BlstrPak – My first release on Sticky Shed Records

Do you like harsh analog drone? Then check out BlstrPak, the first group to release on Sticky Shed! This is a 40-minute free digital download.

BlstrPak is Nathan Wheeler, Ryan Wurst, and Liz Comninellis performing on a vintage Moog synthesizer. The have lots of fun.

Download the album here.

Drum Modeling in Max/MSP – part 1

Recently I’ve been fascinated by electronic drum sounds, and really, timbrel modeling in general. I’ve been working for a while on developing a standard synthesizer/sample library to combine and build my own drum sounds, mostly because I’ve been unable to find quality sounds without paying for them. It does feel a bit like I’m reinventing the wheel, but all the same, it’s a good time.

Using Max/MSP, I created my first kick drum synth, which consists of a single impulse click through a lowpass filter at 1-3kHz(the initial hit of the beater on the head), band-filtered pink noise (usually best around 100-200 Hz, the resonance of the shell), and two sin wave generators to mimic the fundamental. Each is individually enveloped because the fundamental might want to ring out or be short.

This particular patch is fixed fundamental, mimicking a tuned kick. If I wanted to have a more electronic/dubstep sound, I would make it so the frequency of the fundamental and the filter on the pink noise move downward over the length of the envelope. This sort of imitates the fact that the high frequencies decay faster than the low ones, and gives the drum a little more attack and frequency dynamic.

Here’s a pic and the patcher:

———-begin_max5_patcher———-
1392.3oc0Z00aihCE84zeEnn8oUci72X121eGqFshj3lxrIP1.QSmNZ5u801
WSBoMjXHfmTEIn1Pg683y85y0le7vjoyKdQUNM5Oi96nIS9wCSlX6xzwDW6I
S2j9xh0ok1aa5FUYY5J0zGgqUodox1OlRp66oh7p7zMJa++0trz00WIe+lr7
0pJ6ihbryh8U08hc8tMsZwyY4q9mcpEUfARojYnGivjDyIcCttgbFJ5KMdwk
YuZewXy8BcmszZIEy+5ePo0lB7Jq99VE7vmNM5Klq7yGdvb3QOgib02zO2Of
FutIcaDRaDwQTTjD0Qng2UnQvDVnQ.mPwlSDTmvFBN3XCAEIFcrgC7kaCaPC
L1TtNaoZW8Cc6NUoJuJsJqHuokis1JydD4NbvpOAUv8jwPv0ngFZXMe7M7db
xn582li3Fd8xQjCrezVxvRU0xhMoY4ZCBM5oEYPZwDKNHAxdGSKNzg9pWWlt
3sN3en18ORhz3RbL2FLb334FfIISG1gwneCO5ie.AlkXmPiQ6w3GQbowO2kd
Na4RUt8gzKLpRs6sgIjkHsgoTcJHyT3hKFyxZ00dZcQZUeCbGNugB4moZN40
8FR7X3NqzoZ5RzF4RrQRCugPur2zpyTlsJ2DfDMMK+WuSQfbid5TxQ0qJ+Vl
19HCiiwjNeAnf0BiOuewaOIwi8MQ+78UUE4CTZAmWDeblbRaiQsqiedZ9pAU
u55rb0aCxj.jKIGyNIGQBQehdnQEK7f21ez4o84KL5S6vXM6B9qSuFEDrgrm
3so+7ZIMezQgO5ft6Oc4xsE5XUWItniBo0uaxrXh4m9865BiHyrcIs2lz1Ik
CcRE0+uCI652ear0Wvo.TyEGKatqTqqlRbHgjEeewZ0aZMdiMxTW0bhEfDj9
Dzw+EfLzQulh5ZlSH8GYXgDYBRRZJCJ0LF2+jzzOQIocZAI3j1RRCU4ZgM6U
+n+RFiT2rYbl9GuQla9rDj9G9yYNZBrzlDHRqe4nwgLdaaV9+1UTo6BBQ.wK
FJPF0m3MznfJsshAZJ7xslaZr4KbqbQLHeRzm0LXnWSumxVqqod0tzsOe9p1
jm0IiufSJ.wgb3DjLxTiv4zH1tDw0Yk1zLGx2bg+n9dgx6pMXv0NYLoTUA85
xNoCZ0lnMUjcbg.oqRDXLxDKaBnQMWF22cXHiMmm8e6SW10nSQm4fXnjEjk8
IE8HmkHnRDJ1oJMhmzyTogbZGwGZWwGFCl7zhRI8YWG3AM2kg2pmj2r0Lit9
R.avB6h4Fy5yRVGlMqJH5JcnQBp+xJGUUkaSyUcYJ8KtX9GV6MSJc4gSmcUd
NHdb9pEE532ZofrXIiZk5EiRjHl4un3XAK1pH71cxV1PNLDFigEunO6H2EfF
23OFC4MD3C0ldVrgcmgMrXnXZ5H.MrX6SEhLbgIjVVlyiEGeC.i8AaC9e2GG
g03L8eJZUVre2h5Pt5OzfnF0IoJqxxsPViaRqYIhel8moFI1jcRIPsLz4qIY
1e+qZRl0ynwMM11jYmkupM8NCezwIjO3DKn1jzGXBETSxGBdXG37geGV5crG
VjVCrV2UnrnDOSKEvQMjmfT.MIxIiIsvsog0l7JdCGTxjvWSJfvjW1jLnvjY
6qtNcJvTblu3T.m30KJN49yln2eljYy9CHE+cutVF5B6DKDoG1TGYSTL7QZA
q1ka+QNsEkQssnX6ISqa0Q7ImFoiwpTpzXebLXlD5GaU6IH4f4I9LhHBOK4Z
faGE66PLGufjD+wVTFy1Rlbn0.fsWkjD2URBtIc28sWdRqZRBWLTjDrWE6D1
YKwiPD3MZS7Oolz8WzMIIr1julT3l9lhu+Td4WZfvRvw7wV0rtwOe3+gtHRx
7
———–end_max5_patcher———–

Kick Drum Modeling Patch

A screenshot of a Max/MSP kick drum sound patch

Mid-Summer update

As the next semester approaches (-very quickly!), I have a quick update regarding my upcoming projects, as well as my summer endeavors.

First off, if you’ve never read TapeOp Magazine, you must check it out. Every time I read it I am inspired to create, and I also find out about the producers and engineers of all my favorite records, usually totally unaware that they were involved at all. Plus they have free subscriptions! Check it out!

Also, we’ve moved my Black Box show to the spring semester, after I’ve graduated. The reasons are twofold – the Black Box is overbooked for fall, and I am looking forward to dedicating the whole semester to composing and rehearsing for the late January/early February date. More on that to come!

I spent most of June in the Black Box Studios on campus, recording numerous albums. I’m currently mixing a jazz trio record (to which I’ll be posting a link as soon as I get the mix finished), and I just finished recording Princess Music, an amazing local band out of Denver. Everything was tracked live (with the exception of some vocal overdubs) in a one-day session, and we spent 3 days mixing. Overall, such an enriching experience. All of the band members are great and experienced artists, and it was great to work with them and hear their opinions and takes on different aspects of the music. Click on their name above to hear the tracks (mastered by Jeremy Averitt) and also get a free download!

In the next semester, I have a number of collaborations approaching… Dance MFA candidate Nichole Dagesse has a show September 25th, MFA candidate Gabriel Todd has a show October 15th, Ryan Wurst has a show October 6th, and Michael Theodore has a show September 24th. I’m involved in all of these projects to some degree or other, and all of them will be exciting. This is without mentioning the Stockhausen Festival taking place in early September.

As part of my piece in the Black Box, I’ve been working with long-time
friend and collaborator John Gunther on a little electronics apparatus using Arduino, the same technology I used for Mark McCoin’s show. This time, I’m implementing a number of custom sensors (an accelerometer, a couple of potentiometers, an ambient light sensor, and some buttons) to be mounted on any of his instruments, and to be ported into Max For Live via the XBee wireless protocol. As progress happens, I will be posting videos – though I’ve already finished my first prototype. I’ll have a preview of that coming soon.

This post seems empty without some sort of media link in it, so here’s something random:

SPARK festival 2010 – accepted!

My improvised electronic piece Colony Collapse Disorder, solo for video and electronics, was recently accepted by the SPARK festival at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, which happens from September 28-October 2nd. I’ll be traveling to the festival and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with some of my electronic music colleagues! The work will be performed either as an installation or a live improvised work. Expect an update as the dates get closer and the schedule is released!

Also, I have an entry entitled “Conversation as Collaboration” that will be posted soon. Keep your RSS feeds peeled!

My first couple research videos, and VJing at Astroland

So, it’s been a while. The semester is over now, and I’ve had some time to recuperate. I’m deep in the planning stages of my performance in November, and I have a couple of tech-y videos utilizing Arduino and Max, which are the first stages in the creation of my sound-art sculpture.

Arduino – light and frequency from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

This video uses Arduino to control the brightness of three individual LEDs, and these shine into three analog ambient light sensors. The light sensors are built to control the frequency of a square wave, which they output directly, and which I have connected to three individual speakers. This was basically designed to test the output of the ambient light sensors and to better understand how they can be implemented.

Arduino – Touching Rocks from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

The whole concept of conductive material is fascinating to me, especially that we can take a substance out of the earth and it will carry electricity. My grandfather is a geologist/mineralogist, and had some chunks of pyrite (iron sulfide) lying around, so I decided to see how conductive they were. It turns out pyrite is a semiconductor with certain photo-sensitive properties, and also seems to occasionally have a negative resistance. Fun, but not so dependable. Which could yield some interesting results if I decide to implement it in an interactive sound sculpture. More on that as it progresses.

Astroland Demo from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

Astroland Demo 2 from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

These two videos are samples of the work I did at a dance party at Astroland, Communikey’s DIY space in Boulder. Both videos use a patch in Max/MSP/Jitter and public domain footage from Archive.org. I’ve included the patch below.

———-begin_max5_patcher———-
2365.3oc6bs0baaqD9Y6eEb7zmN0QCtCvyS8763LcxPIQKyDJRERpZ61o92d
AAnjnuPnUJHHHQcRFIKJJpc+v2tXuQ8WWe0MyqeLu8lj+ax+O4pq9qqu5Jyg
5OvUCu9paVm83hxrVyocSU9C0y+zM2Zeqt7G6LG9+jflI2cz6pq5pxVmadm+
WSQV4t2oZ655sck4clKFd3n1C08zlbqjbyck0Y5q6uO550V7ml2ESlgNbwJp
1csHCGbSV2h6KpV8wl7Ec1KGkv0elDBk1+D09BzLz9qewRijp0qOvP2zer+9
5q6e3Vffx5711rU4uAU9EbxGPyHZrg3MrwivhvfDbySBU+iX06CKzzyAVlfq
zVkso895tm0qBQNkAi5eRQcQYnHOhMKdZQY9yZBCB6MnosXUk9C4YrAqX8OI
ItvFRpOMmZ6p2De1QbggdHXFjv5jYJ6HL2m3wCMEc4ITzrjOsIeURUcy5CvP
DAPbK.gMNZvDhKDR5QioOUzM6KcyzRRcyxSEWHSgK5q5GWm00T73M2dpnDdZ
TRnjVZjw5RhbtKkmAo1xhk4I+l4oOtr9gpDMQMxwKpzriEO0xpnot.LL5rfr
drYyCEUZH4DU5WppP0IqJgQFJfxPADSpQzeDzHhcWBfpDwi75sUaxV74j65+
2oxkotix3127G9hTiECwjYHBhivowm0lIaK6JLV5MtY.Kzpxxrtrwh7NUiBi
kX+ZVTWV2Lne8JDZ+C3QZ1hrpkOoe3EW+9CVzePp8yO7QIJAQxu0d4d8Ewb9
j8mepBQSucz273yG95h0xL09jcmLNapElyJhPMSRKNdys6dF57rpUSPPwy3o
brRty1ooncQVo48PyROUScclUXNGQznMQolIwLhfogImakkJ7YDQymWj0l7K
3u0AA8JfCZjPigHJVGUjFivXMD4LjHh5RjNgkoynbhjPNI5jzmzoUwMcZLDA
mNkdYRmHzYZKOFl2Smj.oSTuRmZhb5zHHh1G7xN5DxYogT9NYj9E4djJ1y.A
aqNDkYRuU5rHQodMweb7kjufYhvhIMgFQIy3N7.cVIi0UuZUY9IpeEUcmQZX
1.uo1jvSo6d7c0kyJmkUsOTn+ZO6EKiZc3LeghQcrHY0kgEI6Jldo58UreTB
h8zMbkHyBKmaRJ08N.J9k3tkRaYc4bI.DxuQv2Tr59tJ86FuaTJRsnisbMRm
cNQ40HH5yIuIqsKdwlcLGowEpsbFShM9Nzg4MKpayh9J8JsU5EYqhfyh7nR+
o0Krsxf5nMA3hwmEFrcSd9xxh0ITTDFFk0aBUX6BfydUq7cupiX.ggvGBYYx
dG4ytTWVTkq24zaFQmtKD5wQEhw4AS3hlH8YK090D7rHsm8BjzFOq7PFHShI
BOhIaxy9b15MQ73LrCZrFQVGuSBMDe5Uor9gM8mS74WwliG1twCm4zux4kJT
QYWdyplrM2+76qkxozxxh12qKSu6er6bmNSWkqlNacnZiVCKLvfB+9vfX+.d
UY0sWrT0l2YO5PmWzWNy+Ql+q+BDLjhy5aBSpjgY5+RupgTLrbbKgd6CI+t+
LUmW7ksYKe965n0HNpcJwtbnDtbgINqDSy+yrkKd9D25ZPKu8s5K3PdQ1RRa
yGvNhC8O9tJF8RLiapMNXlRc7vgEdMvuUYEUwa9jC3Be.djNmtpyKexsqmen
W3Sq95OTwZMEaj7BjL06Z1CTIMfsS.N0bsHb3rKrWmYu00Kyi3FxxGytbGEf
.+sjcEVpDXdChBl2Pn9j27TDSZrfx.og5r6XD1kGoAywv2JyqYa7XD2bUKn.
iz36gfUCCyi9xhZafJWPNdUQomU56tF5sWOfa38huCdATMamIfwdP81PXLAa
p+d1r8Ec0arB6UeqOdWVP1T9LFUbKRYMO3NC1i56gf1fJQgQhqvgsIHJr.jy
68BJ+m1VGPFFOd.sNvqMmrIqKNsaF.DagfYNaHI1qIO1jmsLZybzF+w9obvA
lH9Q61T5bwD0XLwYPHXoewjrltXETr48M.JN6vDQ3+aOo00+QQdhfgzFtnje
KaaWsAsRzu3OpKSPwdfaD6820PyJIJmaJQ9ocSIrswS1gBz8lRR7EwtRCHBE
e7ck3dc9Huqccd014YMIQXGswHLyN+Gl8jjNix8hbVs2MDD16ouiDem3hbZ1
4CSvIf4yiftzlOugwakBX77HjKqwyaGwgBX77DWnimmc6JAfoyS3yZPzlWpy
iyaniwUjOK8Ppc2b9NFjydHQ8Hv747mNUTgcjRg+1mNITBcbThxFnONZgOlD
22GD6zE6PhPb20PuFR6caKKaWzjmWEkA1N.LBaifFFdlotYWtPJ2hhenjjGo
ZKnzKjxsf4iAE2kawu0kKlq2BlfGgJX2nB9mov6GOAG5MFNw3Rriso.vDbD6
arLrUh.x1J9LRhurNuqo1my4NbFA7oK3PwHEtCxBy92pQNA9YSA7HEij3Y3y
96pSR6lrE6gvuywy6J5NazKBqYHl47dM4EtgMmf4Fj3U+zQZ9V5O9Kwu15sM
K1oGVf+1jCeMKya6Jpx5JpqFcN8+.GM9rtuX4x7pwQeutX4lZs+mAgXh4DFp
LQgITjfJT8+F+nWTNhTkJ9NHT3iITxuCB0wV+ngVnPfHU3fJUob.BkfcZxDF
aR0c3WkMIZ+K9ZMKgHruRi9VCfDU7ISoQnLQiQYRBwMgJrqcPjoz.KSB.xDI
rxDD5TfckFeRDCfHoBruIHgVkxBpLIAYygdQzWwANgBqMGDiNUZXkIYDJSP7
WpBr+RHwNoBaHwJHbbRXyxRBwMtLv3DjLGjgkiK.wwCq+IIDYRD1DjkP33xv
JSBH9Bjg0tSPgr1E1XUDRnxDNb7IH9BDAtzFPhKfFXNNN9jIBKBkIYDt1AJt
fvxwIP7OQBadKXHwpHBaNmBPU4Lrw9JhQ6NHhDO955AMra2QgX1QCqYGkEeq
c88+EfPE3NVIhOYhDgxDVFgxDJ9jINj7VBLLABmBsLgiOYBkFg3DK5jIAndD
GVXBxVvgMfNBnjfCrLQ9FzI8uV1jJ9jIPzIbXSZACZdenA16DjF.EXQBDNYb
qhCnTQAKUArtuPV93ANAOX6tDX+AHVD1AuHrY9n3qY9XHAjGX6tnSh.wkBqH
QfHRzvFlIEB+lEVYhAJI3uFWS5W72W+O.QfTMj.
———–end_max5_patcher———–

Another (Jitter) update.

Here are a couple more videos of things I’ve been working on:

I (finally) learned how to use OpenGL in Jitter, and so I’ve been making a bunch of test patches. This is one of them, and it’s something I’ve been trying to make for a while. It’s an animation of 3 wandering cubes, and each one responds to a different band of frequency (Blue = highs, Pink = mids, Yellow = lows). I had to make the quality super low because I haven’t figured out how to record straight from OpenGL. That will come soon.

Jitter Test – Sound Responsive Cubes from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

Also, here’s the visual demo of my work from Ryan Wurst’s piece, “Brief Interviews With Hideous Men,” after the David Foster Wallace collection of stories. (I did this about 2 months ago, but it’s still awesome.)

Brief Interviews Live VJ highlights from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

In other news, I received a research grant from CU to put on a show in the fall. Very exciting! There will be plenty of videos and content coming as a result of that, because I am documenting all of the research for the piece here on the blog. Should be fun!

More jitter stuff!

My role in the Interdisciplinary Performance class I’m taking this semester is turning out to be a very video-oriented one. I keep making patches for live video alteration (see previous Jitter posts), and this one is something I’m particularly proud of.

It’s super simple: I have a video feedback delay running into an object that looks at the difference before and after the delay happens, and only passes things that are different. Essentially, it’s a motion tracker with delay. I also have the color saturation connected to a microphone input, so even though the videos below are silent, know that there was sound going on whenever there is color on the screen. Thanks to Mollie Wolf, Esmeralda Kundanis-Grow, and Luke Iwabuchi for their awesome experiments! We should have video of the actual performance soon. Until then, here are the demos:

Differencer Demo from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

Luke and my patch from Nathan Wheeler on Vimeo.

And here’s the patch (without any comments, though):

———-begin_max5_patcher———-
1722.3oc4assbahDD8Y4uBJU6idUwbiK6S69crUpTHXrLIBPKLJ1Io18aegY
.IGGSSaYoQiIOXHBQDceloOce5Y362rX45pGkMK89Cu+1awhueyhE5K0cgE8
edwxhjGS2lznuskExlljMxk2Z9Nk7Qk95MppcCWbWhJ897xMerVlpL+3bgXk
+sdhn3tSLV2QRzJeuOz++IOS+yTs9S+tHb3G5tpRUYRgT+U+Ucdx1guobeQd
4VoRaTzmb6M4eSe6DZ6i3v8VsWMbyj9qZtj5q6jFKb4RuOz8M+6M2zc312Hd
7PctR5w7W48ocxMdkU0EGs9W.fXcnQG.oOQnTPDR7NBgJkOzZy+D.8ob0p+Q
spEAppy7B39d7HeH.JjzAIAjPMxXNQ8eY.hSek.D40.Pzw.nVe5iEIp57GWd
6YFtp81VkjsNobC.FQH9ZvgoOE.BQzWaTlu6MGpACnvYZNGp9XPLHlDbIm13
e9bbTtslIQeHvGxqI9WRudzYBZ6+jlMzQcr6g7xrpG..fd9BcPPj+.L7hzob
P2DYv+aHjeewZYMTbsfcXrT.NVJXWEhu7RUm6e5CoikF8KYxujmJ89MBH7nG
jYlA7HvLmjYPsE20THK2uNo1CBUBBMyWB0kRDFBAK7f4.rre61lzZorDd5hH
lY.FcjTXLHvveGALppMa1JA8b8bAA+.Gx3LIr3WAoHAhX3rlwWt06XkKunKp
8JgoRHNCjr7RN1RAy6ctKO7yxuBAJQZ0WbyIQ7JAPMPWxxB4Sj.4mOcRfTy1
7LvDpLgIp2nJk3apJTLBGP3IDIb.JNfD20Vzlp8N2sWYQRwGuKIahzmCfQD2
PKBxGFMOTdpgEHLYnjYSNTJnXy3qBOxETr42JR144upcxa6Qlm..nnlxKH95
HoXXU4u1hSEW0pLTx5+Czy00aFQOJvfvFwwImiboZBjKTkA8NCKX5BC39tXg
AIYoHFrD5vYF3rTVzUQBUS9lxtGvg+0IgNsyQZedGPm57lzjs5Gg+pX.3gXh
hMMlEVhIUbNvGxJQrfDE95.ISHvEQoYShZechJuZB0CCPkozgv.nrkzyR1RP
nxRkQrtNey8px1uEVyo3oXCGBaXh4B1j1ZP0IMJv7jDN+IPS.ADZBeuAM.UZ
stNspIY54LFc3B39yxd21V+okjXvAFmhPRB0elKIoGLBhlVRBk7qhjDctFVe
Ob.kjPoyMIIcHT0Nu+r8uj0MY42cGzZePL0wFaxN6C1EHxrS91t7cx1h3f3b
Mx0HlkiGtdOx6JI++vRoft92gUU1rvoST+K+5U+6adcVNQ8ABSug5U4OA9D6
N5C5uu1GVdQqaqcSwEoy5lVp2CPSzYcmT.cgTUW05.9H7x90RGjVkQtdEwd5
wGi.NoU6KUx51x2QfNFbIDFcnmiVgAhNS0q8g+N8IRmFW6.LEgX4rYr2wbsi
U+qofaSte3xf6SS22xgXePQi74hd57xL4D.yvJXRLKYAbiFBlQpoMyZZjpVp
HOtW58I0H16bBinRpowmDSuPGsduv4qHapoKCTy1.aBQ1D97Vj8.XDiPjMQ7
qgHapYgbXTDhrIAyQQ1Stu5DQAlN0gnHPx0ogcussXwjrHbJyrcJhvvhPm2r
H8fgvnfdBVjeQZUGmXzIyQvhL659TsWQRSqXozsUoeFp3VyZfDdbQzGChhlC
6TcjfhQ1nYcpMMcYLTIz01q5S1jjdmiPmtGIAtaKRn9S6hLwwQwQ2GEWEtvK
fb1cxRvMmsooHG23EiJTa17RMsoNYMBYYFng2uGDA2TJDmSSl1JWtMu74u+f
ZGs65+H70TsuNc3Gt2k7N5qYxFUdod+W7j6o6My3I2z84YYxxmRwWjmsqpMN
u2FFYrDqI081SLsMQrqMgAmrqIw4XLIlcso.2yl51B8SZSOyvcCaxtgcTLQc
1MnCgE8Lj7hOv4bz.Xh3r6DIL7RgV0hhbtQMBl41D6RJQPkPwtT.cqR6zb.1
crigoV.F0t1DF1alcS7RiwN1QrmMwwN1wwaSAzft2kKhHv79MyN7o25nJlzM
LKW5BJVB6xuyBbOa5YON.FdhiYSw1MhDSlPZjcmOgxlrrLlP2ylnQtmMwQUw
fkmOgAm3Vt8AXlOwsKNwQgSwtGON2tbl7X2KeGGSsJT6pdfioRcNy8pTmX23
NBl3Nlc6h.wAS2wbO5IT1jkaj.Naxxz3XJKfZYbBSpElvAsoP2a9jkC6nHMI
KJtCiHXpcaKEIFqMYQAmD2CmnnXmrq.gX2ao7HDmiHffpbNKuX0njrPctYSV
1jDhKsM09g+8l+GPuOiYj
———–end_max5_patcher———–

The video from the debut of my cello piece!

This little number is a work commissioned by Psyche Dunkhase, a cellist and recent Masters graduate from CU-Boulder. She is playing the cello into the computer, which is running a patch in Max/MSP, which is processing her signal and sending bits of it to each of the three guitar amps on stage. She did a wonderful job!

My luma-color patch in action

Thanks to my friend Luke for recording this little excerpt of me performing in the Black Box, in our Interdisciplinary Performance class. This is the second time I’ve performed solo. It’s an excerpt from the end, but it gets the point across. Thanks, Luke!

Some Jitter patches to share.

Luma2.maxpat.zip

This bad boy is a colorizing patch designed to highlight portions of the incoming matrix based on a luminance threshold, and then colors all pictures within that threshold a certain RGB value. It has optional LFOs for oscillating the color of each of the three lumakeys, and a scaling setup for the range of each LFO on the red, green, and blue of each one. It took me a little while to make, but I’m happy with it.
(I set the metro to very slow because I am running it with a couple of very processor-hungry patches, and the metro had to be slow enough that it didn’t bog down the CPU.)

Trackpaint.maxpat.zip

This patch has to be used with the lights off, or at least in a very dark room. It uses jit.findbounds to select a color, then plots a point in the center of the area where that color is occuring, and paints little circles randomly around it. Unfortunately, it only works with one light source at a time. I used my LED keychain light in the basement.
It also sends out a “1″ message when there’s nothing bright enough to be tracked, which causes the screen to stop painting and the little circles fade away. This way, I could turn the light on and off to trigger things (like sound) and turn them off when the light turned off. Pretty fun stuff in the right environment (a dark one).

More to come!

Nathan Wheeler's blog about music composition and sound engineering at the Univeristy of Colorado at Boulder.