OSC stands for Open Sound Control, and it is pretty awesome. Go here to read up on the intricate details about it, but essentially it is a method of controlling visuals over a network. It effectively turns your smartphone/ipod touch/ipad/tablet into a wireless midi controller, and the benefits of this are huge.
I have been using the Hexler touchosc application, but there are a few other options out there. It costs $5 in the Apple App store (I assume the same from the Android Market).
Any VJ software worth its weight will have OSC compatibility these days and should be relatively simple to activate and set up.
1) Download the software onto your wifi-enabled device
2) Ensure that your VJ-software running laptop and OSC device are connected to the same network
3) Configure the PORT settings at each end so they are ‘talking’ to each other
4) Map the OSC device in the same way you would a MIDI controller
5) Done
The beauty of the technology us that you have a fully customizable interface so you can tweak the layout exactly how you like it. There is a specific layout editor available for touchOSC that is easy to use. If you are encouraging people to participate in the show, you can create an easy to use template.
When I discovered OSC and what it could do I was amazed. It adds a whole new facet to what can be achieved. Get into it, and have some fun.
One of the first things I wanted to do when I started playing around with Grand VJ and Madmapper/VPT was map the edges of a cube. This gives a really cool effect and is one of the simplest things to do………if you have the clip.
I spent a long time trying to find a clip, until finally I decided to create one myself. After spending some time in After Effects I managed to put together the video below (go to the Vimeo site to download it). It is not completely what I was after, but it will do the trick until I get more proficient with the software.
Hopefully this will save some of you lots of time. If you know of any other similar clips I’m keen to hear of them.
Let me know if you’d like the clip in different colors. I’ve got a few already, but just haven’t bothered uploading them.
I’m away from a projector at the moment (read: middle of Mexico) but when I get home I will put it all together and post a clip of it in action.
There are a lot of people out there who know a lot more about this subject than I do, but I will do my best to explain the basics - namely what features to look for when buying a projector.
To start with, your visuals projector will differ greatly from what you would use for your Home Theatre. This is not to say that you can’t use a projector designed for watching TV/movies on, but if you are looking to buy a projector for soley the purpose of live performances, you will want to look at different features.
DLP/3LCD/LCoS? - Projector Type
The first thing you will learn when shopping for a projector is the number of different technologies there are in the projector world. These are changing all the time, and newer, more advanced technology is coming down in price/size rapidly. I won’t go into what is better here because it depends on a few variables. But I will give you one piece of important advice - don’t forget to look at the cost of replacement bulbs. These can set you back almost as much as the projector itself so make sure you can afford to replace them when needed. And because your projector will be moved around a lot - this can happen more often than you think.
Brightness
The more Lumens the better - this allows your images to POP and give them more impact, and also makes things clearly visible when there is ambient light around (and there usually will be).
Throw Distance
This relates to how far back the projector has to be to create a big enough image. Short throw projectors only need to be a small distance back from the projecting surface to create a large image, whereby longer throw projectors will need to be back further to create the same size image. Which one to chose from will come down to budget (short throw projectors tend to cost more) and the types of venues/spaces you will be using it in.
Portability
Don’t forget that you will have to lug this thing around with you when you want to perform or show off to your friends so make sure it’s not too big and cumbersome.
Sooner or later you will want to start experimenting with clips and footage that was not included with your VJ software. Having a good library of photos, videos, and animations makes it easier to create the composition you are after. But before you start going out and collecting a hard drive full of videos, first have a think about the types of compositions you want to put together and the stories or themes you want to tell. This will save you a lot of time down the road and help you to choose what clips are worthwhile.
Sources
There are lots of places where you can get hold of the content you need. The most obvious place to start is yourself. Using your own photos and video clips is the simplest way to build up your library, and the best part of it is that no one else will have the same footage as you. Another source of content is the internet (obviously). There are tons of free and paid for clips and loops available online, it is just a matter of finding them. VJVault has lots of user uploaded clips available, and a quick google search or trawl through VJ blogs will find some other sources. I will add links to some sources for clips in the links page of this blog, so check there after you’re done reading the blog.
If you can’t find a cool loop that you are looking for then your best bet is to create it yourself. Creating loops can seem a bit daunting at first, but once you have the basics the rest quickly follows. I use Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere to create and edit clips - they are relatively easy to understand and very powerful. I have only just started using After Effects and am still getting my head around some of the features and functions. But slowly and surely the compositions I’m creating are getting more advanced. I’ll make another post with some examples of what I’ve created so far - I have also made the completed video files downloadable from Vimeo if you want to add them to your library. If you would like me to send you the project files for After Effects let me know and I’ll get them to you.
There are a lot of great video tutorials available online to learn the basics of whichever animation software you choose to use.
Format
The type of file format you want to save your video clips as depends on your VJ software, and also the type of clip it is. You also don’t want a collection of 2gb files so file compression is needed to keep the files to a usable size. For video footage I tend to prefer Quicktime .mov files in the photo .jpeg format, and then for animation (loops etc) I prefer to use the .mov animation codec.
Resolution
The last thing you want is to have a pixelated VJ set, so you need to make sure the images and videos you use are of a high enough resolution. A lot of web video is really low res (340 x 280) when really you want to be aiming for a resoultion of around 1280 x 720. A little lower is alright, but be careful if you go too low. You may want to opt for higher resolutions but just be aware that the higher you go, the bigger the file.
Organisation
Keep your content folder organised. There is nothing worse than wanting to use a clip and not being able to find it, and having to trawl through hundreds or thousands of files to find it.
Note: This post assumes you are using a Mac, and a recent (v1.6 or above) version of Arkaos Grand VJ
Mapping, 3D Mapping, Projection Mapping - all these terms are pretty much the same thing. It is the art of taking a flat, 2D image and applying it to a surface to create an illusion of some sort. It could add depth (3D) to the surface, exclude certain areas of the surface, or simply align the image in a different way to what it originally was, or so that it suits the surface better.
Some VJ software options have mapping built in - for others you will need to use another piece of software. Again (as is almost always the case) some are better than others.
The reason I put note above about needing a Mac is because of something called Syphon. Syphon is a Mac technology which allows programmes to share their video output with one another - in real time. For the purpose of this instance you can send the video output of your VJ software (your composition) into another piece of software where you can then tweak and tween it to fit a certain shape/form before sending it out through your projector. This technology is now relatively standard across most mac-based VJ software - I am most familiar with using it from Grand VJ.
I have recently discovered MadMapper (made by the same people who created Modul8) which is very simple to use, and also very powerful. It costs a bit (around 300euro) so is probably something you might consider down the road a bit. In the meantime the demo is available so it gives you an idea of what it can do. Here is a clip showing the two in action together (via @ERCLED): http://yfrog.com/jbfwzz
To link GrandVJ and MadMapper through Syphon is a relatively straightforward process. Open up MadMapper and GrandVJ and throw a composition into the GrandVJ window. Then go to MadMapper and you should see GrandVJ in the ‘Syphon’ menu - select this and your GrandVJ output will appear in the left window. You can then chose to add a ‘Surface’ which is basically a projection stream that you can manipulate - moving the corners to match points on a wall etc. To have different visuals running you will have to put them all on the one GrandVJ output by adjusting their size and position, then allocating different ‘Surfaces’ to them in MadMapper (take a close look at the video above to see what I mean). There are also some good tutorials on the MadMapper website to get you started.
VPT (which I outlined in an earlier post) also supports Syphon. From what I’ve read it is as good as MadMapper - and free. I haven’t had a good chance to play around with it yet, but once I have I will update this post.
For usability and to get the most out of your software, a MIDI controller is key. It is not required for the software, you can control things from your keyboard and mouse, but having one will open up a whole new set of creations.
For those unsure about what I am talking about - a MIDI controller is basically an extra set of controls that are plugged into your laptop (usually via USB) and allow you to operate the sliders/pads/knobs in the VJ software.
There are hundreds of different makes and models of MIDI controllers on the market - each one is different. A lot of them have been designed for musicians, but they are equally suited to the VJ artist. Some have drum pads, some have piano keys, sliders, knobs, interactive surfaces…..the list goes on.
From what I have seen, there is no one MIDI controller that is suited for everyone - a lot of it comes down to personal preference, and what you intend (and want) to do with it. You can usually pick up a second-hand controller pretty cheaply (I picked up an M-Audio Oxygen8 v2 for $30) and this will give you a chance to get used to controlling your computer with something other than a mouse. You will also learn what features you want in your controller so you know what to look for when upgrading.
My personal favourite is the Akai MPD32 - a combination of drum pads, knobs, and sliders.
Once you have plugged in and installed any required drivers for your controller you will need to ‘map’ it to your VJ software. This is the process of linking the buttons and sliders etc on the screen to the physical buttons etc on your controller. Each VJ software does this slightly differently so check the help manual if you get stuck, but it should be relatively straight forward. Once you have completed this and you are happy with the way it is you can save your template so you don’t have to do it every time. You will constantly be making tweaks to it as you learn new ways to do things so don’t get too hung up on the details to start with. For the more popular MIDI controllers, there may also be pre-configured templates in the software - I’ve found these useful as a starting point, then configuring them to my own needs.
It’s pretty obvious that you’ll need a computer to install your new VJ software onto. Although in the past before the advent of VJ software a lot of VJing was done with a stack of VCR’s, a mixer, and a whole lot of cable.
You have two options here, Mac or PC. For most people starting out it will depend on what you have already - you don’t want to have to drop a few grand at the outset. You should be fine to get by with almost any old computer, however depending on your computers specs the software performance may not be the best.
Once you have spent some time messing around with the software and want to go to the next level you may wish to invest in a computer that can easily handle the graphics output - nothing like your laptop crashing in the middle of a live performance to make you regret your hardware.
In my personal opinion, I think to get the most out of your visuals you really need a Mac. It pains me to say that as I am a born and bred PC geek. The only times I use a Mac (my girlfriends) is when I really need to - and generally this is one of those cases.
Using a Mac also gives you access to something called Quartz Composer. I’ll write a separate piece on this later - but in short it is a simple to use programming tool that will allow you to create some pretty powerful visuals from scratch, and make them do some very cool things.
One of the first things I learned when I starting messing around with visual editing was the huge amount of software out there that is available. And all of it with different strengths & weaknesses. Some programmes are more suited to certain applications than others. What I use is very much based on what I like to do, the hardware I have, and what I am capable of doing.
Here is a pretty quick run down of a few programmes that I know of, and that I’ve used.
I’ve found Arkaos Grand VJ to be an excellent piece of software for creating live visuals. It is solid and reliable, easy to use, and it plays well with others. And because I use both a Mac and PC, it is my software of choice.
Each new iteration of the software adds useful and powerful features, further enhancing the overall performance. MIDI controllers are very easy to set up, and it also supports OSC (allowing control from ipod/iphone/ipads and probably Android devices too). For the Mac version it also utilizes Quartz Composer - an easy to use programming tool for OS X that allows you to create amazing effects, visuals, and visualizers. More on that later.
I’ve had a couple of helpdesk experiences with the team (based in Copenhagen I think) and they have been great to deal with.
You can download a trial version here to play around with.
I haven’t spent a lot of time with Modul8, but I have been impressed with I have seen. Because I primarily mess around on a PC I haven’t had a lot of time to explore its full potential.
At first glance it has some very powerful functions, and supports a number of features. It appears to have a strong mapping function, something that I think Grand VJ lacks (however I believe this can be rectified through plugins).
It is Mac only but since most VJ outputs require the dedicated graphics processor that Mac’s offer so it shouldn’t bother too many people.
Download a trial version here.
This software is good. Very good. It takes a lot of the features that I like about Grand VJ and builds on them. I found it a bit too advanced for me when I first started messing around with visuals, but now I think it definitely deserves another look.
On top of the VJ side of things (it supports Quartz/VST/OpenGL) it also has a strong video mapping component to map the output to an object of your choosing.
This is available for both Mac & PC. Trial available to download here.
Whilst not specifically a piece VJ software, I have become quite fond of it for what it can do - I am constantly amazed at how powerful this piece of software is. This is software for projection mapping first and foremost.
The most recent version (6.0) appears to be much more stable than earlier versions I’ve used and with a much friendlier interface. It has support for MIDI and OSC which is very handy when you are tweaking with the corners of outputs to map them exactly to an object.
And the full version is completely free to download and use here.
If you are new to this, I recommend downloading each of the available demos and having a good long play around with the features. Taking the step to purchase a full version (which will usually remove a watermark, and allow for saving) is one not to be taken lightly - at around $300-$400 at least for a license it is an expensive step.
As I mentioned earlier - this is by no means an exhaustive list. These are just those that I know of and are familiar with. If there are others out there that you know of and can recommend, post it below and I’ll check it out.
