electronic art Archive - machine quotidienne

Dec 4, 2013 0

A DIY Multitouch Music Controller, monome-Style, Built From Scratch [Instructables, Arduino]

Complete with color LED display and interactive sensing, this clever DIY project from Amanda Ghassaei is the real deal: a multitouch table used for music, constructed from scratch. And step-by-step instructions on Instructables mean that you can try the same idea yourself.

The 8×8 matrix and the notion of independent light-up LEDs, along with some of the firmware, come from the monome project (and the open arduinome clone). But here, that idea is extended to seamless touch sensing, measured by infrared.

Multitouch Music Controller from Amanda Ghassaei on Vimeo.

Because it’s IR-based, the system is sensitive to natural light. But Amanda turned that accident into something creative, producing beautiful, organic ambient performances by leaving her controller outdoors. Watch:

breathing from Amanda Ghassaei on Vimeo.

bells from Amanda Ghassaei on Vimeo.

For more practical applications, you can connect the table/controller via USB to a computer; Amanda uses it to drive Max/MSP compositions.

As a from-scratch project, it’s surprisingly not too expensive – you need mainly some electronics, wood, the sensors, Arduino, and LEDs. (Compare pricier projects with projectors and the like, though of course those do allow fancier visuals than an 8×8 matrix – but without some of the charm of that simplicity.)

It could be a novel way to get a monome controller, for the brave. Full instructions:

Multitouch Music Controller by amandaghassaei [26 steps at Instructables]

Thanks to Arvid Jense for the heads-up.

The post A DIY Multitouch Music Controller, monome-Style, Built From Scratch [Instructables, Arduino] appeared first on Create Digital Music.

Dec 4, 2013 0

Learn Max for Live and Control Ableton: Exclusive Book Excerpt Download and Discount

Max for Live represented an important milestone in music making software. It paired one of the most popular music production tools, and easily the most popular real-time workflow, with one of the most popular tools for users wanting to realizing their own musical software ideas.

Max for Live, as a result, can become a window into making Ableton Live your own.

Of course, figuring out how to begin doing that can be a daunting task. For many Live users, it ends somewhere around downloading some neat patches someone else has made.

What do you do when you want to attack Max for Live yourself?

Julien Bayle’s new book, Max for Live Ultimate Zen Guide, isn’t a bad place to start. The audiovisual artist, educator, and certified Ableton Live trainer has been a prolific writer of late. His text isn’t necessarily a soup-to-nuts, top-to-bottom guide to Max. But that is probably not what you want, anyway, if you want to begin working in Ableton quickly. Instead, what you get is an unusually lucid look at how Max lives inside Live – how it integrates with what Live can do. That makes it essential reading for anyone wanting to tinker with Live and make it their own. From there (see the Table of Contents below), it moves into MIDI and audio, effects and instruments, making it an effective bridge to a more in-depth education in Max or patching in general.

But it’s that ability to get straight to the point of what you need to know to integrate with Live that makes it special. And so, to give you a feel for what that means (and for more advanced users, perhaps even share a few tips), we’re fortunate to have an exclusive excerpt downloadable as PDF from CDM. It goes deep into the question of how to observe and interact with Live from inside a Max patch, complete with a lot of very specific advice from Julien – a bit like having him at your side.

Hope you enjoy reading (below). And we have a discount code, too, to reduce the minimum price of the e-book.

A recent AV set live at TLN Festival 2013, in Toulon (southern France).

PDF download:
Max-for-Live-Ultimate-Zen-Guide_Excerpt [hosted at CDM; please do not link directly]

Our excerpt focuses specifically on the interaction between M4L and Ableton, covering:

2.6 One shot request with get and live.object
2.7 Observing properties in Live with live.observer
2.8 Calling objects’ functions with live.object
2.9 Changing properties’ values by using set & live.object
2.10 Controlling continuous parameters in Live with live.remote~

If that’s a bit too advanced, check out the free excerpt on the e-publishing site that includes the beginning:

https://leanpub.com/Max-for-Live-Ultimate-Zen-Guide/read

And the book is available on LeanPub:
https://leanpub.com/Max-for-Live-Ultimate-Zen-Guide/

Get an exclusive discount: With our special CDM code, through 12 December, you get the book for US$15 instead of the usual $30.

Enter code:
CdM_MaxForLive

I have to say, I’m also impressed by Leanpub. The publisher offers 100% refunds within 45 days, DRM-free downloads, and multiple formats, including PDF, EPUB, and MOBI (covering Kindle, iPad, and many other third-party readers). You also get lifetime free updates to the title. It’s also great to see people self-publishing, because it means that kind of control over revisions, a chance to enter niches big publishers might (wisely) avoid, and more money direct to authors, quickly.

Let us know what you think of the book – and any other resources you appreciate for learning resources like Max for Live.

The Table of Contents:

1 Max for Live Basics
1.1 What ?
1.2 Ableton Live Basics
1.3 Max for Live specific objects

2 Live Object Model
2.1 What is LOM ?
2.2 LOM’s Objects
2.3 How to read the documentation
2.4 Children, Properties & functions
2.5 Path, ID & navigation
2.6 One shot request with get and live.object
2.7 Observing properties in Live with live.observer
2.8 Calling objects’ functions with live.object
2.9 Changing properties’ values by using set & live.object
2.10 Controlling continuous parameters in Live with live.remote~
2.11 List and use objects’ children
2.12 live.thisdevice tool
2.13 Mode Preview & performances

3 JavaScript in Max for Live
3.1 How to use Javascript in Max for Live ?
3.2 Controlling Live API through JavaScript

4 Creating your own Max for Live devices
4.1 preset & pattr
4.2 Freezing Max for Live’s devices
4.3 Presentation mode
4.4 Limitations of Max for Live compared to Max
4.5 MIDI & audio specific objects for Live connection
4.6 An example of MIDI instrument
4.7 Example of a sound generator
4.8 MIDI FX example
4.9 Audio FX example

Finally, I want to close by showing some of Julien’s work. Here, working with Native Instruments’ Reaktor in addition to Max and Ableton, he shows off the innards of his audiovisual system (with Reaktor handling sounds, processed through Ableton, and Max’s Jitter environment providing visuals):

“Saturation” is an audiovisual work:

More:
http://julienbayle.net/

And download more M4L goodies:
Download guide examples
Free Max for Live patches at Julien’s site

The post Learn Max for Live and Control Ableton: Exclusive Book Excerpt Download and Discount appeared first on Create Digital Music.

Dec 4, 2013 0

Finally! The Electric Giraffe has a Hometown Maker Faire

First-ever San Diego Mini Maker Faire is this weekend. Maker Faire fave Russell the Giraffe will be there, along with MAKE and Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty, and a whole mess of great SoCal makers.

Read more on MAKE

Dec 4, 2013 0

Inkimals: 2D Hand Drawings Become 3D Personal 3D Prints

AMINIMAL Studio is a Brooklyn-based design company focused the use of emerging technologies as an approach to designing 21st century products. They recently wrote MAKE about their Kickstarter for the Inkimals project, a new 3D printing platform and web based app that enables the creation 3D toy designs from either 2D (hand-colored and scanned or computer modified) templates. The design is then 3D printed in one of several figure designs.

Read more on MAKE

Dec 4, 2013 0

School Us: We Want Your Tutorials

Projects and how-to’s are the core of what we do at MAKE. Equally important are tutorials. Tutorials are a subset of projects. They are the skills, techniques, and know-how needed to complete a project. If you’ve got expertise on a subject and are willing to share a tutorial with MAKE readers, we want to hear from you.

Read more on MAKE

Dec 4, 2013 0

Book: Automatic Pleasures: – The History of the Coin Machine

I was just alerted to the fact that there is a new edition of this very interesting book on the history of coin-operated machines!

From the description:

The book established many new facts and destroyed many of the myths that had arisen in the gaming industry during the 20th century. Originally an ancient Greek invention the advent of the coin machine in the 19th century heralded a Victorian revolution which sought to establish a fully automated society. The visionaries of the past are the direct forbears of the all pervasive computer industries — without the gaming and coin machine industries it is doubtful as to whether today’s computer dominated age would have ever happened.

There are some really wonderful images and diagrams in this book. Be sure to use the “Look Inside” feature at Amazon to see what I mean!

Here is where you can buy Automatic Pleasures: – The History of the Coin Machine

Dec 4, 2013 0

5 categories of mechanical toy deals for the holiday season

As you all know, the holidays are upon us. I did some looking around on Amazon to find out where good deals could be found on mechanical toys for young and old. Here’s a quick look.

Deal List 1 – Metal Construction Sets

While supplies last, you can save up to 40% on certain Erector Sets. Here is a link to the Erector Sets on sale now. Here is a bigger list of Metal Construction Sets including additional brands.

Deal List 2 – RC Figures & Robots

There are 444 different radio-controlled and robot toys on sale now, including the Battroborgs boxing robots. They look like they are a blast! Here is a link to the RC Figures & Robots on sale.

Deal List 3 – Toys with Gears

You want gears? They’ve got them! I found over 500 different toys listed in this section. Check out the Gear-themed toys

Deal List 4 – Hobby Tools and Hardware

Want to make something? You’ll need the tools and supplies. I found a link to all of the Hobby Building Tools & Hardware currently on sale and it’s an impressive list!

Deal List 5 – Quad Copters

I found 160 multi-rotor remote controlled toys for sale! These this have (ahem…) taken off, so to speak. Check out the wild assortment of Quad Copters on sale now. This AR.Drone 2.0 Quadricopter is not on sale, but man does it look awesome.

Dec 4, 2013 0

Skill Builder: Arduino 101

Ever heard of Arduino? This Primer will help you get started with Arduino and a little bit of coding.

Read more on MAKE

Dec 4, 2013 0

Crowdfund Roundup: STEAMy projects in Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math

Connected to our Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, & Math (STEAM) Toys for Kids, we’re sharing a Crowdfund Roundup of some great campaigns in the same STEAMy space.