For today's guest post we're joined by eatyourwork who first introduced us to the possibilities of using OhmRGB Slim alongside of VDMX in a blog post a couple of years ago. Since then we've made a few basic templates for new video performers to get started with a simple VJ video mixer setup with the Ohm, but in this video tutorial Simas shows off the extent to which you can customize your layout and MIDI mapping when making your own video performance rig.
Read MoreMaking three templates for the Livid Base
When getting a new MIDI controller to use with VDMX, or other VJ / music making software, one of the most exciting aspects is finding out the best way to map the sliders and buttons to various controls that you want to use during performance, and along with that coming up with new ways that you can configure your software video generators and FX to get the most out of the layout of your instrument.
In this set of technique tutorials we'll be looking at three new example VDMX setups we've come up with for the Livid Base that take advantage of the controller in a few different ways including its multi-color LEDs and pressure sensitive pads.
Read MoreHow to build the Waveclock Demo template
In this tutorial we'll be looking a closer look at using automatic BPM detection for syncing up the timing of visual events with music by recreating the core parts of the Waveclock Demo template that is included with VDMX.
The approach we'll take is to create a virtual video instrument in the form of a Quartz Composer composition and animate its interface controls with Step Sequencer and LFO plugins. Presets for patterns in each plugin can then be saved and switched to match the energy level of the music while VJing during a live set.
Read MoreGuest Tutorial: Connecting Unity 3D Pro and VDMX by Syphon with Alejandro Crawford
For this guest tutorial we are joined by Alejandro Crawford, the visualist for MGMT (among other bands), in which he'll show us one part of the setup he uses for creating his live visuals by connecting a scene rendered in the powerful 3D gaming engine Unity to VDMX using the Syphon to pass video back and forth between the two different programs.
Read MoreSyncing the playback of multiple movies in VDMX over a network using OSC
One of the data-sources available within VDMX for controlling playback, FX, and composition parameters, is the current playhead position of each movie playing on a layer. Like an LFO or audio analysis value, you can assign this to any slider, button, or other UI item by using the UI Inspector or from the right-click contextual menu.
In this tutorial the movie “normalized time” parameter (time as a percentage, ranged 0.0 to 1.0) will specifically be used to synchronize the playback of multiple movie files – this can be a useful technique for working with batches of clips that have the same duration, and high-end projects that involve powering more displays or projectors than can be connected a single Mac.
Read MoreMaking custom face tracking video FX and data-sources for VDMX with Quartz Composer
For this quick technique tutorial we've made two basic Quartz Composer compositions using the “Detection” object that can be loaded into VDMX to perform basic face capture and replacement FX that can be connected in a variety of ways. You can also use these example patches as starting points for your own patches that perform more complex behaviors like tracking multiple faces within a single frame or publishing additional control information.
Read MoreCreating Gesture Based Controls for VDMX using the Gestrument Kinect MIDI controller app
Last week featured on CreateDigitalMusic we noticed the beta release of Gestrument Kinect, a simple Mac app that can be used to convert the camera depth data from a Kinect to MIDI for controlling music and VJ live visuals. Since it sends of standard MIDI, it only took a few seconds to connect it to VDMX for a quick demonstration on how it's data can be converted into gestures used to trigger movie clips and adjust video FX parameters.
Read MoreDJ Mixer EQ Style Masking FX for VDMX (with bonus X-Session Pro template)
In this technique tutorial we'll focus on two different ways the idea of a DJ style low, mid, high EQ control can be interpreted in the world of video as FX in VDMX as a means to mask out or adjust the gain level on separate discrete parts of a video stream for the purposes of blending video layers together.
The first example exchanges the low, mid and high levels for the individual RGB channels of the image for raising or lowering the intensity of each independently. The second qcFX uses a similar concept to a 3-band equalizer, breaking down the image into three different sections based on the luma (brightness) level of each pixel instead of its frequency ranges.
Read MoreRemixing Seamless 360 Degree Panoramic Movies Shot with the Kōgeto Dot in VDMX
As part of our series on different techniques for VJs and visual artists to create their own content for performances and installations, today we are featuring the “Dot” camera attachment from Kogeto which lets you easily shoot panoramic video from an iPhone that can be loaded into a VDMX for real-time cropping and panning for adjusting the point of view as the movie plays back or is remixed during a live performance.
In this video tutorial we'll look at some tips for working with movie clips shot using the Dot in VDMX, including setting up seamless 360 rotational loops, syncing the POV angle to the movie time, and how to fade between two different panorama clips.
Read MoreGuest Tutorial with Roger Sodré: Connecting VDMX and Blendy VJ by Syphon
Today we are joined by Roger Sodré, creator of Blendy VJ which is an advanced tool for working with multiple projectors in situations where there is an overlap that needs to be smoothly blended to appear as a single continuous output. In this guest tutorial Roger demonstrates how to set up VDMX to send video over Syphon to Blendy where it is split into two separate signals that then have a soft edge blend applied over the section that will overlap when projected.
Read MoreBar graph visualizations with Quartz Composer and VDMX
Among the many uses of Quartz Composer, and perhaps one that is often overlooked, is the ability to make visualizations of data and other information. Since the compositions are rendered in realtime, when creating them for this purpose it can be helpful to make the patches reusable with published input values for use in other environments, or replicating within QC itself.
In this two part video tutorial we'll first create a composition in Quartz Composer that renders a simple bar graph data visualization with inputs for changing its labels and values that can be used in other applications. Once the patch is completed it can be loaded into VDMX and set up to respond to a variety of different inputs as a visualizer of tempo or audio levels as part of a VJ set, an on screen display of MIDI / DMX channels, or any other arbitrary data that you can get into your computer by OSC.
Read MoreThree Different Ways to use Audio Analysis (or other data-source) to Trigger a Movie in VDMX
In this quick tutorial we'll be looking at how to use the Audio Analysis plugin instead of the typical keyboard MIDI, OSC, or DMX shortcuts for triggering video clips in a media bin. This can be a particularly useful technique for using VDMX to run interactive installations that respond to sound and other inputs, or for automating and beat syncing parts of a VJ setup.
Read MoreIntro to Making Audio / Video Loops for DJs and VJs
For this A/V performance technique lesson we'll be taking a look at some of the introductory tools that are used by musicians and DJs to make music, followed by creating video loops from scratch. To top it off the two separate tracks will be combined into a single A/V movie file for use in VDMX or other VJ software for live remixing.
Making a customized version of 'Grid Pro' in VDMX
Building on the previous template and tutorial on recreating the classic VIDVOX Grid using VDMX, in this video walkthrough we'll show how to turn the basic triggering and scrubbing app to it's big brother Grid Pro, which added a number of powerful features like transitions for fading between clips, image FX processing, audio analysis, a text generator layer and direct to disk movie recording.
Read MoreThe 8 Layer APC40 VJ Mixer Template for VDMX
The Akai APC40 is one of the most known MIDI controllers designed to be used alongside Ableton Live for DJing and music production. It also happens to be a pretty good controller for working with video and in this tutorial we'll look at some tips for setting up an 8 layer setup with controls matched to the layout of the controller itself.
With this example template you can load in your own movie files and start mixing immediately, or further map the remaining knobs and buttons to your own selection of real-time video FX and other movie playback parameters.
Read MoreMulti-display video mixing with VDMX on a Retina MacBook Pro
Along with being able to work with more layers at higher resolutions, faster computers and more powerful graphics cards make it possible to output to multiple projectors or monitors from a single machine. In particular, the new 15" Retina Macbook Pro features a combination of a fast SSD hard drive along with two Thunderbolt and one HDMI port making it possible for a VJ to power 2 or 3 different HD displays from a single Mac laptop.
In this video tutorial we'll walk through the basic steps of preparing VDMX projects with a double-wide and triple-wide design to output with separate source layers for each display.
Read MorePassing DMX Universes into Quartz Composer from VDMX
Along with being able to directly control any UI item in VDMX, such as sliders and buttons, with the value from a DMX channel, when using Quartz Composer compositions it is possible to pass in an entire DMX universe (512 channels) of data all at once as a list of DMX values (ranged 0-255). Once inside the patch, the control information can be parsed programmatically to control real-time visuals or virtual lighting elements inside the patch, or to pass back value into VDMX by published outputs as control data.
Read MoreMaking Custom Quartz Composer Text Players for VDMX
Text layers are similar to other video generators in VDMX, with a few additional UI items for working with strings of words and letters. Behind the scenes, special Quartz Composer compositions are used to render the text as video and it's easy to create your own.
Read MoreCreating Video Feedback Loops on a Mac with VDMX
One of the most powerful techniques used to create real-time visuals and computer graphics going back to the early days of video is the use of feedback loops - the method of taking the current output and using it as a source frame in part of the next rendered frame. This incredibly useful process is particularly useful for Mac VJs and other graphic artists looking to find a unique look or style for their visuals, and is easily simulated within VDMX by using layer groups.
Read MoreTwo Channel Video Mixer template for Livid OhmRGB Slim
The OhmRGB is a hardware MIDI controller from Livid Instruments for DJs and VJs with a nice mix of faders, knobs and buttons for triggering clips or FX. It's an especially useful controller to use with VDMX because it has a versatile layout which can be adapted for a variety of different setups ranging from simple DJ style two channel video mixers to advanced multiple layer compositions.
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