Collaborative Practice

The product works really well - Nice visuals, system randomly selects stems, order & visual aids. 

Problem exporting it as an App and so it only works on Igor’s laptop

Audio was crashing as it exported – Too many files for the app to handle

App only works on Igor's laptop

Screenshot record the project to upload as a promotion for the website

Play the project through once at the event 

About 10mins long

Group: David, Dave, Rob & Rachael

3 groups performing:

2 music with visual performances

1 visual to music

Projector opposite wall to the stage but there is a portable one

Decide venue to open at 8pm

Be there between 5-6pm to set up

The venue supply there own PA

Set about 2hrs with changeover times 8-10pm

Project Gemini goes first as an 'intro' 10mins long starting at 8pm

followed by Dave's group ‘Man’ and then end with Dave Aldred’s group

Rachael to make Facebook collaborations Event - Dave A send over event picture 

Each group introduces individually

How are we connecting laptops to projector?

Bring cables anyway

Talk to Kingsley about incorporating brief into the presentation

Lighting – focus on the screen so minimal lighting

Risk assessment – ask venue

Email communication: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=ace9769c17&view=lg&msg=159b1c4186e4ca76

As events co-ordinator, attending this meeting, making a productive contribution to the meeting and promoting the event through social media were important elements towards preparing the showcase event. 

Behind schedule. However, system to be ready by first week January. 

Organisation - Need to separate the Lead stems and ambient/pads into different folders so that Rob can organise them into sections on the system. 

Igor – Been working on Visuals

Website: Download the programme and go from there

May release as an app

Max can be exported as a computer App – Potential to export as phone app but this a lot more complicated

Stems are nearly done - Need to finish stems this week

System to be ready by Christmas

Project ready by 20 Dec with minor tweaks

Customise the system for each composition

Upload stems today for Luca to edit

Igor can then put into system and work on that until 20th December

Rob work on Website & Igor export the Max as an app for download on website

Bounce with Master fader not going above -3dB

This meeting was spent refining our aims, objectives and individual roles. 

Aim:

Create an immersive generative based audio experience album that explores and adds to the generative music scene.

Objectives:

Build a generative system using MaxMSP

Compose a piece that can be implemented in the system.

Create website to host, access and engage with the product

Implement generative visuals to enhance the immersive experience

Individual role:

Composer

Create piece of music based on a mood from the arousal valence diagram & export stems for the system.

Events coordinator

Playback - if the stems are different lengths they become A-synchronised

Variations of layers through numbers – numbers linked to layers

Load 4 pieces with 4 different stems which can randomly choose a mood

Listened to everyone's stems

Rob's prototype:

Putting one stem in each buffer

Sample rate issue – some of us did tracks in 44 and some in 48

Igor and Rob developed individual prototypes

One with tempo sync & one without

Individual samples of drums linked to a beat as well as loop samples

Igor's Prototype:

Uses a metronome that sends a signal to every 2 bars that changes the stems

So a playlist that's randomly selected – each stem relates to a number

Need to find a way to change between moods

Start with a system that chooses one mood and then create other mood systems that runs parallel

Merge the systems

Using generative effects that could change the sound to increase diversity of samples

External plugins easier to work with than building within Max

Arousal valence diagram

Interactive by allowing user to choose where to go based on this graph

System needs to be able to switch between moods so need consistency for transitional process

Igor's idea: For each mood: intro, central, outro

Playlist of transitional phrases too excessive

Crossfades into the next track

No Man's Sky – lets the layers go out to change the mood

Gradually bringing in more stems for the intro

Intro & outro being used to fade between sections

Luca: Having individual set bars would sync the same

Guideline parameters for each piece

Use reverb to mask transition

Drones or pads will fade quite nicely

Concept of synchronous loops

Each person develops one mood to keep it coherent

Need to start gluing things together

Issue with eliminating clip

Take tail and bring to beginning

Creating seamless loops

Issues with memory – use groove as a playback system

Make loops for a mood

Moods need to be different but not too sparse

We have the stem and a basic system

extra things: probability weightings

Concentrate on a more precise playback system – buffering is an issue as the project is large

Chooses how many bars each section lasts

sub-patches – can decided volume levels – better for swells & pads but over powerful on lead instruments – adding a limiter may reduce loudness on lead instruments

Reduce quality of audio files to improve buffering

Big problem is the layers playback – very glitchy, not as smooth as hoped

Approach as a compositional linear song

Create several melodies & variations on the same chord progressions

Different sections

Compose your song & do different takes for different songs

Decide on a style to maintain consistency

Song that's 3-4 minute

Bounce as OGG

Section based linear piece – sections that can move between each other

Intro 8 bars

Agreed on Ambient as it fits the style

Infinity – K Space

Use a drone to switch between songs – requires key signature for intro & outro

Red dead redemption

Easier to crossfade in higher register

Build towards more variation

East West

Tundra 5 - Spitfire

Kontakt

Next week:

Rob & Igor combine systems & develop

Stems: https://soundcloud.com/r-koszalinski/sets/collab-practice 

These are the notes taken from the meeting on Thursday 27th October.

In this meeting, we refined our aims & objectives as well as our roles and responsibilities. 

Aim: Create an immersive generative based audio experience album that explores and adds to the generative music scene

Objectives

Build a system on MaxMSP to enable generative musical experiences that will be bespoke to each presentation or engagement with the art form.

Compose music/audio stems to be implemented in the system.

Create online presence, i.e. Website, to host, access and engage with the album as well as a physical installation/presentation of system.

Research and implement applied generative visuals to enhance the immersive and bespoke nature of the musical experience.

Reasons:

Draws on skills

Explores & adds to field of generative music

Individual role - Events coordinator:

These are the notes from the compositional approach meeting on Tuesday 25th October. 

Moods need to be different but not too sparse as this will make the transitional process challenging. The individual compositions are already too differentiated.

The system is able to choose how many bars each section lasts. 

Sub-patches – can decided volume levels – better for swells & pads but over powerful on lead instruments – adding a limiter may reduce loudness on lead instruments

Big problem is the layers playback – very glitchy, not as smooth as hoped

Reduce quality of audio files to improve buffering - Bounce as an OGG format

Approach as a compositional 3-4 minute linear song

Create several melodies & variations on the same chord progressions

Bounce them as different sections

Compose your song & do different takes for different songs

Section based linear piece – sections that can move between each other

Use a drone to switch between songs – requires key signature for intro & outro

Drone is easier to crossfade in higher register

Intro 8 bars

Agreed on Ambient genre as it fits the style - This decision is based on other areas within this field. I.e. No Man’s Sky, Brian Eno & Polyfauna base their audio on swells & pads that create an ambient feel.

Red dead redemption

Research Infinity – K Space album 

East West

Tundra 5 - Spitfire

Kontakt

Next:

Concentrate on a more precise playback system – buffering is an issue as the project is large

Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0cHyhuBIMeyMTdHTHl1eWJrT2c/view?usp=sharing 

Below shows the intended timeline of the project.

Social Media was used to maintain regular communication.

Finally, Google Drive was used to transfer files between the team.

These are the notes from the prototype test meeting.

Playback: if the stems different lengths the layers become A-synchronised

Variations of layers through numbers – numbers linked to layers

So far, the system can load 4 pieces with 4 different stems

Testing Rob's prototype

Putting one stem in each buffer

Sample rate issue – some of us did tracks in 44 and some in 48

Igor and Rob developed individual prototypes

One with tempo sync & one without

Igor's system:

Uses a metronome that sends a signal to every 2 bars that changes the stems

So a playlist that's randomly selected – each stem relates to a number

Need to find a way to change between moods

Start with a system that chooses one mood and then create other mood systems that run parallel and connect them together

Use generative effects that could change the sound of stems to increase the diversity of the layers.

External plugins are easier to work with than building them within Max

Arousal valence diagram

Interactive by allowing user to choose where to go based on this graph

This will increase the diversity of stems required. The aim is to create variable compositions to reduce the risk of the project becoming too similar or repetitive

Issue:

System needs to be able to switch between moods so it needs some consistency for the transitional process

Igor's idea: For each mood do intro, central, outro

Playlist of transitional phrases may be too excessive

Crossfades into the next track may improve transitions

No Man's Sky – let the layers go out to change the mood

Intro & outro being used to fade between sections

Luca: Having individual set bars would sync the same

Guideline parameters for each piece

Use reverb to mask transition

Drones or pads will fade quite nicely

Concept of synchronous loops

Issues with memory – Use groove as a playback system to reduce risk of latency and system crash

Next week:

Rob & Igor combine systems & develop

Each person develops one mood to keep it coherent

Need to start gluing things together

Issue with eliminating clip - research seamless looping

Take the tail of a loop and bring to beginning as well as 2nd cycle bounce

Incorporate loops that will work with everything and melodic things that will change

Creating Seamless Loops Sources:

Mcguire, S & Pritts, R (2013) Audio Sampling: A Practical Guide. UK: Focal Press. 

Horowitz, S & Looney, S (2014) The Essential Guide to Game Audio: The Theory and Practice of Sound for Games. London: Focal Press.

Sweet, M (2014) Writing Interactive Music for Video Games: A Composer's Guide. Indiana: Pearson Education.

These are the stems that were composed for the first prototype of the MaxMSP system. Due to time constraints, these specific stems were not used. However, from the prototype test, the group developed a stronger understanding of the both the opportunities and limitations within the system as well as an insight into the compositions of other members. Initially, the task was to create two sets of stems. The first within a Major key and the second of the relative minor. This was to explore how the system reacted to varying styles. 

Major Stems Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/r-koszalinski/sets/prototype-major-stems

This week, we have begun focusing on developing a self generating system. We have now developed a more achievable project in which the system we create will produce a 20 minute piece of music that will be different every time it is played. We still intend to add a visual element that may interact with the generative system. However, we first need to build a system prototype in order to learn the scope of this project. 

As discussed, the project consists of creating a self generating audio album from original stems. The next step is to build the prototype and individually make two 8 bar compositions to find out how well the system works and understand any issues/developmental ideas that will help achieve the intended outcome.

Aims

Collectively produce a self generating album/piece of music that is different each time it is played

Present the system in a public setting

Objectives

Create a generative system in max

Research methods

Create audio stems to add to the system

Create a website on which to present the project

This meeting focuses on a development of our first session of ideas. In this session, we looked at existing generative music from Brian Eno as well as the system used in No Man’s Sky. The decision was made to begin working on the first prototype of the generative system as well as refine our individual roles. 

A brief timescale has also been mapped out to ensure we are keeping up to date with the development of this project. The time scale includes group meetings; Idea development meeting, prototype test and presentation meeting as well as individual research and log dates. 

Team:

Rachael - Music Production

Igor - Sound And Music For Interactive Games

Jay - Music For The Moving Image

Luca - Music Production

Robert - Sound And Music For Interactive Games

Phee - Music Production

Idea:

The approach towards developing an idea came after learning each team members specialisations and interests. We collaboratively agreed to develop an idea that would essentially play off our individual strengths to ensure full participation. 

The initial suggestion from Igor was to design an audio generative system inspired by the works of Brian Eno which would interact with a video game. The idea was that, the music would changed based on the decisions made by the game player within the game. The decision to use a pre-existing video game was to ensure the project can be carried out within the given timescale of the project. The issue with this project was to find a potential video game that would work with the system we plan to develop. In further discussion, we decided to scale the project down by eliminating the video game aspect as this appeared outside the realms of our expertise. Essentially, the new idea is to create a self generating album/piece of music. The album would effectively be ever changing and different each time it is played.

The first stage of this project is to develop a suitable generative system which we will then add layers of music that may interact with each other. Igor and Robert will concentrate on developing the generative system while me, Phee, Jay and Luca will concentrate on creating layers of audio. 

Examples:

Brian Eno

Steve Reich - It’s gonna rain

Polyfauna App