Part Seven!

                 Interactive Sound Environments: Blog part seven

I have not been on this blog for a while because I have been very busy upgrading my prototype so it will be more interactive with the users, I have made my Max MSP virtual guitar playable on midi keyboards and created a new section where the users can type in numbers on the chord strings and play chords in any pattern they want, the number work as milliseconds so if you type in 0 and then the next notes going up in 100s each string would be played a second apart, there is also up and down strokes to the chord patterns. You can type in completely random numbers in and make different picking patterns. Unfortunately I don't have enough time to add more chords I made the chords from A to G and A to G in minor also.

I have one problem I can't figure out, I wanted to make a note cut off instantly when another not it played on the same fret, I think the only way to get around it would be to delete and re do the key part of my project but I really do not have time anymore to mess around. I also wanted to add velocity levels but I'm not sure I will have time, my project crashed loads in the patching mode but in presentation mode it works perfect. If the cut off part work my guitar app would of been a complete success and act exactly like a real guitar would.

I will now create a option to open my project with another software such as logic pro so I can add amp sounds and effect to make my virtual guitar sound really cool.   

Part six!

Interactive Sound Environments: Blog part six

I have put up to 12 frets worth of string sounds plus the open string sounds to my prototype, below you see a video clip I and a screenshot of my working process.

I will start create a way to let the string be played via MIDI keyboard with velocity levels, I have recorded now 900 samples from my guitar which will all soon be on my virtual instrument, I also added simple chord buttons so the user can play chords on my prototype, I managed to get 12 different types of chords on the prototype (the video below was unfinished so there are only 5 chords), I would like to create a latency option for people who want to create a strumming patterning with the chords so it will sound more real.

The microphone for the video wasn't very good so I am sorry for the horrible sounds, it doesn't really sound like that but you can understand what it will sound like and show what I am trying to create, the pictures below show my sample collection I recorded on logic pro 9 and the other image is of my max msp 6 prototyping mapping.

Video of prototype

Samples recorded on to Logic pro 9 (over 1 GB worth of only single picked strings in 6 different velocity levels)

Mapping for prototype on Max MSP 6

Part five!

Interactive Sound Environments: Blog part five

I have started to record my own guitar samples for my project via a DI box, I will have possibly 5 - 6 velocity levels for each sound, I will be recording at the moment all the strings by basic plectrum picking. 

The reason I am choosing this way of getting samples is because I want to only get the original sound of the guitar and not the sound of an amp, I want it like this because my project will be mainly only about the natural guitar sound so the users can create music by either playing on a keyboard or drawing in notes of the 'piano roll' option.

After that the users will be able to use my programme with other programmes so they may add their own effects such as distortion, amp cabs ect.

Below are pictures of my set up for recording my samples.

 

I had to make sure all my strings were new and perfectly in tune for recording my samples. Once all my files are up and running I will be creating a item on Max MSP 6 to make it playable on a midi keyboard and create something to make velocity work with it also. Then I will create an option so the user may open this using any software they like to create more sounds with my samples.

Part four!

Interactive Sound Environment: Blog part four

Today I have made my fourth prototype of my virtual guitar, The image below shows my fourth prototype with a working fret board which you can play by click on frets or playing via the keyboard. I did have a loop buttion but I deleted it because I found it very annoying.

I have one problem with this prototype at the moment, where i'm too sure how to get my audio files to be set up automatically without me having to important them every time I reopen the prototype, I would also like create a 'Piano roll' option very similar to the logic pro 9's version so then it will become very easy and useful to use in a studio situation.

Basically if can not play the guitar are you are struggling with a solo, you can know use this and will get clear guitar sound with full options to edit and control the instrument, I will not be creating any effect for my virtual instrument because the device can be used with any music software so you will be able to use your own effect.

I would love to discover how to make my virtual instrument understand sheet music and guitar tabs which will be "AWESOME!", for my next prototype I will be adding pitch harmonics, slides, palm muting, chucker chucker technique, string scratching, hammer ons-offs, whammy bar, finger and plectrum picking, chords, string types, guitar types, pick ups and so on...

I will also be creating an ADSR option so you will be able to manipulate every single guitar sample if you wanted, I may add a recordable option on here maybe or I may leave it for you can record is via another music software, it would help with the CPU usage if I didn't, I will let a few people around with my prototype and see what they think about a recording option. If I have time later on this year I will make a tuning peg option so the user will able to change the tuning of the guitar by dragging a mouse up and down the pegs, I will create soon a tuning option which you can choose in a menu what preset tuning there are to choose from, at the moment the guitar is only in the tuning of 'E'. 

Here is a video clip of my prototype working...

Part three!

Interactive Sound Environments: Blog part three

I have downloaded Max msp 6 on my home computer and I have been messing around with Max to try and get it looking professional, I will be soon getting my own guitar ID samples from my guitar so then I can start getting my prototype ready.

The simple things I have been doing on Max msp was editing the images on there to make them have a shadow and be more colourful, I add my own knobs on to the software which took me a while to figure out, but now I have the hang of it.

The image below shows my demo version of a guitar tuner I created for my prototype on Max msp 6. 

Screenshot of guitar tuner

Part two!

Interactive Sound Environments: Blog part two

Today I have been looking at more ideas for my Max msp project, I have thought about the outlook design, I have decided to create my own knobs/faders/buttions ect, for my project.

I found a free software I downloaded off the internet, and I can now import my moving images to Max msp making it look more presentable. It is endless to the amount of idea I could add to this project. My main goal for now is to get the project function working more before I start adding more features. Below is a tester knob I made earlier, I didn't make it professional I was mostly rushing it to see what I could do with it, I don't watch any online tutorials but I will next time to get a more professional look. 

 

I will be importing this to Max msp to test if it all works later on, I will go into more details about this later on in my blog.

Part one!

Interactive Sound Environments: Blog starting

I am an a third year BA (Hons) music technology student at plymouth university, for part of this module I have to create blogs about my work process. This module is called 'Interactive sound Environments', I will be showing my research and development leading up to my final project.

Using the software Max msp in our workshop lectures in plymouth uni, my mind has been opened to many idea for this project, Max msp is a software were you can basically create anything at all and assign it to work with most, possible all electrical equipment. For example in some of our workshop lectures we made a quick delay unit on Max msp and we assigned it to work with other music software such as Pro tools 11 HD, Logic pro 9 and Ableton live. I found this very easy to do and can now create my own plug-ins and assign it to midi instruments on them softwares.

I looked on www.youtube.com for more examples you could use Max msp with, I saw one about a guy using a nintendo wii controller and this guitar to make his guitar change in sound and effect just by moving his guitar up and down, so if he lifted the neck of the guitar up the Max map software would set off a effect he created and assign it with the nintendo wii controller so once he lifted the neck, the guitar would have a distortion effect or delay effect, anything he assigns it to. I will post the link to this video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXSMVKsNl4Q

I have an idea what to do for my project, I want to create a professional DI guitar editor, so I would have a fret board up on Max msp, and you can for starters you can choose the string type, guitar type and then you can place finger markers on the strings and a picking direction below, I want to be able to make the software do pinch harmonics, palm muting, slides and hammer ons and offs. The basic idea is to create my own little software for non-guitarest to play perfectly with.

I was thinking about starting this by using a DI to record only the guitar onto the software and assign it to the image of the fret board, I will been creating many velocity levels for each string, and have an option for the users to ether use the pre-made sounds or they can add their own by plugging it into the computer, I will also create a guitar tuner app on the software.

There are many things I could do with this idea, I do not think I could add everything I plan to do for this project in time but I can still show what I am trying to create, and it still be very useful to the users, throughout my course I will post more blogs on what I have done so far and what I am aiming to.