The Final Product and Evaluation

Here are the three songs performed in full:

Given that the brief required the final performance to provide a visual element that complemented the music, in this respect it was successful. The idea that the music itself would be written with the knowledge that it would be performed in such a way did indeed inform how the pieces were composed and provides an intriguing commentary on the relationship between music, visuals, technology and mixed media in general. Although certain obstacles such as the relay drawing too much power from the Arduino (necessitating the removal of the lamps) and the use of only one Arduino removed the visual feedback from the controller, the aesthetic aspect of the final product works well. It is also interesting to note that due to the fact a lot of the lighting patches within Max/MSP are random, which not only adds a little unpredictability to the performance but augments the performance aspect in that you cannot experience the same rendition of the song twice. With regards to what could be improved, using lamps as intended would provide more variation to the lighting yet at the same time a concern noticed when filming the performance is that too much light has the ability to overpower the others, resulting in a less subtle performance. Although the Leap Motion itself was utilised it could have possibly been integrated into the project a little more creatively so that it manipulated the audio material itself as opposed to just affecting it. In addition, perhaps somehow the Max/MSP patch could have been built in such a way that the samples only played on the beat, similar to quantisation. Such a device is used in Ableton Live so that samples are played in time and this would have aided the live performance. In conclusion while certain shortcomings with regards to technology limited the scope of the project, the final product exhibits the exact qualities that were intended in the beginning. To be an engaging piece of visual and auditory media that engages in both a complementary and contrasting relationship while making efficient use of custom built components.

The Performance

Having completed the following the project is ready to be performed:

• The construction and wiring of the controller and lighting system
• The composition, mixing and mastering of three songs (totalling around 10 minutes and 40 seconds)
• The creation of a max patch which integrates the aforementioned parts along with the implementation of the Leap Motion controller to manipulate effects

It has been determined however after various trials that performing the pieces live over the course of ten minutes is a difficult prospect. This is due to the fact that if a single sample is even marginally out of time with another the lighting system and the song itself is thrown noticeably out of time.

With this in mind the decision has been made to create polished videos that showcase the technology. This will be done by performing the pieces as intended, without an audience and from multiple angles. This way the takes where the songs are played correctly will enter the final cut and when coupled with the mastered versions of the full songs will create an aesthetically pleasing and dynamic demonstration of the project.