Audio setup

Two microphones are required :

• one for sound processing on the violin body (called "Violin Mike")
• the other one, on stand, for simple sound amplification

Audio and sensor connexions

Loudspeaker setup

Sensor setup

Software installation

 MaxMSP 4.5.7 on a PowerBook G5 2*2,5 under mac os X 10.4.7.

MaxMSP 5.1 on a MAcBookPro under mac os X 10.6.

System calibration and tests

Check the udp communication between the computers.

Check and adjust the bow sensors.

If necessary, the gesture recognition system can be calibrated according to the playing style of the performer. It involves training the knn algorithm written in FTM (in the bogenLied-Recogn28).

Initialization routine

on the Audio Mac :

Set the File Preferences to the folders lib/ and snd/.

Open BogenLied-027-RadioFrance on the Audio Mac.

on the Motion Capture Macintosh :

FTM 1.7.7 is required (cf http://ftm.ircam.fr/index.php/Download)

Open the bogenLied-Recogn28 patch.

Audio Patch presentation

The Max/MSP sound patch contains two granular synthesis modules and several effects. The first granulator is used to produce drones (pedal-notes) triggered by the bow strokes.

A separate drone is linked to each bowing styles: G, A, and E for détaché, martelé and spiccato, respectively.

The second granulator is used for real-time processing of the violin sound. The audio signal from the microphone is stored in a 5 second circular buffer~, and 100 to 200 ms grains are played back from this buffer.

The granular synthesis sound is processed through several standard effects: frequency-shifter, harmonizer, filter and vocoder. Different combinations and parameterizations of these effects are used in each section.

Some parameters are controlled in realtime by the gesture data.

Gesture Recognition Patch presentation

The bogenLied-Recogn28 is performing a bowing style classification in order to recognize detaché/martelatto and staccato bowstrokes along with a measurement of the gesture energy.

Performance notes

On the Sound Processing Mac (patch BogenLied-027-RadioFrance), you can select the current section with the menu or using the left and right arrow keys on the computer keyboard.

The musical form of BogenLied is a simple linear form divided into nine sections, alternatively with and without electronics.

In section II, IV and VI, the musical writing is focused on specific articulations of bow strokes: détaché, martelé, spiccato.

Each of these sections is associated to specific compositional materials, as well as to specific electronic sound processes.

In section VIII, the three bowing styles appear successively, along with their associated compositional material. In this section, the choice of the electronic processes is driven by the recognition system.

In the last section (IX), the performer plays hybrid bow strokes, which sequence appears as a series of “mutations” from one articulation to another one. The electronic sound is then built as a combination of the electronic processes performed in section II, IV and VI