Project Doc- This is the start of the project we are developing with VR and physical objects. You can interact with objects in Unity in VR and trigger servos on arduino which will be triggering musical events.
Making a MIDI controller using Arduino and Max Msp
This is a project that I have done in class a few times and is always popular. It uses Maxuino. (which you can change later to serial object if you want something more permanent/easier)
I am providing a simple example to get started and then you can play around adding any sensors you want!
STEP 1- Download Maxuino from Maxuino.org.
You´ll get a folder called MAXUINO MASTER. Rename this just Maxuino and move this into your Library folder in Max 7 Documents.
STEP 2 - Gather materials. For this you will need
- Arduino Uno
- Cables
- 3 pots
- LDR
- Some breadboard friendly buttons
STEP 3- Breadboard it!
Step 4 - Open up ARDUINO and open STANDARD FIRMATA.
Upload this to the board.
Close Arduino.
Step 5 - After this is breadboarded, open up Max and start a new patch.
Start with Maxuino and initialize the serial port.
After you hit INIT, the right side should pop out showing all the pins on your Arduino. For this example, we are using 3 analog and 1 digital pin.
Numbers 14-19 on this picture are ANALOG pins. You can click SHOW ANALOG PINS in order to see which ones correspond to the rows.
Select AIN on the analog rows.
Select DIN on the corresponding pin row. (In this example it´s PIN 2)
You can test if your sensors are being read if you see the sliders moving when you turn a pot or sensor and the slider goes up and down. If it is bouncing, check your wiring.
STEP 6 - Start Patching
For this I am including the patch in 2 shots. You can download the patch from github here.
Note: I like to add messages to check the values of everything. This way you can see the values outputting so you can scale properly. You can play around with the scale values for whichever sensors you use. For this we are scaling 1- 127 to send MIDI info.
After this is done, assign your control outs to a midi bus, such as FROM MAX 1.
I add a gswitch object on this because it´s easy to turn off and on. Make sure this is ON when you assign it in ableton and OFF when you assign the other controllers. When you are finished, the gswitch will need to remain ON.
Step 7. open ABLETON (or whatever you use for midi. I use ableton)
Make sure your MIDI ports are on.
Go to ableton and go to MIDI map mode. Move the sensor you want to map.
The mapping should appear.
When done, go back to max, switch off the gswitch and go to another.
If you are using a button, you will only send the NOTE OUT from max, so this can be a trigger or used as a keyboard on a MIDI track.
That´s it!
Play around and build up your own custom MIDI Controller!
Oculus Medium and VR sculpting for games and 3dprinting
Recently, I was invited to join in the VR Game Jam in Berlin sponsored by Oculus Medium. If you are like me and did not attend art school, design programs can be a bit annoying to use.
For me, Blender is very annoying to use and I don´t like the UI. For simple 3d designing I stick to Fusion360 as we haven´t had the need to get into purchasing Rhino yet.
This is a simple program that most of the time I can get to do what I want when designing objects or instruments. I do wish there were an easier option for creating more abstract designs. Meshmixer is fine and I´ve used it for Unity environments and repair work, but the latticing option is a little clanky. Many time I wish I could just smooth things easier or add random divits etc.
Companies like Oculus and Google have come out with virtual sculpting and design programs that seek to immerse the designer in a more traditional sculpting environment.
So, I got some first hand time with Medium at the event. It took some time to get used to the best method of sculpting within the environment. This was my first time using the new system as well as I have just used the DK2.
I prefer the touch controllers to the vive controllers which are GIGANTIC and they are lighter and easier for me personally. The app offers the regular tools to work with and you can insert primitives as well as models and there are some prefabs such as cars and humanoids to get started.
The program allows for working by creating and revolving the sculpture, which allows you to move around and detail quickly. The models that I saw completed by actual artists were good, but all have a very cartoonish look to them.
The models can be exported to be 3dprinted as well, although I have yet to test this. I think it will be good for modifying or sculpting to a body, but I´m curious about the feasibility of the models for printing. The one real downside is that the program crashed many times and some became sick of course, but I didn´t experience this.
I also tried google blocks, which is free to use. It´s a very simple program and what I like about it is it feels more like using a traditional program like fusion 360 or blender. You have the option of using the usual primitives and work by subdividing, extruding, and moving the primitive. I like to make more obscure environments, so it´s definitely nice for making simple objects.
I look forward to getting my oculus touch even though the price has gone up from summer. You can tell why it´s cheaper than the Vive as it´s still lightweight and fastens with velcro, however for those who prefer the VIVE, you can still use medium with REVIVE.
It´s become apparent recently that women in tech are now referred to as just computer coders. I see programs and initiatives to push women into coding, which is great, but what about the other women in technical fields? We want women to be hands-on and building, soldering, engineering, and making!
As a woman in audio engineering, I have always seen very little in the way of a gender balance in the field, and when I attend tech conferences, I don´t see women in these fields represented, unless they are part of the marketing team or speaking as a project manager for a company.
In hardware engineering, you have Lemor Fried of Adafruit and Ayah Bhadir of Little Bits. Both of these women run their companies dealing with electronics.
And Eve Manley of Manley Labs, which any audio nerd knows!
I think it´s great to continue the push to get women into coding, but there are many other options for girls to consider and I think we will do a disservice to them if we do not show them the other opportunities in tech, such as audiovisual fields, electrical engineering, game design (which, okay is also coding), and scientific engineers.
Audio engineering IS a tech field!
Why has silicon valley co-opted the term tech so that we now associate tech with programming? When you consider that anything dealing with technology is a tech job, the possibilities are larger for career tracks.
Personally, I am always pushing for women to enter these fields as it continues to be a very imbalanced area. Having experienced interns and students through the last 12 years, I have yet to see any real change in the amount of women who are in the audio engineering courses or are on staff as engineers or professors. When I started my graduate maker´s course for musicians, I had several women in the class, then it dropped to 0 for the following 2 classes. This also had to do with a decrease in women overall in the major, but it also has made me think how I can get women more interested in things like wiring and soldering and building.
Need a way to integrate serial information into your ableton set?The first, basic version of the M4l suit patch it available for download from our site.
This past week, I (Alayna) was in London for the Innovation in Music Conference in London hosted by University of Wesminster.
At the conference was Imogen Heap discussing Blockchain and her company Mycelia for Music and discussing an upcoming tour.
There were presentations on Music Technology and a performance by Tabla maestro Talvin Singh.
I presented a paper on the instrument creations of Curiosibot and the ability for Makers to now fabricate their own controllers or instruments and to bascially make anything into an instrument. Friday, I demonstrated the new version of the laser guitar, which is now 3d printed. It still runs on a DUE, but has 1 pot and neopixels inside to offer a more tasteful look.
Pier has modified the MAX patch to include a strumming pattern from the Leap Motion and I have added an ultrasonic sensor that allows you to change the notes by fret.
I met with some other great people during the week, such as the guys from Music Hackspace London, and Adam at MiMu gloves. Thanks to everyone for being welcoming and helpful!
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