AV Installation with Resolume
Resolume is made with a specific purpose. Instead of cramming as many features into the interface as is humanly possible, we try to make an intuitive and fast live performance tool.
With that in mind, it's always a pleasant surprise to see people use Resolume for a completely different end. Usually installations in exhibitions are the playing field of people with beards and glasses, tinkering away with their self written software. But why re-invent the wheel every time when you don't need to?
This is what Will Copps must have thought when he put together his AV installation 'Digital Synthetic' for the Smithsonian.
Using the power combo of Ableton Live and Resolume Avenue to provide the playback and effect manipulation platform for the installation, he didn't have to worry about writing custom software to do this. That doesn't mean there wasn't any tinkering involved. As Will explains:
For even more AV integration, Ableton is sending midi to Resolume as well.
We couldn't agree more. Will has raised the bar for what you can do with Resolume besides club VJing. Now let's see where you can take it!
For more info on the project and an all too recognizable little setup story http://willcopps.com/?p=692. And for more info on Will himself http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/index.cfm?entity_id=79156&source_type=Ap
With that in mind, it's always a pleasant surprise to see people use Resolume for a completely different end. Usually installations in exhibitions are the playing field of people with beards and glasses, tinkering away with their self written software. But why re-invent the wheel every time when you don't need to?
This is what Will Copps must have thought when he put together his AV installation 'Digital Synthetic' for the Smithsonian.
Using the power combo of Ableton Live and Resolume Avenue to provide the playback and effect manipulation platform for the installation, he didn't have to worry about writing custom software to do this. That doesn't mean there wasn't any tinkering involved. As Will explains:
I control it via MIDI. The interactivity is tied to a SONAR sensor that is connected to an Arduino board. I uploaded some unique code into the board through the Arduino coding environment (based on Processing) that tells it to send one value to the computer when someone is close and another value when no one is there. I then use a Serial-to-MIDI converter that translates those values into MIDI signals that I send into a virtual MIDI cable through MIDIOX/MIDI Yoke.
In Resolume, that then controls turning the value on the Trails effect Feedback from a low level (when no one is around) to 100% feedback (when someone is in front of the piece). In Ableton Live, these MIDI signals control an overall reverb level (more reverb when someone is in front of the piece) and also to control clip launching.
Basically I have about twenty different audio tracks running simultaneously. I have several different clips for each track recorded as loops, and I have programmed Ableton to launch most of them randomly. The loops are all different lengths, so the chances of Ableton ever playing the exact same thing twice are incredibly slim. Also, when someone walks in front of the piece, it triggers a couple unique clips on some of the tracks, so the viewer is effectively altering the course of the audio forever.
For even more AV integration, Ableton is sending midi to Resolume as well.
To get the synesthetic effects, I send MIDI out from Ableton clips into Resolume. Most of the audio tracks have what I call "ghost tracks" next to them... they are there to house MIDI clips that don't play any sound. I draw automation in these clips and send the data out through a Midi Yoke cable into Resolume, where the data controls specific parameters on the visuals. So, for example, if one clip plays a long synth chord every 280 bars for 10 bars, the "ghost clip" will send data to increase the opacity of a blur effect for those same 10 bars.
There are some limitations to this method as far as what I can do, but it definitely serves my purpose!
We couldn't agree more. Will has raised the bar for what you can do with Resolume besides club VJing. Now let's see where you can take it!
For more info on the project and an all too recognizable little setup story http://willcopps.com/?p=692. And for more info on Will himself http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/index.cfm?entity_id=79156&source_type=Ap
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
Good Old Resolume Avenue 3 Updated to Version 3.3.3
In software development the seemingly simple things can take a lot of time to program, very rarely can we make a big improvement quickly and easily. But now we have one. If you have tried the Resolume 4 beta on the Mac then you will have noticed the interface is much faster. We're happy to bring this faster interface to good old Avenue 3. It was easy to fix once we found the problem and it does not jeopardy the stability at all.
While working on Resolume 4 we also found a way to make the video playback a bit smoother which could also be incorporated into this update. A lot of factors come into play for smooth video playback. The hard drive needs to be quick enough, the codec needs to be right (DXV obviously) but overall you should see video play a bit smoother, it's never 100% stutter free but this is an improvement for sure.
This update also fixes a registration issue on OS X Lion and a small problem with the DMX mapping not saving the master fader.
Download the latest Resolume update Avenue 3.3.3
http://www.resolume.com/download/
We are now working hard to finalize Resolume version 4 so next week we will release Beta 2 of Avenue and Arena 4. Keep an eye on our facebook page or twitter feed for instant news.
While working on Resolume 4 we also found a way to make the video playback a bit smoother which could also be incorporated into this update. A lot of factors come into play for smooth video playback. The hard drive needs to be quick enough, the codec needs to be right (DXV obviously) but overall you should see video play a bit smoother, it's never 100% stutter free but this is an improvement for sure.
This update also fixes a registration issue on OS X Lion and a small problem with the DMX mapping not saving the master fader.
Download the latest Resolume update Avenue 3.3.3
http://www.resolume.com/download/
We are now working hard to finalize Resolume version 4 so next week we will release Beta 2 of Avenue and Arena 4. Keep an eye on our facebook page or twitter feed for instant news.
Artist profile: Nohista
It's been a while since we last had an artist profile, but we're back with a blast. It's with great pleasure that we introduce you to the hard hitting work of Nohista. Known to his parents as Bruno Ribeiro, he's a film-maker, graphic designer, live performer, but above all an amazing AV artist that leaves you with ringing ears, bleeding retinas and gasping for breath.
How did you get started doing AV projects?
I got into a/v projects 5 years ago. In my early work, I composed a/v tracks based on movies samples, using emphasis or alteration to transform the original meaning of its narrative process. I focused on synesthesia and image manipulation to create a new video language based on visual rhythm, music and violence.Besides making music with frames, I wanted to use these samples, in a complex layering of sounds and images, to build a strong and disturbing experience for the audience. Sometimes during a screening, the crowd will start to dance or shout. It's kind of funny looking at people dancing on gunshots and explosions.
As I wanted to work on new ways of performing music and video together, I made a live
performance, called NOBODY. With Katia Petrowick, we worked on a choreography that we shot in a weekend. My goal was to build a human synthesizer that I could control and play as a real instrument. To push further my experimentations about the visual representation of sound, I used recordings of the dancer's body in a digital choreography.
In FORMOL, a performance with Gene Mark, my attempt was to create a mechanical form of life, through an allegorical representation of a human body. To do so, we designed custom instruments, rotating machines, breathing devices and percussive metal arms.
http://www.nohista.org/?portfolio=formol
Recently I also worked on a play/performance called @ROBASE about a scientific experimentation and Internet. Through video and sound, I controlled a disintegrating centrifuge. It is a complicated set-up because it involves a lot of computers, videoprojectors, dmx, smoke machines, 5.1 sound, and real humans.
You're on V-Atak. Can you talk a bit about what that label is about, and how you ended up there?
I'm part of this label since 2007, it focuses mainly on a/v works from different international artists, like Rko, Tasman Richardson, Tzii, Ripit and others. Eclectic and deviant a/v works can be seen through Dvd Releases, and at festivals. I went to some V-Atak screenings in Paris and was really impressed by the performances that I saw. It was inspirational and as I noticed similarities in my work and artistic aspirations, I got in touch with the label.
http://www.v-atak.com/
Canada and France seem to be epicenters for AV artists. What are some your influences in the past and present?
Yes, there are awesome artists and festivals in Canada. I have played several times there, and I'm actually moving to Montreal next year. You should watch Tasman Richardson's works, a Toronto based artist (also on V-ATAK) he is f****** awesome.
http://www.tasmanrichardson.com/
My influences are really wide but it's mainly a lot of music, movies experimental videos, the human body, nature, science, weird and loud noises.
So how do you go about making an AV track? What apps do you use, and how do
you choose the material?
Usually it begins with a notebook fulfilled of ideas and scribblings. Once I've collected my material, I use Premiere for cutting/chopping samples, After effects for tweaking/coloring/modifying/cutting/enhancing them, then I split the sound in Ableton live and the video in Resolume. All the samples in both apps are mapped with MIDI notes and I make all the music composition in Ableton, creating patterns, automations, etc...
What's your live setup like, and how does Resolume fit into it?
I use a laptop, some MIDI controllers, a hardware synthesizer with Ableton live and Resolume. During a live act, Resolume is just for video playback. Everything is monitored by Ableton via MIDI. What I like with Resolume is the stability and the accuracy in high tempo triggers, that allows me to create fast and complex musical/visual patterns.
Can you introduce us to mr Roboto?
Mr Roboto is a Thingamagoop, an amazing noise robot directly born in The BLEEPLABS. Besides his awesome look, he has a light sensor on his nose, so noise/tune/pitch is modified by the light he receives from his tentacle or any lights sources. Soon, I'll make a real band with him and some of his buddies.
Running or slow moving zombies?
Slow moving zombies for sure, running zombies are just infected dudes.
More infos and videos:
http://www.nohista.org/
How did you get started doing AV projects?
I got into a/v projects 5 years ago. In my early work, I composed a/v tracks based on movies samples, using emphasis or alteration to transform the original meaning of its narrative process. I focused on synesthesia and image manipulation to create a new video language based on visual rhythm, music and violence.Besides making music with frames, I wanted to use these samples, in a complex layering of sounds and images, to build a strong and disturbing experience for the audience. Sometimes during a screening, the crowd will start to dance or shout. It's kind of funny looking at people dancing on gunshots and explosions.
As I wanted to work on new ways of performing music and video together, I made a live
performance, called NOBODY. With Katia Petrowick, we worked on a choreography that we shot in a weekend. My goal was to build a human synthesizer that I could control and play as a real instrument. To push further my experimentations about the visual representation of sound, I used recordings of the dancer's body in a digital choreography.
In FORMOL, a performance with Gene Mark, my attempt was to create a mechanical form of life, through an allegorical representation of a human body. To do so, we designed custom instruments, rotating machines, breathing devices and percussive metal arms.
http://www.nohista.org/?portfolio=formol
Recently I also worked on a play/performance called @ROBASE about a scientific experimentation and Internet. Through video and sound, I controlled a disintegrating centrifuge. It is a complicated set-up because it involves a lot of computers, videoprojectors, dmx, smoke machines, 5.1 sound, and real humans.
You're on V-Atak. Can you talk a bit about what that label is about, and how you ended up there?
I'm part of this label since 2007, it focuses mainly on a/v works from different international artists, like Rko, Tasman Richardson, Tzii, Ripit and others. Eclectic and deviant a/v works can be seen through Dvd Releases, and at festivals. I went to some V-Atak screenings in Paris and was really impressed by the performances that I saw. It was inspirational and as I noticed similarities in my work and artistic aspirations, I got in touch with the label.
http://www.v-atak.com/
Canada and France seem to be epicenters for AV artists. What are some your influences in the past and present?
Yes, there are awesome artists and festivals in Canada. I have played several times there, and I'm actually moving to Montreal next year. You should watch Tasman Richardson's works, a Toronto based artist (also on V-ATAK) he is f****** awesome.
http://www.tasmanrichardson.com/
My influences are really wide but it's mainly a lot of music, movies experimental videos, the human body, nature, science, weird and loud noises.
So how do you go about making an AV track? What apps do you use, and how do
you choose the material?
Usually it begins with a notebook fulfilled of ideas and scribblings. Once I've collected my material, I use Premiere for cutting/chopping samples, After effects for tweaking/coloring/modifying/cutting/enhancing them, then I split the sound in Ableton live and the video in Resolume. All the samples in both apps are mapped with MIDI notes and I make all the music composition in Ableton, creating patterns, automations, etc...
What's your live setup like, and how does Resolume fit into it?
I use a laptop, some MIDI controllers, a hardware synthesizer with Ableton live and Resolume. During a live act, Resolume is just for video playback. Everything is monitored by Ableton via MIDI. What I like with Resolume is the stability and the accuracy in high tempo triggers, that allows me to create fast and complex musical/visual patterns.
Can you introduce us to mr Roboto?
Mr Roboto is a Thingamagoop, an amazing noise robot directly born in The BLEEPLABS. Besides his awesome look, he has a light sensor on his nose, so noise/tune/pitch is modified by the light he receives from his tentacle or any lights sources. Soon, I'll make a real band with him and some of his buddies.
Running or slow moving zombies?
Slow moving zombies for sure, running zombies are just infected dudes.
More infos and videos:
http://www.nohista.org/
Resolume 4 Beta Available for all Customers!
Stop reading this, head straight for your shop account and download the Resolume 4 beta for Avenue and Arena!
Are you still here? ;-)
Beta Warning!
This is a beta version! Do not use it for your live shows yet. It might crash or even set your computer on fire. Please try it only in the privacy of your own home, keep a fire extinguisher ready and let us know what happens. We have opened a special beta forum where you let us know if you run into anything unexpected.
Resolume 4 Manual
Reading (and writing) a manual is not the most fun thing in the world but we try to make it as much fun to read as possible so check out the Resolume 4 Avenue & Arena manual. You will learn a thing or two and you might even crack a smile every once in a while.
Upgrades
Upgrade from any Resolume version to Resolume Avenue 4 for 1 computer is just 119 Euro. Upgrade from Avenue 3 to Arena 4 media server is a great deal, only 319 Euro. Login to your shop account to purchase your upgrade.
Grace Period
If you bought Resolume 3 in August then please contact us and we'll also give you a serial for Avenue 4 free.
Buy Now!
Do you not own a Resolume license yet? Now is a great time to buy Resolume Avenue 4 because you get an additional Avenue 3 license for free. Or an even better is deal is to buy Arena 4 now, you also receive Avenue 3 and pay only 499 euro instead of 699 when the final is released by the end of October. Available in the shop.
Introducing Resolume 4 Avenue & Arena
We're dead excited to finally show you all about Resolume 4! We had to bite our tongue for so long we can hardly speak anymore. We think it's our best release ever and we're pretty sure you'll love it too ;-)
Resolume 4 has so many new features but keeps the same workflow so you'll feel right at home. It has all the features you have requested like Auto Pilot, MIDI & OSC output, Video Mapping & Clip Reconnect. But also Global Speed & Direction, Clip Transitions, Effect Clips, SMPTE timecode input, Soft Edge and more flexible compositing. And on top if that we have made everything faster, deck switching, rendering engine & GUI so it absolutely flies!
Checkout all the details & screenshots on the Resolume 4 What's New page.
Resolume Arena 4 Media Server
Resolume 4 comes in 2 editions. Avenue is the VJ software you know and love with all these new features. Arena has all the features of Avenue plus features you'd expect from a media server, soft edging, screen warping, DMX input and SMPTE timecode input.
Pricing
The price of Avenue 4 will be the same as Avenue 3, 299 Euro. Resolume Arena 4 will be priced 699 Euro but is now presale available for just 499 Euro.
Upgrades
Upgrade from any Resolume version to Resolume Avenue 4 for 1 computer 4 is just 119 Euro. An upgrade from Avenue 3 to Arena 4 media server is a great deal, only 319 Euro.
Grace Period
If you bought Resolume in August then please contact us and we'll also let you benefit from this deal.
Beta on September 19
A beta version of Resolume 4 will be available for all Resolume owners on Monday, September 19. Do you not own a license yet? Now is a great time to buy Resolume Avenue 4 because you get an additional Avenue 3 license for free. Or an even better is deal is to buy Arena 4 now, you receive Avenue 3 right away and pay only 499 euro instead of 699 when it's released. Available in the shop.
New Releases! Quartz Composer and Ultra Widescreen Footage
WaveFunction Quartz Composer VJ Loops by HybridVisuals
We're always saying generative content is the future, so it's about time we proved it! The original Quartz Composer patch is included to create endless variations yourself.
LightTrails VJ Loops by Video2000
Flowing and sparkling, these luminous ribbons weave their way through 3D space. Also available in ultra widescreen 2400x600 resolution! The ultra widescreen version has a resolution of 2400x600 (3 x 800x600) so it's perfect for use with the Matrox Dual or Tripple-head.
PapeRate VJ Loops by Video2000
Treading the thin line between texture and refraction, grunged and polished, rough and smooth, PapeRate is a colourful trip.
Resolume Quick Tip: Use the Dashboard dials
New Quick Tip online, this one's all about being in control via the dashboard...
Upgrading to Lion?
The new MacOS 10.7 Lion has been out for a while now, and we can confirm that Resolume is running fine on it. Some people are reporting problems with registering, but this seems to be unrelated to Lion directly. It can be fixed quite easily (thanks to early adopter StickyGreen on that one). We're working on fixing this permanently, but in the meantime you can contact us (mail-at-resolume-dot-com) if you're having problems with this.
And as always, be cautious when upgrading. If you're a live performer, depending on software for your bread and butter, it's usually not in your best interest to be the first kid on the block to have the shiniest new OS. Don't decide to upgrade 2 hours before your big show. Take a quiet day to do it, and make sure you have backups at hand.
And in the meantime, any guesses on what the next MacOS will be called? ;-)
And as always, be cautious when upgrading. If you're a live performer, depending on software for your bread and butter, it's usually not in your best interest to be the first kid on the block to have the shiniest new OS. Don't decide to upgrade 2 hours before your big show. Take a quiet day to do it, and make sure you have backups at hand.
And in the meantime, any guesses on what the next MacOS will be called? ;-)
Resolume Quick Tip: Load single decks
After having revealed it in writing on the forum, here's a video of it as well:
Now go double click yourself some new compositions on the fly!
Now go double click yourself some new compositions on the fly!