the MIDI Keyboard as well as manual settings.
SOUNDOR integrates seamlessly with AudioCubes: rather than having to MIDI map the AudioCubes onto parameters in SOUNDOR, the moment an AudioCube is plugged in, it is automatically connected to any of the waveform mixer parameters and filter sections, through an easy to use connection matrix in the synthesizer. The 4 high speed low latency sensors of AudioCubes can control multiple parameters simultaneously and can even be inverted. A pedal input allows the user to keep the sensors values in place, while the hands are near the sensor, allowing exploration of the parameter space of the FM synthesizer while at the same time allowing rigid locking of parameters to keep the sound steady once an interesting combination of parameters has been found. SOUNDOR supports the well known preset system of Ableton Live and Max4Live, so presets can be saved and recalled just as for other Max4Live devices.
SOUNDOR is available as a free download from Percussa.
A quick demo of SOUNDOR, a free and open source Max4Live FM Synth for AudioCubes by Percussa, smart cubes for sound, music and visuals. In this video, you can see how you can easily create wind and bubbling water sounds using an AudioCube, the free SOUNDOR application and a simple foot pedal. Press the pedal down to enable control of the synthesizer using the AudioCube, and release the foot pedal if you want to “lock” the sound where it is or stop controlling the sound using the AudioCube. One AudioCube can control up to 4 parameters simultaneously, using your fingers and hands. The sensors are high speed and resolution (1kHz and 10 bit). Learn more at http://www.percussa.com/soundor/
SOUNDOR – new free Max4Live FM Synth
A quick demo of SOUNDOR, a free and open source Max4Live FM Synth for AudioCubes by Percussa, smart cubes for sound, music and visuals.
In this video, you can see how you can easily create wind and bubbling water sounds using an AudioCube, the free SOUNDOR application and a simple foot pedal. Press the pedal down to enable control of the synthesizer using the AudioCube, and release the foot pedal if you want to “lock” the sound where it is or stop controlling the sound using the AudioCube. One AudioCube can control up to 4 parameters simultaneously, using your fingers and hands. The sensors are high speed and resolution (1kHz and 10 bit).
Learn more at http://www.percussa.com/soundor/
Olympics and London – live projection mapping multimedia mashup
26 Video Live Projection Mapping Mashup
Using some of our favourite London musicians, films and TV shows.
“Today we released our new London themed projection mapping mashup,” says Evans-Roberts. “We used Ableton Live with Max for Live, and Akai APC40, Resolume Arena, MadMapper, two projectors and three laptops for the performance.”
You can download the mashup via Ithaca Audio on Facebook.
Check it out and let us know what you think of it!
Media Sources:
- Eurythmics – Winston’s diary (1984)
- Night and the City
- Mary Poppins – Stay awake
- Queen – A kind of magic
- Amy Winehouse – You know I’m no good
- The Who – Baba O’Riley
- Blur – Song 2
- Amy Winehouse – Stronger than me
- Jamiroquai – Deeper underground
- Dizzee Rascal – Fix up, look sharp
- Quincy Jones – It’s caper time (self preservations society)
- Adele – Rumor has it
- John Murphy – 28 days later
- Led Zepplin – Whole lotta love
- Faithless – Insomnia
- Florence & the Machine – You got the love
- The Clash – London calling
- Eastenders
- Queen – We are the champions
- Dizzee Rascal – Bonkers
- Klint – Diamond (Snatch)
- The Kinks – You really got me
- Are you being served
- Only fools and horses
- Queen – Another one bites the dust
- The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
Max for Live Instrument: SampleRider
SampleRider is a Max for Live instrument that uses a user-defined sample as a table for an oscillator. Basically, a sinewave that is modulated by another sinewave sets the sample index for reading back sample points from the loaded sample. Frequency is set by incoming MIDI notes. Velocity sets volume. The user can define other parameters (e.g. modulating oscillator amount and frequency). There are two main oscillators and two modulating oscillators. All timbral changes are created simply by reading back from the loaded sample at different points / in a different way.
Download here: http://milkcrate.com.au/_other/downloads/M4L/SampleRider/little-scale.SampleR…
The Granulizator – Granular synthesis tool for Ableton Live
SOON AVAILABLE HERE : http://designthemedia.com/thegranulizator
Requires Max for Live
Features
– buffer size from 1ms to 10s
– 5 parameters to control grains (pitch, noise pitch, length, gain, stereo)
– 2 sources possible (grab audio from input OR use a sample from your disk)
The Granulizator is a tool inside the granular synthesis realm.
It is also and firstly the tool used by protofuse (http://protofuse.net) digital artist.
Especially, an ep has been made and unreleased for the moment but soon.
You have to read more about the granular synthesis:
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granular_synthesis
– http://www.granularsynthesis.com/guide.php
– http://adagio.calarts.edu/~eric/gs.html
– http://www.artesonoro.net/tesisgran/portadagran.html
Designing & testing a new video generator with Max & Max for Live
This is a sneak preview of Julien Bayle’s Video Generator for Max & Max For Live:
I’m currently designing a video generator core structure able to react to my music.
The architecture will include a basic structure (again simplicity) and will be provided with music, probably.
You can go further by reading these posts:
– http://julienbayle.net/2012/01/23/designing-minimal-elements
– http://julienbayle.net/2012/01/25/my-video-generator-global-architecture/
The MatriX 1.0 for Ableton Live
Official Page: http://designthemedia.com/thematrix
This is a real-time sequencer machine for Ableton Live / Max for Live.
This sequencer is based on probabilities and double-triggering concept designed especially for this device.
Features
– based on probabilities
– double triggering
– from 1 to 32 steps
– sync to Ableton Live transport
– autonomous rate for each secondary triggers layer
– many helpers to generate easily and quickly MatriX presets
– gorgeous presets engine (32 slots available)
– 14 pages documentation
The sounds and feel of Oblique – Max for Live synth
The sounds and feel of Oblique, a Max for Live synth made for KONKREET PERFORMER.
It’s here > konkreetlabs.com/oblique/
and it’s free!
Oblique is a Max for Live synthesizer which is completely mapped to Konkreet Performer. As a regular synthesizer, it receives MIDI notes from any MIDI device. Unlike regular synthesizers, the timbre of the sound is controlled by OSC messages coming from the abstract interface of Performer.
The main idea behind the synthesizer was to avoid the use of sliders and knobs, and remove technical descriptions of the synthesis process. Being completely controlled by the main geometrical object of Performer, Oblique allows you to shape your sound without thinking about what is inside the box.
Oblique has been designed, from the beginning, to fit both the interface and the visuals of Performer. Hence, it is not a general purpose synthesizer, but more an audiovisual entity that you can shape and which will react in a certain way. Of course you can use it just for its sound, but Oblique reveals its
true nature when working hand in hand with the visuals. As an additional feature, Oblique can be controlled uniquely from Performer, without MIDI input. It means that you can play it entirely by manipulating the geometrical object, while the graphics in the background give you visual feedback.
CNTRL:R Live Step Sequencer
CNTRL:R Live is a Sophisticated Max for Live sequencer designed by Livid Instruments and Richie Hawtin.
– Integrated with 16 pad Drum Racks in Live
– 16 steps per Drum Pad
– easily mute a whole sequence
– full envelope control for each Drum Pad sound
– control pitch, volume, pan, and filter for each step
– creative step variations for on-the fly editing
– 16th notes or triplets
– variable note value “repeat”
– create and recall up to 32 presets for each sequence
– full interactive control with CNTRL:R