World - a virtual world with
determined limits and forces (gravity
and wind). This is based on
a Fredrik
Olofsson's brilliant library
redUniverse that can be found in the
list of SC Quarks (kind of add-ons).
Source
code (no support, sorry)
Requirements: Mac OS X 10.5 +, OSCeleton (doesn't work on
Mac OS X 10.4!), Super Collider 3.2
+, redUniverse quark
Sound transformation
The material can be any sound-stream
(mono) routed into the specified bus
inside SC. It can be input channel of
audio interface or a pre-recorded
sample being played back.
Recorded sounds are placed into the
internal buffer. Once the recording
is stopped, a sound appears as a
virtual object in the World. All
objects have certain mass and thus
react differently to the World's
gravity. An object's mass can vary
from “light” (which appears to be
quieter) to “heavy” (louder).
There are few types of objects,
that cut and slice recorded sounds
in particular ways: from simple
loops to complex granular
algorithms.
Objects are numbered, any of them
can be deleted at any moment. There is
a limit of 10 objects at a time: if
11th object is created, the oldest one
is deleted. This limit was defined for
the simplicity of control, but the
experience show that ten is more than
enough to create a violent mass of
sounds.
Body as a controller
Each hand is represented by a
virtual object in the World, that
are hundred times heavier than
objects that sound. Therefore hands
are the attractors: their mass
create gravitational pull to the
sound-objects.
Each virtual object's position is
described by angle relative to the
World's center and distance from the
center (translated from X and Y), as
well as elevation (Y). Thus
movements of dancer's hands
constantly affect positions of all
sound-objects in an aural field.
Aural field is an imaginary space
inside a circle of speakers. The
word “field” refers to the use of
techniques, that specify loudness,
amount of reverberation and LF
filtering depending on each synth's
position. This brings an experience
of “being surrounded by sounds” as
well as a sense of how “far” or
“close” sound source is. It's a bit
like standing in a center of a
field, listening to the sounds from
all sides and making a conclusion,
where each sound came from.
In other words, a dancer doesn't
control, where precisely a
sound-object appears in the World, but
rather affects its behavior. Sounds
are kind of “being guided” by hands,
which creates dramatic effects such as
“throwing” sounds around, “smashing”
them, “holding” them in hands and
other pretty visceral tricks.
A dancer's head specifies the
vector of gravity, thus also affecting
the movement of the sound-objects.
There are also 2 FM-synths whose
parameters are controlled by a
dancer's feet: they position them in
audio field as well as define
amplification (the higher the foot the
louder the signal).
Limitations
Space
There is a certain degree of freedom
for a dancer, which is described in
Kinect operation manual. One can
expect a clean and stable signal
while a performer stays inside
imaginary square 3x3m on the
distance 2m from the sensor.
Light
In order for cameras to catch
movements smoothly light should be
neither dim, nor blind. Extremely
colored stage lights create noise
for camera, and the movements appear
discrete.
Number of speakers
The best effect is achieved in
surround sound. 4 speakers work
well, but 8 is much better! The
more speakers, the more
articulated “trajectories” of
sounds become. Speakers also
should be powerful enough to take
into consideration the position of
the audience (see below).
Dancers
Current version of the system
allows only 1 dancer at the
stage. Well, there can be as many
dancers as one wishes, but only
the last calibrated body is
tracked.
Audience
The best place for the
audience is inside the circle of
speakers, but outside the
operational square of a
dancer. Audience is encouraged to
move around, but not to cross the
space between the sensor and
performer.
Technically it is also possible
to perform the piece in a standard
concert hall with seats and stage,
which is safer for data
transmission. But this seriously
affects the “physicality” of
sound-objects.
Tech-rider
