Tools - Software

Computers - general / Max5 / Music / Tools - Hardware / Tools - Software — No Comments
29
Jul 10

Compass, Gyro & Accelerometer device

I’ve got a new device for inertial sensing from eboy.no, and it’s multiple axes of sensor data are for sure a lot of fun to play with: It has a 3d accelerometer, a 3d gyroscope and a 3d compass.

Today I have made some software snippets that tilt compensates the compass, and translates gyro data and the z-axis of the accelerometer into positive/negative motion triggers: It is like having a drum stick that triggers when it is rotated, pitched, rolled and moved vertically. Triggerpoint is set by a simple threshold value, and could be updated dynamically if such behaviour is desired.

I will write more about this when I get time to map it to something that make sound, and that something might very well be aVoon.

cheers Arve

Javascript / Max/MSP/Jitter / Max5 / Tools - Software — No Comments
1
Jun 10

Max JavaScript for LCD-multislider

LCDSlider

LCDSlider

A couple of years ago I posted this, and I quite like how it came out back then. Now I have updated the LCDSlider a bit, made it scalable and added a rename function on slider names. I also think it looks a bit better as it has got a more structured look than the previous version.

The picture is grayscale, but it doesn’t have to be like that. It can be any color you want, and basically anything can be changed inside one JavaScript file. This approach also makes it easy to add new functions and make the LCDSlider something of your own.

Cheers Arve!

Art / OS X / Tools - Software — 1 Comment
29
May 10

aVoon

This post is about aVoon, a software interface for  artistic expression.

Background

The first thing that inspired me to make aVoon was mind maps. When I make mind maps I tend to rely on circles, squares and other basic geometric forms, connect them with lines and add words to explain something that isn’t obvious from symbolic meaning, i.e. being a certain geometric form, the forms position and connections.

In aVoon basic geometric forms, connections and movement resemble an animated version of those mind maps.

Another case that made me want to do aVoon is the traditional container approach to software development, e.g. in a DAW each track is self contained and has certain parameters that can be adjusted. Those parameters are often represented by a knobs position or a discrete number, which is totally fine for a lot of things, but now I want something more flexible and easy on the eyes.

I want something that convey more meaning about the overall state of the app, not limited to discrete info like track one has a gain setting of 1.2 and is panned -1.00001. I want info that in a glimpse tells me how everything relates to everything else without getting vague or blunt.

aVoon

In short aVoon is an attempt to make a generic interface for anything that fits. Like a pair of pants for work. It is not a suit, dress, shirt or whatever. It is work pants with circles, words and lines on it.

The prototype looks like this:

aVoon resembles a mind map with circles that are connected or not, and that move around by themselves or not. (The text at the bottom of the images are debug info, and will change appearance as aVoon matures.)

I want to keep aVoon as simple as possible, and allow users to bring their own semantics to the circles to help convey meaning about something specific. I will use aVoon as front end to granulation, as a spatial controller and as a map for Stompstock (look in the blog archives for more info about Stompstock [guitar effects on screen]).

Currently aVoon knows how to move the circles around, how to respond when circles collide with a window edge, how to connect the circles, how to let you drag circles around, how to send OSC-messages and bundles, how to add and remove circles, how to stop motion and get it going again. It also knows how to load a soundfile and chop it up, but that is just for debugging. It is written in C/C++ and is currently Mac-only.

Hope you like the looks of it. I do.

It will be out in a beta version soon.

cheers Arve.

Max5 / Tools - Software — No Comments
11
Dec 09

New Stompstock module

BlowStop module

BlowStop module

This is the BlowStop module. It is a simple gate, and the point is that when you put this in your signal chain it will attenuate signal below the threshold. So what is new? Nothing. But by using it after a long reverb or delay you will get a wonderful effect. Big complex sound while playing, and no decay when you stop playing. The old gate, still a tool for unusual noises and choices.

Guitar / Max5 / Tools - Software — No Comments
26
Nov 09

Stompstock is getting there!

I have tested Stompstock for a while now, and I am going to take it with me on stage. I really like the overall feel of it, but there are still some bits and pieces that has to go in before it reaches version 1.0.

For those of you who hasn’t seen Stompstock before it is basically stomp boxes on screen: You can move them around, put one before the other, and the sound always goes from left to right. This allows you to change your signal chain by clicking on a preset recall button of your choice.

First thing to be integrated is sync between modules. Then it will learn how to do some envelope tricks, attack decay and blow stop. Blow stop is simply a gate inserted anywhere in the signal chain that mutes output when input falls below a threshold. Like when a trumpet player stops blowing into the trumpet.

Sound examples coming soon!

Cheers
Arve

Art / Design / Max5 / Tools - Software — No Comments
22
Nov 09

Real Time Graphics

At Norsk Teknisk Museum during the final concert of the elektrOpus sound competition I served a tiny portion of live graphics. It was kept simple, doing pixelation, blur, blending and a few other tricks and treats. I think it came out as a beauty, and Drivhuset ordered more graphic software for image manipulation for their Minnepinne-project.

So to make this story shorter than it could have been: I want to give a preview of how this came out, because it will be developed further and sneak on to stage with Goldwasser. Eventually. The images below are screenshots taken during testing of the software that I made for Drivhuset.

Source material are two videos: One of my son looking at fish at the aquarium and one video of a Norwegian coast guard ship going out from a dock in the local harbour. A Wiimote interfaces the manipulation presets too any kind of hands.

Cheers
Arve

Computers - general / Engineering / Tools - Hardware / Tools - Software — No Comments
27
Sep 09

Active speakers

I have set up a pair of active speakers and a subwoofer in my rehearsal studio: Two dB (dB Technologies) Opera Live 402 fullrange speakers, and one dB Sub15.

This is a setup that is sufficient for small gigs in clubs and such. The 402 speakers are rated at 500+100 watts, the Sub15 is rated 800 watts.

Point is: I sell this stuff, and want you to know about it. If you need speakers, microphones, cables or anything related to this, please contact. I have tested a lot of this for years, and I am confident that the products I sell is high quality, reliable and reasonably priced.

So why buy from Avols? Because Avols is about custom software and hardware. This means that you can buy speakers (and related stuff) and get software and/or hardware made for you and your needs.

You can save a lot of money if we set up a complete system running advanced, good sounding custom software creations for audio processing.

Please contact if you want more info. I will post more about projects that Avols has done in the past to illustrate how we do things.

cheers
Arve

Computers - general / Concert / Guitar / Tools - Hardware / Tools - Software — 1 Comment
19
Feb 09

Bulkyness or elegance?

I have bought me my very first mp3-player, and it is an iPod. Now I am one of them. One of those with a white headset, except I really dislike walking and listening to music at the same time. It is like driving and eating, both things are fun, but it is best to stop, eat and drive again. Enough! Now to the bulkyness and elegance.

I have seen the Lemur (Jazzmutant multitouch screen) up close and personal, and I think it is bulky. It definitely has a bulky price tag, I don’t need a big screen with multitouch, I want several small ones, and there comes the elegance of the iPod Touch. It is super thin, super light and super affordable, and the battery last more than long enough for a soundcheck and a concert.

If you have an iPod touch or an iPhone, then buy one of the OSC-apps in the appstore. I have downloaded two, and a third one is on its way. The first one I tested was the TouchOSC, and it made me happy. However I am excited about the text definable interface in MRMR, and will definitely spend some time exploring it.

This is my first post about this, but it will not be the last. Keep an eye on this, and I think we will have something beautiful for your hands and ears.

cheers
Arve

Max/MSP/Jitter / Tools - Software — 2 Comments
16
Jan 09

Max in Live – Edit buttons

First I wrote a lengthy post about why this Max in Live thing is so amazing that I can’t wait. Then I realized that there will be approximately 16 million other blog posts about the very same thing, so I deleted, and made a summary:

I have waited and waited for a better integration of traditional recording and editing tools in Max. In particular I have longed for a waveform edit tool such as the object tool in Samplitude. Max in Live is more than I could dream about as it opens up a world of new possibilities. Read about it at www.cycling74.com.

Cheers
Arve

OS X / Tools - Software — No Comments
26
Dec 08

I love Applescript. I adore the Automator.

If you do love Applescript and adore the Automator, then skip ahead down the internet. If not, please read:

After switching to Apple a year ago, my computer life has become easier as expected. Every mac user on this planet would say off course, every Windows user might say something like ok, but (…). But it is not the ease of OS X that astonishes me the most. It is that the ease of the OS has translated into some of the programming tools. I still have Windows running under VMware for programming electronics and for using Samplitude, but OS X will be my main platform for programming productivity tools, as long as the client accept an Apple among the Windows.

Two Apple tools that can save your day:

Applescript is a time saver. End of story. Another story about applescript that has to be told and retold is the semantic syntax….. If all computer languages was semantic, then programming would be something that everyone could do without having to spend a lot of time learning how to think cryptic to do something easy.

Automator is a familiar concept for anyone used to MaxMSP Jitter, Pd, Bidule, Quartz Composer and so on. Make a program in a few minutes, distribute as standalone and your computer has become a little more easy to use (maybe…). Plug and play a program.

Cheers
Arve

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