After the STEIM residency project in October 2007, I used the Immediate Interactive Improvisation system in a number of performances (clarinet + laptop ’solo’ or clarinet + laptop + a ‘classic’ Moog synthesizer played by Miguel Horatio Sosa in our ensemble ‘Really Ready’). A setup with laptop and a directional microphone proved to be reliable, flexible and fascinating in many jams. However the application based on Synthedit was quite difficult to install (on pc only) and options to improve the performance and the user interface were very limited.

After having tested Pure Data and Max MSP, I have decided in January 2009 to rebuild the application in Java (JavaSound). The speed of Java – one of my concerns – appears to be more than sufficient. The basic functions of the application have remained the same, but the program can now be used online on many hardware platforms including some mobile devices. Other new features are: a user interface which is handy for performances, pitch tracking based on scales and pan controls (stereo) per voice. Jazzperiments Jam – as the new program is called – is online available on http://www.jazzperiments.com/jam. Have a jam with it!

Some samples:
Classical blend: Unternehmen_Boesendorfer_001.mp3
Alternative arrangement: Collider_001.mp3

Chris Cousin and myself (Stu Smith) from Bathysphere along with blind electroacoustic composer David Hindmarch came to Steim for a week long residency just before Christmas 2008. The residency gave us the time and space to focus on aspects of our live improvisation technique and evalute various options for bespoke controllers and instrumentation. We each had different areas of interest to explore. Chris has been working with IRCAM’s forum software, I work in the field of circuit bending and DIY electronics and spent much of my time exploring a new circuit (Barbie Karaoke machine), David has very specific accessibility needs from software ( eg. needs to work with a screen reader). Our common area of interest is custom built controllers for composition and live performance.

Improvisation session

We spent a lot of time improvising and “fishing for sound” which very much informs our needs for new controllers. A live controller needs to be intuitive and flexible and improvisation is a very important part of the design process. By exploring sound possibilities and thinking about how one would manipulate them helped us focus on our gestural movements and therefor the type of controls and layout best utilised on a new controller.

Chris gets to grips with the EMS VCS3

Barbie Karoke echo circuit exploration

Flickr photo set from our week at Steim here

We were thrilled to be invited to STEIM in early January as part of our ongoing work on translation.

We got the chance to work with accordionist Jonas Kocher, who played along with our collections of bird sounds in order to train our machine learning models of what can turn anything into a bird. His patience and skill are impressive!

Example bird – Jonas translation

Example bird – Jonas translation

We relished the opportunity to sit in the top floor of STEIM, feeling and hearing all the history and inspiration wind up the stairs. The laptop we brought with us couldn’t crunch the relationships fast enough but once back in Boston we started synthesizing the first automated translations:

Hear a budgie singalong.

The translations are courtesy some custom analysis and synthesis tools we’re working on, in a large part based on the work of DAn Ellis and Tristan Jehan with some ideas based on our paper from WASPAA in 2005.

Even the feet of some of the Vondelpark birds got to us through their transmission in ice via a stethoscope microphone designed by Kelly. A gorgeous week at STEIM, thanks to Robert and Takuro and Nico and of course Byunjun, Max and Andreas for the hospitality. We hope you’ll have us again!

Kelly Dobson & Brian Whitman

Prior to attending STEIM, I had been developing a polyphonic guitar system that I could utilise in music performance. The system treats each string as an independent audio stream so that each may be treated as a unique instance or voice. I had hoped that my time at STEIM would have provided an opportunity to be creative with my instrument. These expectations were met, and more. I was impressed with the capabilities of LiSa and Junxion and how these pieces of software might help me to realise my objective to treat the guitar as a controller as well as a musical instrument. Therefore, I can step away from the MIDI foot controller paradigm often associated with live guitar performance and introduce new potential. The orientation also provided an opportunity to witness how other artists performed with music technology. I found this quite inspiring. In addition, it was an opportunity to network with the other orientation participants. As a result, I will be performing at Shoji’s performance space in Tokyo next month.

I found STEIM to be an excellent facility in which to be creative in terms of its environment and the people behind it. I would like to return to STEIM in the near future to compose and to perform.

http://www.rickygraham.net

Before arriving at STEIM I had conceived an idea for a piece of music to make use of LiSa in combination with Korg Nano MIDI controllers. This would use recordings of a yodeler I had made in Norway before arriving here as the primary sound source, and use LiSa’s built in pattern sequencer to transform this gradually into something more akin to birdsong.

I had already owned a copy of LiSa for the last year, so the introduction to the program was covering more basic aspects of its use, but this is important; I would have welcomed such a practical demonstration when I had first purchased my copy, but as it was I had to go through the manual and figure things out. I did, however, learn a couple of useful, applicable features, and other information about the software I had not picked up on.

It is now down to a matter of time as to how this piece develops; Amsterdam is such a beautiful city I have decided to try and stay and find work here. With this in mind, I have spoken to STEIM members to see if there is any such work I can help with at the studios. If a more permanent living/income arrangement were successful, I would love the opportunity to make use of STEIM’s studio spaces and collection of vintage synthesizers for a recording project.

http://steveshawhello.blogspot.com