Download the completed project file for this tutorial.
Mixing three Syphon sources in VDMX
One of the best things about being a VJ on the Mac these days is Syphon which makes it possible for all of the different tools that are available to work together in countless ways. Within VDMX it is possible to have as many Syphon inputs and outputs as your computer can handle, which allows for it to be used as a source, mixer, FX processor or final output for other software you may want to work with.
In this video tutorial we'll look at a simple use case for connecting several Syphon enabled applications to and from VDMX by creating a two channel mixer that fades between two Syphon sources and publishes back out to for other apps to receive.
Tip: While you do not need to install anything extra to use Syphon, you may find it useful to download the “Simple Server/Client” test applications from the Syphon website.
To begin this basic setup we'll be using VDMX alongside two free Syphon generator applications that you can download from our site: GifToSyphon and ProjectMilkSyphon. Along with these we'll also be using the Simple Server program and some simple ISF based generators which are good to have on hand for testing purposes.
For each of the sources that we'll be expecting to receive we can set up a different Preview window to monitor the feed before it gets triggered. Adding a second layer and a crossfader plugin enables us to mix between any of the two feeds. You can set the media bin to automatically cycle between the two layers, or manually switch which layer is being targeted.
To finish the setup we add a Syphon Output plugin to the project which lets us then publish back out to be received by the Simple Client app to confirm that the output is working. At this point you can also receive the mix from VDMX in other software you may want to use for final output or further processing.
Notes:
Use apps like ProjectMilkSyphon as a source in your favorite VJ software.
Preview plugin can view Syphon sources even when not active on a layer.
Use the Syphon Output plugin to publish any layer or group to Syphon.