Jammin' at the FOH with the A-Team
Bas Scheij & Angelo Isenia are popularly known as the A-Team.
Main men at the Front of House for Afrojack, they are widely considered amongst the best lighting & video team in the electronic music space.
Bas
Picture:RUDGR
Angelo
After closely following them live multiple times we have reached the conclusion that they have one mind.
We, here at Resolume, like to call them the Human Timecode.
[fold][/fold]
This blogpost we will try to delve into the workings of this destructive duo & let’s see if we can squeeze some secrets outta them. *wink
Thanks for doing this guys!
Give us a small background of yourselves.
How did you guys get into this & at what point did you realize- “this is it”?
Bas: It all started for me 21 years ago. I worked as a stagehand for several Dutch bands.
From day one I was inspired by lights and soon I realized this was it for me. I have worked for rental companies as a light technician, project manager and operator. In 2009 I became a freelance operator and continued touring with bands, operating festivals, joined The Art of Light for a while.
This January 2017, I started my new venture BASZ design & live operating
Angelo: For me it started when I was studying at HKU school of Arts around 10 years ago. My good friend and classmate at the time, Cheverno Leiwakabessy, introduced me to VJ’ing. We were geeking out a lot back in the days trying new stuff and learning new software.
I had that ‘it’ moment when we started VJ’ing for Eyesupply. We kept doing bigger and bigger shows. That feeling of standing in the front of house running a show is an adrenaline rush for me! From then on things developed pretty quickly. We were hired by Kevin, Carlo and Sander (Eyesupply/250K) to do what we love for a living.
I had my second ‘it’ moment last year when I decided to start freelancing and started my own company, Dvizion. I did this as a means of challenging myself to get better and cooperate with more people around me.
For how long have you both been working together? Was it love at first gig?
Bas: We are working as a duo since the summer of 2013, when André Beekmans (The Art of Light) and Sander Reneman (250K) introduced me to the team doing programming in advance for André, who was Afrojack’s main LD those days.Later on, he asked me to succeed him as LD for Afrojack.
We soon found out that there was a great vibe and a synergy between Angelo, Afrojack and I, as a team.
Angelo: We recently talked about this. The years fly by so fast. It has been almost 4 years since we were brought together for the Afrojack shows. We had a really good vibe from the beginning. What is important is that we could always tell each other if we didn’t like something which only kept pushing us these years.
Picture:Sunburn Festival
While on lighting & video duty, it is important to strike a balance. Not let one overpower the other. Do you agree? How do you keep that balance?
Bas: I totally agree. One of the main rules for us as a team is to keep the right balance between video and lights and let one not overpower the other. LED walls are very bright nowadays which makes it hard to keep the right balance in output between lights and video, live and for television. We mostly achieve the balance by controlling the brightness for video, a useful tool in Resolume.
Angelo: I totally agree, this is something we talk about constantly. We call it the 100%-limit theory, as in my video can go up to 100% and lights too. But, you never want to go over 100% together. During the show we tell each other “Hey, not 200%” so we instantly know we are pushing it too much. There is still much to learn but at least this way we try to balance it out. Also, what is really important is communication during the show.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R3FKrJ7b0M&feature=youtu.be[/video]
What process do you follow during lighting design & content creation? And then for operation?
Bas: For festival shows we use the design which is made by the festival designer, and for solo shows, we use our rider design. For the operational part, we work very closely with Afrojack as he really knows what he wants for video and lights.
When we, Angelo and I, receive the songs he’s about to play, we start with analyzing each song, decide which colors we’re going to use and create solo moments for video and lights. Once this is done, Angelo and I practice a little & tell each other very specifically what to do and when. After this it’s show time! At the end of each show we try to find improvements we can implement in the next show.
Angelo: The visuals are made not only by me but also by Eyesupply. We worked on a moodboard consisting of mech robots, manga designs and technical overlays. During the course of 5 years I remixed and edited a lot, adding more abstract content. It all comes down to running shows, sit down to talk about it and go back to the drawing board to adjust where necessary.
Picture: MTV Crashes Plymouth
I remember a great conversation we had about “Music sensibility” and about how understanding rhythm & time is key. Can you tell us about this?
Bas: I think this is one of the characteristics you need to have as an LD to become a real professional. Afrojack decides on the flow, which songs he’s about to play and sometimes plays new tracks without telling us beforehand! “To keep them focused”, as he always says.
It’s important to feel the groove of the music to find out when the new track comes into the mix etc. To react on a break or accent in the music, timing is key to make the difference. I think this is something you can’t learn. It's something you have or not.It is important to hit the button or fader on the right moment to give the extra dimension to the show.
Angelo: Having a sense of rhythm is key to operating, in my opinion. People know me for being too caught up trying to catch every beat and drop, it’s like a blessing and a curse :-) For me it’s really important to mix the video according to the music because everything we do is live.
Here is a great video of Bas & Angelo slaying programming @ the Main Stage, Ultra Miami 2016:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2agZ4IEaZ2g&feature=youtu.be[/video]
And, here is a video of the outcome:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ywM0a_Awj0&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Everything you do is freestyle. No SMPTE. No MIDI. No Timecode. Any tips for achieving such levels of tightness in transitions & color changes?
Bas: Timing is key. When both understand rhythm and timing, you’ll have the base for tight transitions and color changes as a team. We always use intercoms during show. This is very helpful to call breaks and accents. Also, we spend a lot of time listening to the songs.
Angelo: Communication. We communicate constantly during the show. Although we’ve been doing it for years so we can also sense what the other one will transition to. We also like to nerd-talk about it after the shows. We ask each other “what if we do this or that”. Then, it’s back to the hotel (or home), hook up my gear and try to incorporate those ideas into the show.
Picture:PHOTORIK @ Amsterdam MusicFestival 2015
A metal-head and a Salsa lover, what are your thoughts on the direction electronic music is heading - visually?
Bas: Most of the time a DJ is performing on his own on very big stages in front of thousands of people, which means that you have to reinforce the show visually. Stages are getting bigger nowadays and technique innovates constantly; so visually electronic shows will grow without limits.
Angelo: Haha it’s been a long time I danced! I must admit I never listen to EDM outside of work. I think visually there is much more to explore and improve upon. There are many more artists out there doing bigger and better shows than us so for me it’s always a drive to get better and better. I really look up to those trying new stuff and pushing the limits, take the Eric Prydz’ show, for example. Since I started VJ’ing I have always wondered how we can make the show more interactive - between the Artist and the Audience. This is something I would like to explore in the future.
What are your go to weapons for destruction?
Bas: For Afrojack shows I prefer to work on GrandMA 2, because of its endless possibilities and ease of operation. Nowadays it’s easy to connect Resolume to the GrandMA, which helps us push boundaries to innovate the show.
Angelo: I almost read “mass destruction” ;) For me it’s Resolume Arena hands down. I have been using it since version 2 and really like the simplicity, while having really powerful features like the Advanced Output. We are really close with the Resolume team and it’s a pleasure working out new ideas with them. For crazy new ideas is Joris my go-to guy at Resolume HQ. My MIDI controller of choice is the Akai APC40 mkII. This is the closest controller having all the bells and whistles I want. I still would like to have a better controller, maybe someday I can design my own :)
Picture: Amsterdam Music Festival 2016
Any advice you would like to give budding “FOH artists” out there?
Bas: Stay motivated learning new techniques and stimulate creativity by fueling passion.
Angelo: My advice is relax and enjoy it. It’s ok to make mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes in the past but in the end it all comes down to learning from that. Heck, I still make some mistakes haha. Also, always be friendly to your FOH buddies. In my opinion everyone in the FOH is equal so try to work together to make the best show possible.
Any last words before we let you continue being awesome?
Bas: I want to thank you guys, Shipra and Joris, for the interview. And, of course, Resolume for their support and collaboration, keep it up! Special thanks to Afrojack, 250K and The Art of Light.
Angelo: I really want to thank you guys for this fun interview, it made me think and reminisce about the past. Also, I would like to thank the Resolume guys for always being so cool with us and having a listening ear to our crazy ideas. I must also say that I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for Eyesupply and Afrojack. This only pushed me to perform better each show.
Ah. What a great interview this was. Straight from the heart and so much to learn.
Love your FOH buddies. Aw.
Show us some love now, guys. Come on.
Picture: Angelo's I-Phone, Times Square, NYC
Thanks. V much.
Main men at the Front of House for Afrojack, they are widely considered amongst the best lighting & video team in the electronic music space.
Bas
Angelo
After closely following them live multiple times we have reached the conclusion that they have one mind.
We, here at Resolume, like to call them the Human Timecode.
[fold][/fold]
This blogpost we will try to delve into the workings of this destructive duo & let’s see if we can squeeze some secrets outta them. *wink
Thanks for doing this guys!
Give us a small background of yourselves.
How did you guys get into this & at what point did you realize- “this is it”?
Bas: It all started for me 21 years ago. I worked as a stagehand for several Dutch bands.
From day one I was inspired by lights and soon I realized this was it for me. I have worked for rental companies as a light technician, project manager and operator. In 2009 I became a freelance operator and continued touring with bands, operating festivals, joined The Art of Light for a while.
This January 2017, I started my new venture BASZ design & live operating
Angelo: For me it started when I was studying at HKU school of Arts around 10 years ago. My good friend and classmate at the time, Cheverno Leiwakabessy, introduced me to VJ’ing. We were geeking out a lot back in the days trying new stuff and learning new software.
I had that ‘it’ moment when we started VJ’ing for Eyesupply. We kept doing bigger and bigger shows. That feeling of standing in the front of house running a show is an adrenaline rush for me! From then on things developed pretty quickly. We were hired by Kevin, Carlo and Sander (Eyesupply/250K) to do what we love for a living.
I had my second ‘it’ moment last year when I decided to start freelancing and started my own company, Dvizion. I did this as a means of challenging myself to get better and cooperate with more people around me.
For how long have you both been working together? Was it love at first gig?
Bas: We are working as a duo since the summer of 2013, when André Beekmans (The Art of Light) and Sander Reneman (250K) introduced me to the team doing programming in advance for André, who was Afrojack’s main LD those days.Later on, he asked me to succeed him as LD for Afrojack.
We soon found out that there was a great vibe and a synergy between Angelo, Afrojack and I, as a team.
Angelo: We recently talked about this. The years fly by so fast. It has been almost 4 years since we were brought together for the Afrojack shows. We had a really good vibe from the beginning. What is important is that we could always tell each other if we didn’t like something which only kept pushing us these years.
While on lighting & video duty, it is important to strike a balance. Not let one overpower the other. Do you agree? How do you keep that balance?
Bas: I totally agree. One of the main rules for us as a team is to keep the right balance between video and lights and let one not overpower the other. LED walls are very bright nowadays which makes it hard to keep the right balance in output between lights and video, live and for television. We mostly achieve the balance by controlling the brightness for video, a useful tool in Resolume.
Angelo: I totally agree, this is something we talk about constantly. We call it the 100%-limit theory, as in my video can go up to 100% and lights too. But, you never want to go over 100% together. During the show we tell each other “Hey, not 200%” so we instantly know we are pushing it too much. There is still much to learn but at least this way we try to balance it out. Also, what is really important is communication during the show.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R3FKrJ7b0M&feature=youtu.be[/video]
What process do you follow during lighting design & content creation? And then for operation?
Bas: For festival shows we use the design which is made by the festival designer, and for solo shows, we use our rider design. For the operational part, we work very closely with Afrojack as he really knows what he wants for video and lights.
When we, Angelo and I, receive the songs he’s about to play, we start with analyzing each song, decide which colors we’re going to use and create solo moments for video and lights. Once this is done, Angelo and I practice a little & tell each other very specifically what to do and when. After this it’s show time! At the end of each show we try to find improvements we can implement in the next show.
Angelo: The visuals are made not only by me but also by Eyesupply. We worked on a moodboard consisting of mech robots, manga designs and technical overlays. During the course of 5 years I remixed and edited a lot, adding more abstract content. It all comes down to running shows, sit down to talk about it and go back to the drawing board to adjust where necessary.
I remember a great conversation we had about “Music sensibility” and about how understanding rhythm & time is key. Can you tell us about this?
Bas: I think this is one of the characteristics you need to have as an LD to become a real professional. Afrojack decides on the flow, which songs he’s about to play and sometimes plays new tracks without telling us beforehand! “To keep them focused”, as he always says.
It’s important to feel the groove of the music to find out when the new track comes into the mix etc. To react on a break or accent in the music, timing is key to make the difference. I think this is something you can’t learn. It's something you have or not.It is important to hit the button or fader on the right moment to give the extra dimension to the show.
Angelo: Having a sense of rhythm is key to operating, in my opinion. People know me for being too caught up trying to catch every beat and drop, it’s like a blessing and a curse :-) For me it’s really important to mix the video according to the music because everything we do is live.
Here is a great video of Bas & Angelo slaying programming @ the Main Stage, Ultra Miami 2016:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2agZ4IEaZ2g&feature=youtu.be[/video]
And, here is a video of the outcome:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ywM0a_Awj0&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Everything you do is freestyle. No SMPTE. No MIDI. No Timecode. Any tips for achieving such levels of tightness in transitions & color changes?
Bas: Timing is key. When both understand rhythm and timing, you’ll have the base for tight transitions and color changes as a team. We always use intercoms during show. This is very helpful to call breaks and accents. Also, we spend a lot of time listening to the songs.
Angelo: Communication. We communicate constantly during the show. Although we’ve been doing it for years so we can also sense what the other one will transition to. We also like to nerd-talk about it after the shows. We ask each other “what if we do this or that”. Then, it’s back to the hotel (or home), hook up my gear and try to incorporate those ideas into the show.
A metal-head and a Salsa lover, what are your thoughts on the direction electronic music is heading - visually?
Bas: Most of the time a DJ is performing on his own on very big stages in front of thousands of people, which means that you have to reinforce the show visually. Stages are getting bigger nowadays and technique innovates constantly; so visually electronic shows will grow without limits.
Angelo: Haha it’s been a long time I danced! I must admit I never listen to EDM outside of work. I think visually there is much more to explore and improve upon. There are many more artists out there doing bigger and better shows than us so for me it’s always a drive to get better and better. I really look up to those trying new stuff and pushing the limits, take the Eric Prydz’ show, for example. Since I started VJ’ing I have always wondered how we can make the show more interactive - between the Artist and the Audience. This is something I would like to explore in the future.
What are your go to weapons for destruction?
Bas: For Afrojack shows I prefer to work on GrandMA 2, because of its endless possibilities and ease of operation. Nowadays it’s easy to connect Resolume to the GrandMA, which helps us push boundaries to innovate the show.
Angelo: I almost read “mass destruction” ;) For me it’s Resolume Arena hands down. I have been using it since version 2 and really like the simplicity, while having really powerful features like the Advanced Output. We are really close with the Resolume team and it’s a pleasure working out new ideas with them. For crazy new ideas is Joris my go-to guy at Resolume HQ. My MIDI controller of choice is the Akai APC40 mkII. This is the closest controller having all the bells and whistles I want. I still would like to have a better controller, maybe someday I can design my own :)
Any advice you would like to give budding “FOH artists” out there?
Bas: Stay motivated learning new techniques and stimulate creativity by fueling passion.
Angelo: My advice is relax and enjoy it. It’s ok to make mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes in the past but in the end it all comes down to learning from that. Heck, I still make some mistakes haha. Also, always be friendly to your FOH buddies. In my opinion everyone in the FOH is equal so try to work together to make the best show possible.
Any last words before we let you continue being awesome?
Bas: I want to thank you guys, Shipra and Joris, for the interview. And, of course, Resolume for their support and collaboration, keep it up! Special thanks to Afrojack, 250K and The Art of Light.
Angelo: I really want to thank you guys for this fun interview, it made me think and reminisce about the past. Also, I would like to thank the Resolume guys for always being so cool with us and having a listening ear to our crazy ideas. I must also say that I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for Eyesupply and Afrojack. This only pushed me to perform better each show.
Ah. What a great interview this was. Straight from the heart and so much to learn.
Love your FOH buddies. Aw.
Show us some love now, guys. Come on.
Thanks. V much.
Resolume Blog
This blog is about Resolume, VJ-ing and the inspiring things the Resolume users make. Do you have something interesting to show the community? Send in your work!
Highlights
A New Year, A New Resolume: 5.1.3 & 4.6.3
It's January 26 now this so it's probably too late to late to wish you all a happy new year, but, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Here is the first Resolume update of 2017. It has mainly fixes in the Advanced Output and some SMPTE timecode fixes.
Download and enjoy that zen moment of staring at a slowly moving progress bar. If you're in a hurry then download the installer without any demo footage, it's much smaller so it wil download faster. You'll find it in the dropdown menu at the bottom of the downloads page.
Resolume Arena 5.1.3 & Avenue 4.6.3
[FIXED] SMPTE value in status bar not working when SMPTE is set to 29.97 fps
[FIXED] High SMPTE Offset values are not picked up by GUI when SMPTE is set to 29.97
[FIXED] SMPTE offset calculation is broken when using 29.97 drop-frame timecode
[FIXED] When slices are snapped to the edge of the comp, edge blend wraps and gets applied on wrong part of slice
[FIXED] Disable Snap toggle button no worky for polyslices and output masks
[FIXED] Clip In and Outpoints can get reset on composition reload
[FIXED] Still image duration not remembered after switching deck
[FIXED] Slice snapper snaps to a weird snap result
[FIXED] Mask corner point selection cycles to other slice or fixture when clicked
[FIXED] Can not load an output preset when you've never saved an output preset
[FIXED] Output preset name doesn’t get updated after opening preset and cancel
[FIXED] Undo breaks the transformer widget's outline
[FIXED] Multitask transition has a single flash of white on the right texture halfway through the transition
[FIXED] Audio track that needs to be relocated, still shows codec info and duration
[FIXED] Polygon slice "match input shape" works normalized, it shouldn't
[FIXED] Slice name sometimes has outline.
[FIXED] Problems with Japanese font rendering
Enjoy!
Team Resolume
Here is the first Resolume update of 2017. It has mainly fixes in the Advanced Output and some SMPTE timecode fixes.
Download and enjoy that zen moment of staring at a slowly moving progress bar. If you're in a hurry then download the installer without any demo footage, it's much smaller so it wil download faster. You'll find it in the dropdown menu at the bottom of the downloads page.
Resolume Arena 5.1.3 & Avenue 4.6.3
[FIXED] SMPTE value in status bar not working when SMPTE is set to 29.97 fps
[FIXED] High SMPTE Offset values are not picked up by GUI when SMPTE is set to 29.97
[FIXED] SMPTE offset calculation is broken when using 29.97 drop-frame timecode
[FIXED] When slices are snapped to the edge of the comp, edge blend wraps and gets applied on wrong part of slice
[FIXED] Disable Snap toggle button no worky for polyslices and output masks
[FIXED] Clip In and Outpoints can get reset on composition reload
[FIXED] Still image duration not remembered after switching deck
[FIXED] Slice snapper snaps to a weird snap result
[FIXED] Mask corner point selection cycles to other slice or fixture when clicked
[FIXED] Can not load an output preset when you've never saved an output preset
[FIXED] Output preset name doesn’t get updated after opening preset and cancel
[FIXED] Undo breaks the transformer widget's outline
[FIXED] Multitask transition has a single flash of white on the right texture halfway through the transition
[FIXED] Audio track that needs to be relocated, still shows codec info and duration
[FIXED] Polygon slice "match input shape" works normalized, it shouldn't
[FIXED] Slice name sometimes has outline.
[FIXED] Problems with Japanese font rendering
Enjoy!
Team Resolume
First footage of 2017: Fabrics
This month it's all about fabrics.
RAW Designs returns from a long hiatus with the smooth DeepSilk:
Get DeepSilk from Resolume Footage
Ican Agoesdjam cuts his teeth on CrystalThorn.
Get CrystalThorn from Resolume Footage
And Artificially Awake rips the fabric of time and space with his Tunnels:
Get Tunnels from Resolume Footage
RAW Designs returns from a long hiatus with the smooth DeepSilk:
Get DeepSilk from Resolume Footage
Ican Agoesdjam cuts his teeth on CrystalThorn.
Get CrystalThorn from Resolume Footage
And Artificially Awake rips the fabric of time and space with his Tunnels:
Get Tunnels from Resolume Footage
Merry Christmas Everybody! (Free Snowy Plugin)
We would like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the entire team here at Resolume. We hope you'll have time to get together with friends and family but if you're working on a show somewhere then give your co-workers a big ol' hug ;-)
To help you celebrate during your show we have created a Snowy effect that renders accumulating snow on all the edges it can find in your footage.
Download Snow FFGL plugin for Mac and Windows.
Have a Jolly Christmas and we'll see you next year!
Team Resolume
Edwin Bart Tim Joris Menno Reinier Bonne Danny Sander Andreas
To help you celebrate during your show we have created a Snowy effect that renders accumulating snow on all the edges it can find in your footage.
Download Snow FFGL plugin for Mac and Windows.
Have a Jolly Christmas and we'll see you next year!
Team Resolume
Edwin Bart Tim Joris Menno Reinier Bonne Danny Sander Andreas
New Footage: 4K for Days
The last release of the year, and we're proud to say we got 4K versions of all of them. If these packs are anything to go by, 2017 is going to be huge. Literally.
STV in Motion delivers a banger that hits you in that sweet spot between abstract and palpable, with just a hint of psychedelic.
Get OrnaMental from Resolume Footage
WTFlow is a rising star on the label, and his new EssentialSet combines a novel color scheme with slick motion design.
Get EssentialSet from Resolume Footage
And Nexus 6 dives deep into the tunnel with HexxaBeats
Get HexxaBeats from Resolume Footage
STV in Motion delivers a banger that hits you in that sweet spot between abstract and palpable, with just a hint of psychedelic.
Get OrnaMental from Resolume Footage
WTFlow is a rising star on the label, and his new EssentialSet combines a novel color scheme with slick motion design.
Get EssentialSet from Resolume Footage
And Nexus 6 dives deep into the tunnel with HexxaBeats
Get HexxaBeats from Resolume Footage
Taking the World by Storm (Part 2)
Hello all you video junkies. This one's just for you.
It took a while to digest the awesomeness, but Part 2 of "Taking the world by Storm" is here.
So, quick recap?
Gig: Storm Festival, 2016, Shanghai
Epic stage:
Video: 400 square meters of Led, 7.9 mm pitch, 10 processors.
[fold][/fold]
Brandon Chaung, the local VJ on site, talked us through the whole process. And it is intense.
So, sit back..relax..a Storm is brewing.
What computers did you use for the show?
I used both PC and Mac.
I like PC because it is powerful and easy to upgrade. Especially with the graphics card (MXM 3.0b) and storage -which are both essential for running Resolume.
I replaced my optical drive with a SSD for new custom footage for the show (I have more than 40 decks in my composition).
I like Mac because of the great onboard audio quality. Also, it’s less of a hassle for audio playback and midi mapping, when using Resolume with other applications, at the same time.
I switched between two laptops with a Barco Encore switcher.
It required four HD outputs to cover all the LED panels we had.
Both the circle screen and the one behind the DJ booth are split into two outputs. Which makes it important to have synchronized outputs.
The 4kTwo display controller provided by Flux studio did a great job.
It is a Chinese brand which has similar, but less, features than the Datapath X4 that other VJs brought for the show.
Talk to us about Resolume, maybe you have heard of it? *grins*
Resolume Arena is my first choice for media server.
It runs great on both operating systems. I can have exactly the same experience while VJing, no matter if I’m on a PC or a MAC. I can switch between the two without thinking.
Another great tool that is worth mentioning is Chaser by Joris. Woo hoo!
I find it super useful when I use it for switching between different mapping settings and even masking.
Some VJs use Madmapper or mapio to switch mapping. I prefer doing this with Resolume.
Normally, I apply two Chaser FFGL plugins on each layer. One is for switching between different output mappings.
So, after some set up in Advance output and Chaser, during the show, I can just pick the footage I desire, set the screen I want it to show through Chaser (using steps) and boom it’s on!
And, I can mix different layers with different mapping without losing blend mode.
Also, what I see in the preview window can be very close to what I get on the actual screen.
A second Chaser plugin applied in the EFX chain (sometime I don’t need it, or if in future it supports polygons other than triangles) is to mask out unwanted parts of the layer that shows on the screens I don’t want it to.
For me it’s better than applying crops and adjusting XY position in different layers, because I can just make use of the slices in advance output.
This technique is very useful for the circle screen in this show.
Can you give us details about how the LED was mapped?
I did the mapping by starting with numbers.
Counting the pixels, modules, actual width and length.
Then, it became like a math exam in high school or a puzzle to solve. The goal was to make the best use of every pixel of every HD output.
Try to find the most efficient combinations of each slice. At the same time, think about how to run the CAT.5 cable through every module- with less cables.
This is the the front view of all the LEDs. Below the name of each slice is the number of modules followed with the pixels in width and height. The circle screen is cut into 8 slices using two HD outputs. The main screen is spread across two HD outputs.
Next, we come to the pixel maps for the four outputs.
I actually quite enjoy this process.
The advance output of Resolume Arena is pretty handy when solving the puzzle. The fixed snapping across screens in Arena 5.1 saved me a lot of time.
Then it’s time to match the advance output with the pixel map (Thanks to the new feature about importing .png into advanced output). After adding a few masks and adjusting it to fit 4k output, It’s pretty much done with the basic setting.
The Output side looks like this:
The Input side looks like this:
Now comes the most interesting part, Chaser.
I added another virtual screen at the bottom just for Chaser slices.
These slices are just for Chaser programing. Dosen’t really output anything.
From these slices you can see it’s all in the ratio of 1920 x 1080, except the center triangle used for custom footage. This also shows how I scale and postion the footage (Most of my footage is in HD)
This is one of the mapping when I want the HD footage focus at only the circle screen, but then notice it also covers the IMAG screen. This will be masked by the second Chaser plugin
Then, I create another sequnce to pick the screen I wanna preserve. So it functions like a mask. Here, I picked the circle. Note that both these two sequences have the same amount of steps.
In this picture you can see the result of what we did in the preview window. I put another layer of lines in different mapping, opacity at half and used diffrence as blend mode. So you can see the blend mode still works like a charm.
Then, I assign both steps of the Chaser plugin to one fader or knob on my MIDI controller. So I can switch it really fast.
This is how I arranged the mapping for this show.
Of course, I still use Chaser to create bumps like it was designed for.
In my mind, I feel that there must be many other creative ways in Resolume to fullfill my imagination- about how my visuals should look, or how I can respond to the music, the moment I hear it. Or when the screens and cues get complicated, how do to it in a simple way.
I’m glad so far Resolume had never let me down.
*Blushes* Thanks for your great words, Brandon!
Quick question- a lot of VJs have been complaining of overheating of MACs, was this a problem during the show?
Not on the 1st day because it was cloudy.
But on the 2nd day, right before the show, I found my MacBook lagging and it was exposed to direct sunlight.
After a reboot and change of position, it came back to normal. Other than this, it was all good during this show.
I think it is not a problem only for MacBook, but with my PC too- it just reacts differently.
The overheating can cause Resolume to crash on my Windows laptop.
So, extra fans for both PC and MacBook become a must have for most of my outdoor events.
Finally, here is a list of equipment that was used during the show:
MSI GT72-2QE Laptop with-
CPU: Intel Core i7 4980HQ @ 2.8GHz
RAM: 32GB DDR3L
Graphic: nVidia GTX980m GDDR5 8GB
Storage: MSI superRAID 4x128g SSD, 512GB Samsung EVO SSD AKAI APC40 MKII
Magewell HDMI USB3.0 capture device
4kTwo display controller x 2
Windows 10
Resolume Arena 5.1.1
Apple Macbook Pro Retina (Mid-2012)
CPU: 2.7Ghz Intel Core i7
RAM: 16GB 1600MHz DDR3
Graphic: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1G VRAM Storage: APPLE SSD SM512E
OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
Resolume Arena 5.0.2
With this, we come to an end to this two-part extensive coverage of Storm Festival, Shanghai.
It feels great to see the new features we develop put to use, in multiple different ways. Sometimes, even in ways we didn't fathom while developing them :)
Thank you to 250K and the entire crew for doing such a great job at the festival and then educating us about it, in these interviews.
Until we see you again- go try Chaser like Brandon explained. Go on now, get moving.
It took a while to digest the awesomeness, but Part 2 of "Taking the world by Storm" is here.
So, quick recap?
Gig: Storm Festival, 2016, Shanghai
Epic stage:
Video: 400 square meters of Led, 7.9 mm pitch, 10 processors.
[fold][/fold]
Brandon Chaung, the local VJ on site, talked us through the whole process. And it is intense.
So, sit back..relax..a Storm is brewing.
What computers did you use for the show?
I used both PC and Mac.
I like PC because it is powerful and easy to upgrade. Especially with the graphics card (MXM 3.0b) and storage -which are both essential for running Resolume.
I replaced my optical drive with a SSD for new custom footage for the show (I have more than 40 decks in my composition).
I like Mac because of the great onboard audio quality. Also, it’s less of a hassle for audio playback and midi mapping, when using Resolume with other applications, at the same time.
I switched between two laptops with a Barco Encore switcher.
It required four HD outputs to cover all the LED panels we had.
Both the circle screen and the one behind the DJ booth are split into two outputs. Which makes it important to have synchronized outputs.
The 4kTwo display controller provided by Flux studio did a great job.
It is a Chinese brand which has similar, but less, features than the Datapath X4 that other VJs brought for the show.
Talk to us about Resolume, maybe you have heard of it? *grins*
Resolume Arena is my first choice for media server.
It runs great on both operating systems. I can have exactly the same experience while VJing, no matter if I’m on a PC or a MAC. I can switch between the two without thinking.
Another great tool that is worth mentioning is Chaser by Joris. Woo hoo!
I find it super useful when I use it for switching between different mapping settings and even masking.
Some VJs use Madmapper or mapio to switch mapping. I prefer doing this with Resolume.
Normally, I apply two Chaser FFGL plugins on each layer. One is for switching between different output mappings.
So, after some set up in Advance output and Chaser, during the show, I can just pick the footage I desire, set the screen I want it to show through Chaser (using steps) and boom it’s on!
And, I can mix different layers with different mapping without losing blend mode.
Also, what I see in the preview window can be very close to what I get on the actual screen.
A second Chaser plugin applied in the EFX chain (sometime I don’t need it, or if in future it supports polygons other than triangles) is to mask out unwanted parts of the layer that shows on the screens I don’t want it to.
For me it’s better than applying crops and adjusting XY position in different layers, because I can just make use of the slices in advance output.
This technique is very useful for the circle screen in this show.
Can you give us details about how the LED was mapped?
I did the mapping by starting with numbers.
Counting the pixels, modules, actual width and length.
Then, it became like a math exam in high school or a puzzle to solve. The goal was to make the best use of every pixel of every HD output.
Try to find the most efficient combinations of each slice. At the same time, think about how to run the CAT.5 cable through every module- with less cables.
This is the the front view of all the LEDs. Below the name of each slice is the number of modules followed with the pixels in width and height. The circle screen is cut into 8 slices using two HD outputs. The main screen is spread across two HD outputs.
Next, we come to the pixel maps for the four outputs.
I actually quite enjoy this process.
The advance output of Resolume Arena is pretty handy when solving the puzzle. The fixed snapping across screens in Arena 5.1 saved me a lot of time.
Then it’s time to match the advance output with the pixel map (Thanks to the new feature about importing .png into advanced output). After adding a few masks and adjusting it to fit 4k output, It’s pretty much done with the basic setting.
The Output side looks like this:
The Input side looks like this:
Now comes the most interesting part, Chaser.
I added another virtual screen at the bottom just for Chaser slices.
These slices are just for Chaser programing. Dosen’t really output anything.
Then, I assign both steps of the Chaser plugin to one fader or knob on my MIDI controller. So I can switch it really fast.
This is how I arranged the mapping for this show.
Of course, I still use Chaser to create bumps like it was designed for.
In my mind, I feel that there must be many other creative ways in Resolume to fullfill my imagination- about how my visuals should look, or how I can respond to the music, the moment I hear it. Or when the screens and cues get complicated, how do to it in a simple way.
I’m glad so far Resolume had never let me down.
*Blushes* Thanks for your great words, Brandon!
Quick question- a lot of VJs have been complaining of overheating of MACs, was this a problem during the show?
Not on the 1st day because it was cloudy.
But on the 2nd day, right before the show, I found my MacBook lagging and it was exposed to direct sunlight.
After a reboot and change of position, it came back to normal. Other than this, it was all good during this show.
I think it is not a problem only for MacBook, but with my PC too- it just reacts differently.
The overheating can cause Resolume to crash on my Windows laptop.
So, extra fans for both PC and MacBook become a must have for most of my outdoor events.
Finally, here is a list of equipment that was used during the show:
MSI GT72-2QE Laptop with-
CPU: Intel Core i7 4980HQ @ 2.8GHz
RAM: 32GB DDR3L
Graphic: nVidia GTX980m GDDR5 8GB
Storage: MSI superRAID 4x128g SSD, 512GB Samsung EVO SSD AKAI APC40 MKII
Magewell HDMI USB3.0 capture device
4kTwo display controller x 2
Windows 10
Resolume Arena 5.1.1
Apple Macbook Pro Retina (Mid-2012)
CPU: 2.7Ghz Intel Core i7
RAM: 16GB 1600MHz DDR3
Graphic: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1G VRAM Storage: APPLE SSD SM512E
OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
Resolume Arena 5.0.2
With this, we come to an end to this two-part extensive coverage of Storm Festival, Shanghai.
It feels great to see the new features we develop put to use, in multiple different ways. Sometimes, even in ways we didn't fathom while developing them :)
Thank you to 250K and the entire crew for doing such a great job at the festival and then educating us about it, in these interviews.
Until we see you again- go try Chaser like Brandon explained. Go on now, get moving.
250K- Taking the World by Storm
Massive rigs.
Immersive content.
Path-breaking stage productions.
What a great time to be alive!
We certainly think so, and our quest for “a big production to dissect” landed us in the eye of the Storm @ Shanghai.
[fold][/fold]
On design and production duty for Storm festival 2016 were super imaginative creative specialists- 250K.
They have been slowly and steadily taking over the world, one stage at a time.
After epic shows like The Flying Dutch, Ground Zero and Armin Van Buuren’s tours, Storm Festival 2016 was 250K's most recent conquest.
We got Dennis de Klein to take a break from basking in the glory of a great show (naww!) to talk us through the setup and tech specifics.
From starting out as a stage design intern with 250K, cut to 6 years later: Creative Project Manager- Dennis has come a long way.
For Storm Festival, he managed the project from start to end, working in close association with the designers and the Creative Director of 250K- Sander Reneman.
Dennis’ most important responsibility was to ensure the original design is brought to life, in the best way possible.
He did a good job right?
So, the Set was 60 meters wide x 20 meters deep x 36 meters high. Whew!
Productions of this scale need some detailed and on pointe planning.
They probably worked on the design for months, right?
The development of the set-design, from initial idea to a final 3D drawing, took the 250k team one month.
Then, the 3D drawing was translated into technical drawings and detailed decor plans- to be able to create the set design as efficiently and as close to the original design as possible.
The load-in lasted for around two weeks, and the load-out was finalized in about five days.
We, here at Resolume, love the stage concept! Can you talk us through what the stage depicts?
Storm Festival, a concept created by A2Live, tells the story of the Actaurians, travelers from outer space who have come to Earth to find like-minded people to live and collaborate with.
This year, the story focuses on ‘The Impact’, the first contact between Actaurians and humans.
The (3D) logo of Storm Festival is actually depicted as the mothership of the Actaurians in the artwork and trailers.
To reenact ‘The Impact’ within the set design, the mothership has landed into the set-design making the connection with the Earth.
It is a representation of both worlds colliding into one merged structure, where the logo and organic shapes represent the Actaurians, and the solid stage platform expresses humanity.
How do you, as designers, incorporate a balance between set fabrication, LED and lighting?
As designers, we focus on finding the perfect mix between representing the brand identity of the promotor/event and the Artist’s technical rider requirements.
Keeping this in mind, we are constantly looking to take the set design to a next level, to create something that is not out there and to challenge all disciplines.
For example, if we design a specific set of video panels, it needs to be positioned in a logical location, needs to be functional for décor visual content and artist visual content and needs to blend in with the look & feel of the set design.
It is also about contrast, where video, lighting & decor feel balanced when looking at the set design. We closely collaborate with lighting designers, video operators and the decor fabrication company.
The lighting inventory seems massive!
For this set design, we have collaborated closely with Daniel Richardson, the lighting designer and operator for the past years of Storm Festival.
For this set design, he created a lighting design that incorporates over
140 beams
225 quad LED bars
60 Spots &
60 blinders, just to name a few.
Fun fact, all lighting in the stage is hanging (except for those on the deck).
In terms of set fabrication, what material did you use to create the set and the mammoth logo in the center?
Structurally, the logo is created using truss, it is a geometrical shape that can be recreated with truss and corners.
The facades of the pyramid are supported by a custom welded steel frame, on which the wooden (grey) panels are connected on.
The wooden panels are painted with two type of finishes, to give it that look & feel and to add the sharp edge to accentuate the logo.
The inside of the pyramid is covered with semi-transparent white fabric, to transform it into a giant lightbox.
The pyramid’s truss and frame is held up to a large scaffolding wall, that is part of the whole set design.
Lets talk video..
For the whole set design, we have used around 400 square meters of 7.9 mm LED. The LED tiles were split into 10 processors, of which 4 controlled the central circle screen. Most of the lower LED screens are stacked on a deck, the top circle is supported by the back scaffolding.
What challenges did you face producing this Stage in China and how did you overcome them?
There were two main challenges that had to be overcome:
First, a language barrier.
Most of the crew would only speak Chinese, so it was difficult to get a message across. It can be quite difficult to translate the technical terms that I am used to in Dutch, to English and then to Chinese. For this, sketching, gestures and the 3D model we have created was of great use.
Second, the overall approach is different.
Not saying it is good or bad, but different than what we are used to from a production in Europe or the USA.
The level of customization to the set design and adding details on site, instead of off site, was a lot higher.
There was a strong focus on bringing the detail of the original 3D render into reality. And in addition, the used materials were different.
The basis is still scaffolding and trussing, but the measurements were different than what we’re used to.
It is not a difficulty, but is something that has be taken into account strongly when designing a set design for a different market or region.
With this, we come to the end of Part 1 of our coverage of Storm Festival.
Thanks for talking to us Dennis. Kudos on a great show!
In Part 2, we will plunge into the video details of Storm festival 2016- so get your geek on.
Credits:
Gil Wadsworth and the whole team of A2Live for the opportunity to create 250k's first set design in China;
Daniel Richardson for his great lighting design, lighting operating during show and to assist as a translator from English to Chinese and back;
Atilla Meijs from Corrino for introducing 250K to A2Live
You can also visit 250K & Storm Festival
Photo Credits: Dennis de Klein & Storm Festival
Immersive content.
Path-breaking stage productions.
What a great time to be alive!
We certainly think so, and our quest for “a big production to dissect” landed us in the eye of the Storm @ Shanghai.
[fold][/fold]
On design and production duty for Storm festival 2016 were super imaginative creative specialists- 250K.
They have been slowly and steadily taking over the world, one stage at a time.
After epic shows like The Flying Dutch, Ground Zero and Armin Van Buuren’s tours, Storm Festival 2016 was 250K's most recent conquest.
We got Dennis de Klein to take a break from basking in the glory of a great show (naww!) to talk us through the setup and tech specifics.
From starting out as a stage design intern with 250K, cut to 6 years later: Creative Project Manager- Dennis has come a long way.
For Storm Festival, he managed the project from start to end, working in close association with the designers and the Creative Director of 250K- Sander Reneman.
Dennis’ most important responsibility was to ensure the original design is brought to life, in the best way possible.
He did a good job right?
So, the Set was 60 meters wide x 20 meters deep x 36 meters high. Whew!
Productions of this scale need some detailed and on pointe planning.
They probably worked on the design for months, right?
The development of the set-design, from initial idea to a final 3D drawing, took the 250k team one month.
Then, the 3D drawing was translated into technical drawings and detailed decor plans- to be able to create the set design as efficiently and as close to the original design as possible.
The load-in lasted for around two weeks, and the load-out was finalized in about five days.
We, here at Resolume, love the stage concept! Can you talk us through what the stage depicts?
Storm Festival, a concept created by A2Live, tells the story of the Actaurians, travelers from outer space who have come to Earth to find like-minded people to live and collaborate with.
This year, the story focuses on ‘The Impact’, the first contact between Actaurians and humans.
The (3D) logo of Storm Festival is actually depicted as the mothership of the Actaurians in the artwork and trailers.
To reenact ‘The Impact’ within the set design, the mothership has landed into the set-design making the connection with the Earth.
It is a representation of both worlds colliding into one merged structure, where the logo and organic shapes represent the Actaurians, and the solid stage platform expresses humanity.
How do you, as designers, incorporate a balance between set fabrication, LED and lighting?
As designers, we focus on finding the perfect mix between representing the brand identity of the promotor/event and the Artist’s technical rider requirements.
Keeping this in mind, we are constantly looking to take the set design to a next level, to create something that is not out there and to challenge all disciplines.
For example, if we design a specific set of video panels, it needs to be positioned in a logical location, needs to be functional for décor visual content and artist visual content and needs to blend in with the look & feel of the set design.
It is also about contrast, where video, lighting & decor feel balanced when looking at the set design. We closely collaborate with lighting designers, video operators and the decor fabrication company.
The lighting inventory seems massive!
For this set design, we have collaborated closely with Daniel Richardson, the lighting designer and operator for the past years of Storm Festival.
For this set design, he created a lighting design that incorporates over
140 beams
225 quad LED bars
60 Spots &
60 blinders, just to name a few.
Fun fact, all lighting in the stage is hanging (except for those on the deck).
In terms of set fabrication, what material did you use to create the set and the mammoth logo in the center?
Structurally, the logo is created using truss, it is a geometrical shape that can be recreated with truss and corners.
The facades of the pyramid are supported by a custom welded steel frame, on which the wooden (grey) panels are connected on.
The wooden panels are painted with two type of finishes, to give it that look & feel and to add the sharp edge to accentuate the logo.
The inside of the pyramid is covered with semi-transparent white fabric, to transform it into a giant lightbox.
The pyramid’s truss and frame is held up to a large scaffolding wall, that is part of the whole set design.
Lets talk video..
For the whole set design, we have used around 400 square meters of 7.9 mm LED. The LED tiles were split into 10 processors, of which 4 controlled the central circle screen. Most of the lower LED screens are stacked on a deck, the top circle is supported by the back scaffolding.
What challenges did you face producing this Stage in China and how did you overcome them?
There were two main challenges that had to be overcome:
First, a language barrier.
Most of the crew would only speak Chinese, so it was difficult to get a message across. It can be quite difficult to translate the technical terms that I am used to in Dutch, to English and then to Chinese. For this, sketching, gestures and the 3D model we have created was of great use.
Second, the overall approach is different.
Not saying it is good or bad, but different than what we are used to from a production in Europe or the USA.
The level of customization to the set design and adding details on site, instead of off site, was a lot higher.
There was a strong focus on bringing the detail of the original 3D render into reality. And in addition, the used materials were different.
The basis is still scaffolding and trussing, but the measurements were different than what we’re used to.
It is not a difficulty, but is something that has be taken into account strongly when designing a set design for a different market or region.
With this, we come to the end of Part 1 of our coverage of Storm Festival.
Thanks for talking to us Dennis. Kudos on a great show!
In Part 2, we will plunge into the video details of Storm festival 2016- so get your geek on.
Credits:
Gil Wadsworth and the whole team of A2Live for the opportunity to create 250k's first set design in China;
Daniel Richardson for his great lighting design, lighting operating during show and to assist as a translator from English to Chinese and back;
Atilla Meijs from Corrino for introducing 250K to A2Live
You can also visit 250K & Storm Festival
Photo Credits: Dennis de Klein & Storm Festival
Thank You for a Fantastic 2016!
We can look back at another great year here at Resolume HQ. Last year around this time we just released Arena version 5 and we have since released 6 free updates. 5 micro and 1 minor update; version 5.1 which adds many new features.
This year we introduced the 2-hour Resolume video course together with DocOptic. We think this is a great way to learn all the ins and outs of Resolume and it has proven to be very popular. It is now fully subtitled in English, German, Spanish and Chinese so even more of you can enjoy it in every detail.
The footage label has also grown considerably this year, no less than 30 new releases! All killer no filler, we think this is the best quality VJ loops available. We'll continue this strict curation of our label and choose quality over quantity.
This year our team has grown from 6 to 10 people strong so we’re truly kicking into high gear now. We have a lot of exciting stuff coming up in 2017 so we’re looking forward to another great year :-)
[s]Now, let's unleash the shopping frenzy! The 50% Black Friday sale is now in full effect. Add anything to your cart (yes anything) and it will be 50% off. The sale ends on Tuesday Nov. 29 10.00 AM CET.[/s]
UPDATE: The Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal is now over. See y'all next year!
Picture from Dance Valley, W&W, 250k.
Footage Releases: Enter3, HuffPuff and FreakShow
We're very happy to welcome Videomaster to the label. His first release FreakShow is monster of metal-ness straight out the mountains of Mordor.
Get FreakShow by Videomaster from Resolume Footage.
Unit44 is back with the third chapter of Enter.
Get Enter 3 by Unit44 from Resolume Footage.
And VJ Galaxy (the artist formerly known as BluElk) goes up in smoke.
Get HuffPuff by VJ Galaxy from Resolume Footage.
Get FreakShow by Videomaster from Resolume Footage.
Unit44 is back with the third chapter of Enter.
Get Enter 3 by Unit44 from Resolume Footage.
And VJ Galaxy (the artist formerly known as BluElk) goes up in smoke.
Get HuffPuff by VJ Galaxy from Resolume Footage.
Mad About Madeon
Madeon is a French electronic producer, who uses gadgets and technology like they’re an extension of his very being.
With an on stage setup that baffles even the best in the business, this 22 year old producer has reached where he is because of his focus on the audio-visual aspect of a performance, as a unit.
His stage setup should be trademarked. It’s a diamond with arrow- like shapes on either side.
All made of LED.
Geometric.
Symmetric.
Minimalist.
We, here at Resolume, couldn’t pass on the chance of understanding his rig and how he perfectly triggers his visuals to the music, live.
Thanks very much for speaking to us Hugo!
[fold][/fold]
First things first, the answer many have been curious to know, can you explain your live setup to us? All the gadgets you use and their purpose?
The show is run on two laptops which are on stage with me.
One runs the audio side of things in Ableton and sends MIDI through ethernet in real time to a second, dedicated video laptop running Resolume.
I have two Novation Launchpads to play musical parts and modify existing stems, one Novation Launchcontrol XL to handle some additional fx and general controls (including tempo) and a Korg SV-1 keyboard.
There is also a Xone K2 plugged into Resolume to control some video effects.
You do a great job of syncing your visuals to the music. Can you explain to us how you do this with Resolume?
All of the audio clips and parts in Ableton are grouped with matching MIDI clips that trigger videos and effect in Resolume.
All of the editing is done in real time, it's really useful as it means I can edit the video show easily between shows by simply changing the MIDI score.
It also means that I can improvise, extend or shorten a section, with the knowledge that the video show will keep up.
We have noticed some LED strips being used in your setups. Do you control DMX fixtures with Resolume as well?
No, we haven't explored this yet but i'm looking forward to it! At the moment, all of the fixtures are triggered manually (no timecode, shoutout to Alex Cerio!)
We really like the pixel mapping of the buttons on your Launchpads. Tell us about this.
This is a simple MIDI score sent to the Launchpad to animate it. Novation kindly built custom Launchpads for me with unique firmware features enabling me to switch between this type of "animation" mode and a regular functioning mode seamlessly.
Audio-visuals is so important to you- sometimes the content looks like the launchpad. It’s gotta be intentional?
Absolutely! For the 2012 shows, there were sections of the show where the screen matched the Launchpad completely. There were also pixel-style grid animations that were completely in real-time (with 64 layers in Resolume for each of the 64 pad), each pad corresponding to a different MIDI note. Very fun to program!
What thought process do you go through while creating visuals in your studio? What software do you use? How long does it take for you to prepare a render/ clip?
I work with a number of companies on making the content for the show but I make the content for about a third of the show.
I mostly use After Effects. I'm not very familiar with 3D softwares so I make 3D animations in AE polygon by polygon which is quite excruciating!
I like to keep making content on tour as new ideas occur to me, it's always a work in progress.
Give us a rundown of your studio equipment. What is an absolute must-have?What would you like to change/ upgrade?
A great computer has to be the most indispensable gear.
Whenever I upgrade, my production style always seems to adapt to use more plugins until I reach the limit again, it's constant frustration!
A zero-latency, unlimited-resources dream computer would be the best imaginable upgrade.
Why did you pick Resolume over the other software available out there?
Resolume reminded me a lot of audio softwares I was already familiar with.
It's intuitive and powerful, the effects are extremely usable and the latest updates in Arena 5 added mapping options that enabled my latest "diamond/chevron" LED setup.
With this, we come to the end of this interview.
Thanks much for taking the time out to do this Hugo, we are all very grateful.
Our hunger for technology and the things you can do with it has been duly satiated. For now.
Time to go try all of this out now, eh? :)
You can check out Madeon's work here: [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3upMS3MjWo&list=RDD3upMS3MjWo[/video]
Photo Cred: Charles Edouard Dangelser
With an on stage setup that baffles even the best in the business, this 22 year old producer has reached where he is because of his focus on the audio-visual aspect of a performance, as a unit.
His stage setup should be trademarked. It’s a diamond with arrow- like shapes on either side.
All made of LED.
Geometric.
Symmetric.
Minimalist.
We, here at Resolume, couldn’t pass on the chance of understanding his rig and how he perfectly triggers his visuals to the music, live.
Thanks very much for speaking to us Hugo!
[fold][/fold]
First things first, the answer many have been curious to know, can you explain your live setup to us? All the gadgets you use and their purpose?
The show is run on two laptops which are on stage with me.
One runs the audio side of things in Ableton and sends MIDI through ethernet in real time to a second, dedicated video laptop running Resolume.
I have two Novation Launchpads to play musical parts and modify existing stems, one Novation Launchcontrol XL to handle some additional fx and general controls (including tempo) and a Korg SV-1 keyboard.
There is also a Xone K2 plugged into Resolume to control some video effects.
You do a great job of syncing your visuals to the music. Can you explain to us how you do this with Resolume?
All of the audio clips and parts in Ableton are grouped with matching MIDI clips that trigger videos and effect in Resolume.
All of the editing is done in real time, it's really useful as it means I can edit the video show easily between shows by simply changing the MIDI score.
It also means that I can improvise, extend or shorten a section, with the knowledge that the video show will keep up.
We have noticed some LED strips being used in your setups. Do you control DMX fixtures with Resolume as well?
No, we haven't explored this yet but i'm looking forward to it! At the moment, all of the fixtures are triggered manually (no timecode, shoutout to Alex Cerio!)
We really like the pixel mapping of the buttons on your Launchpads. Tell us about this.
This is a simple MIDI score sent to the Launchpad to animate it. Novation kindly built custom Launchpads for me with unique firmware features enabling me to switch between this type of "animation" mode and a regular functioning mode seamlessly.
Audio-visuals is so important to you- sometimes the content looks like the launchpad. It’s gotta be intentional?
Absolutely! For the 2012 shows, there were sections of the show where the screen matched the Launchpad completely. There were also pixel-style grid animations that were completely in real-time (with 64 layers in Resolume for each of the 64 pad), each pad corresponding to a different MIDI note. Very fun to program!
What thought process do you go through while creating visuals in your studio? What software do you use? How long does it take for you to prepare a render/ clip?
I work with a number of companies on making the content for the show but I make the content for about a third of the show.
I mostly use After Effects. I'm not very familiar with 3D softwares so I make 3D animations in AE polygon by polygon which is quite excruciating!
I like to keep making content on tour as new ideas occur to me, it's always a work in progress.
Give us a rundown of your studio equipment. What is an absolute must-have?What would you like to change/ upgrade?
A great computer has to be the most indispensable gear.
Whenever I upgrade, my production style always seems to adapt to use more plugins until I reach the limit again, it's constant frustration!
A zero-latency, unlimited-resources dream computer would be the best imaginable upgrade.
Why did you pick Resolume over the other software available out there?
Resolume reminded me a lot of audio softwares I was already familiar with.
It's intuitive and powerful, the effects are extremely usable and the latest updates in Arena 5 added mapping options that enabled my latest "diamond/chevron" LED setup.
With this, we come to the end of this interview.
Thanks much for taking the time out to do this Hugo, we are all very grateful.
Our hunger for technology and the things you can do with it has been duly satiated. For now.
Time to go try all of this out now, eh? :)
You can check out Madeon's work here: [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3upMS3MjWo&list=RDD3upMS3MjWo[/video]
Photo Cred: Charles Edouard Dangelser