While being involved in the computer art world, I’ve become increasingly interested in the idea of the interface, and extending the level of interactivity we experience with technology. As an interface becomes more tangible, we can increase the amount of information we commit to it, and further our expressions. This can produce some interesting possibilities for communication and collaboration.

The realm of improvisational music is very closely tied to these ideas of connecting in real time. Such music has always been of interest to me, as it produces a very accessible version of a conversation, and each artist’s train of thought.

With the use of several systems of input, I’m working to create a system to accompany a musical conversation. This system will focus on creating a visual representation of each musician, with the intent of portraying their interaction in real-time. Ideally, this visual output will be somehow projected during a live performance, similar to a light show.

A quick rundown of what I’m doing with hardware and software (so far):

Tools:
Instrument (guitar, for now) Audio input/output (no sound processing - the focus is on visuals)
Instrument Midi input (hex pickup)
Midi-Triggers and Expression Pedals
Computer with Max/MSP + Jitter from Cycling74 Software

I’m working on a system (and documenting my progress with this blog) to use instrument data to manipulate the movement of an object around a coordinate space. I hope to move away from any manipulation of the oscilloscope or spectral displays, a method commonly being used by media players (like iTunes and Windows Media Player) to produce “Visualizations.” The use of midi data and triggers will hopefully provide a closer connection with the (note for note) decisions of each musician. A sample Quicktime, exported from Max/msp can be viewed here. A more detailed (and more interesting) video is in the works.

I’d like to combine the use of traditional, pre-composed animation with those generated live, and use incoming data to trigger various changes in playback. With this, performances can combine very composed movements with spontaneous ones. An example of this could be altering a quicktime movie (playback rate, frame, brightness, hue etc.) with midi triggers from notes or pedals.

Please contact me with any comments, suggestions, or questions. For more information on Max/MSP & Jitter visit Cycling74's website.

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