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We use the Max/MSP framework to create a reliable butflexible approach for managing live performances of musicbands. This approach allows an easy and low cost way toapply innovative music interfaces for live performance, withoutlosing the professionalism required on stage. In the approach,every 1-3 players are plugged to a unit consisting ofa standard sound-card and laptop. The units are in chargeof auto-changing presets to manage virtual instruments, effects,and gestures for each player. All the units are thenremotely controlled by a conductor patch which in charge ofthe synchronization of all the players and background samplesin real time, as well as providing sensitive metronomeand scheduling visual enhancement. Last but not least, wecan take the advantage of using virtual instruments andeffects in Max/MSP to manage the mix and routing the audio.This provides metronome and monitor system to theplayers’ ears, and also virtual live mixing. This privilege almosteliminates the dependence on the venue’s equipment,and in that way, the sound quality and music ideas can bebrought directly from the studio to the stage
Citation preview
Yehiel H. Amo syndrome, Israel
Gil ZissuUni. of the Arts London
Shaltiel ElulOxford University, [email protected]
Eran Shlomisyndrome, Israel
Dima Schukinsyndrome, Israel
Almog Kalifasyndrome, Israelb - Uni. of the Arts Londona - Oxford University, UK
[email protected] - Syndrome, Israel www.syndrome.nu
a c c cbc
A Max/MSP Approach for Incorporating Digital Music
via Laptops in Live Performances of Music Bands
The reliability of the approach allows the player to focus on the playing alone, and to deliver the music with natural expressions, and on the other hand, giving the audience the ability to fully relate to the performance for the following reasons:
For more information: www.syndrome.nu/insight
The live playing is synchronized with the background music.
Many of the synthesized sounds and effects are as-signed to physical gestures and automatically changed without interrupting the players.
The sound and the mix are authentic and well identi-fied with the band at every show.
Conclusions
In live performance, the ability to deliver the same music or sound concept as in the studio is challenging. In the studio, almost unlimited variations of sound modulations and effects can be assigned together for each instrument. Yet in live, this process cannot be easily achieved, at least not for the stan-dard band who plays in standard venues.
Introduction
We utilize Max/MSP framework to create a reliable and low cost approach for automatic managing virtual instruments/effects/gestures, and synchronization of the band on stage. With this approach, the players can also apply innovative music interfaces in an easy and professional way. Moreover, we take the advantage of using virtual in-struments to manage the mix and routing the audio, providing metronome and monitor system to the players' ears as well as virtual live mixing. This privilege elimi-nates the dependence on the venue's equipment, and in that way, the sound quality and music ideas can be brought directly from the studio to the stage.
ChildAn interface that provides all the virtual environments for every player on stage: virtual instruments, controllers, and timing system for automatic presets.
conductorThe conductor is used for triggering samples and synchroniz-ing all the players, sending metronome clicks, and triggering all the other 'Child' patches of each player at each song.
The communication between the laptops and pathces
Virtual MixerAllows virtual mixing of all the live music instruments.
The approach is programmed in Max/MSP. All the audio signals from the music instruments are controlled by standard 13" laptops with 2.4Ghz, Intel core 2 duo processors and external standard portable sound-cards.
The approach contains three main patches:
Method:
Conductor
Wireless messages
Visual
Wireless mixingCan be used in any child
VST instrumentsVST pluginsVST effects
VirtualMixerChild
Players Players
Child
Using in the same computer
The ‘Conductor’ interface The ‘Child’ interface The Virtual Mixer interface
demonstration VideoA short authentic scene recorded in the audience shows how the band's playing and the background samples are well synced with
dramatic music style variations. During the scene, it is also shown how a virtual effect made via Max/MSP is scheduled automatically, and applied on the singer’s voice without a noticeable latency (in time 00m:48s).
on Max
Bass
Guitar
Drums
Keyboard
Guitar
Singer
Sound-card
Sound-card
Sound-card
monitor headphones extension
S/DIF
Stereo Analog cable - Headphone
SoundcardOutput
Input
on stage (audio Routing) - Since the audio signal is created with VSTs via Max-/MSP, the audio routing can be managed directly through the laptops and the sound-cards (via S/PDIF cables). All the sound-cards are chained together and all the audio signals are summed up to one stereo output (diagram on the left) that is sent directly to the main output.
Routing the audio between the sound-cards also allows the use of the headphone connections of each sound-card as a monitor and metronome for each player on stage.
This method where all the audio routing is man-aged by the band, allows the players to always play in high professional standards regardless of the stage's equipment, and to achieve the same sound and balance at every venue.
on stage
