More Fun Audio Analysis Techniques

Using individual plugins to directly automate the control of different aspects of a video performance or interactive installation can create some pretty awesome results, but one of the most powerful capabilities of VDMX is the ability to connect these plugins to each other to create more complex behaviors and visual effects that can be switched between during live VJ performance.

For this set of tutorials we'll look at a few ways that the Audio Analysis plugin can be used alongside the LFO plugin and standard interface controls as a demonstration of this technique.

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Using a Step Sequencer to trigger media clips

Along with being able to control any standard UI elements like sliders, buttons and color pickers, tracks in the step sequencer plugin in VDMX can be used to automate the changing of the media files playing back on a layer and create visuals rhythms. This general technique can be useful for a lot of projects such as VJ performances and building interactive video installations.

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Connecting the x-OSC wireless I/O board to VDMX

For this guest tutorial we are joined by Will Reardon, a motion designer and artist, currently developing video art objects. Currently Will is using VDMX and the x-OSC I/O board to create a device similar to his previous ‘Compendium’ with added interactive functionality.

We'll start by making a basic test connection between the software and hardware over WiFi, then begin to add a series of sliders and knobs to VDMX that receive values from the I/O board analog inputs.

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Applying Math Expressions to Slider Receivers

Using control data from other applications, external hardware, and internal providers like LFOs or Audio Analysis is a major component of VDMX- every UI element is capable of being controlled via MIDI/OSC/DMX/other data sources. The procedure for doing so is consistent across all UI items- you add a receiver (which receives data from things) to the UI element you're working with using the UI Inspector.

Typically the range of numbers being received can be automatically translated by VDMX to cover the local minimum and maximum envelopes of a slider UI item. However in some situations you may want to override the default number mapping behavior by using the settings in the sub-inspector panel for receivers. In this tutorial we'll look at some of the common cases you may run into and how to handle them.

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Using a mask to apply an FX to only part of a layer

In this guest tutorial we're joined by the Rockwell Group's LAB division who work as an interactive design team within a larger architecture firm where they focus on projects that blend physical and virtual spaces.

For a recent projection mapping installation in NYC, one of the techniques used by the LAB was to apply a real-time video FX on to a specific portion of one of the pre-rendered movies so that part of the image was left unprocessed in the main output while another section was color shifted to match the lighting effects in the room. Today we'll show you how that was accomplished.

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Creating a multi-channel live camera video sampler

For this technique video tutorial we'll be looking at how to use VDMX to create a multi-camera video sampler setup with the ability to record movie clips from a live feed to be immediately remixed and saved for later editing. As movie clips are sampled they will be automatically added to the bin page where they can be triggered for output making this simple example useful either on its own, or added on to an existing project.

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How to make a customized Livid OhmRGB Slim template by eatyourwork

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.

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Making 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.

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How 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. 

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Guest 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.

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Syncing 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.

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Making 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.

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Creating 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.

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DJ 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.

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Remixing 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.

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Guest 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.

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Bar 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.

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Three 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.

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