The setup and the execution of the electroacoustic part of this work requires a Computer Music Designer (Max expert).

Version Information

Performance date
February 23, 2014
Documentation date
March 10, 2014
Version
Steles d'Air - Revision2014
Status
valid
Validation date
May 3, 2018
Documentalist
Robin Meier (Robin.Meier@ircam.fr)
Realisation
  • Jérôme Combier (Composer)
  • Benoit Meudic (Computer Music Designer)
  • Robin Meier (Computer Music Designer)
  • Sébastien Naves (Sound engineer)
Length
20 min
Upgrade motivation
new version of Stèles d'Air - new score, new patch, new sounds... jérôme combier and robin meier

Other Versions

transfert_mustica_ftpApril 14, 2010

Stele d'air (creation)October 26, 2007

Detailed Staff

flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, 2 percussionists, guitar, harp, piano, violin, second violin, 2 violas, 2 cellos, double bass

Detailed staff comes from Brahms, send mail to ressources-contenus@ircam.fr for correction.

Electronic Equipment List

Computer Music Equipment

1 Mac OS
OS (Apple) - 10.6
1 Fireface 800
Sound Board (RME) - 14 ins, 6 outs
1 BCF 2000
MIDI Mixer (Behringer) - or ipad
1 Footswitch / Sustain Pedal
Footswitch / Sustain Pedal (generic) - to trigger the events
1 MacBook Pro
Apple Laptops (Apple) - 2.4 Ghz
1 iPad
Tablets (Apple) - use Lemur app
1 Max 6
Max (Cycling74)
1 Live
Music Software (Ableton) - version 9 (only for the simulation)
1 Ircam Spat
Library (Ircam) - version 4.6
1 ejies
Library (e--j)
1 lemur
Controller (liine)

Audio Equipment

1 DM2000
Digital Mixers (Yamaha) - or equivalent
6 Loudspeaker
Loudspeakers (generic)
1 Reverberation Processor
Reverberation (generic) - of high quality

Downloads

steles-d'air-simulation-generaleRF Project.zip

Robin Meier

comment

mutlitrack recording (Ableton Live session) of the instruments, done during th dress rehearsal (Radio France 2014/2/23)

3.41 Go

jerome steles dair.zip

Robin Meier

comment

contains all the elements (patch, sounds, sessions, ...) required to perform the piece in a zip file

1.69 Go

screenshots of cuelists.zip

Robin Meier

comment

cuelist screenshots (for the curious)

1.13 Mo

pedal strokes

comment

location of the pedal strokes in the score

32.04 Ko

CombierStelesDAir.dmg

Robin Meier

comment

contains all the elements (patch, sounds, sessions, ...) required to perform the piece in an uncompressed image

3.43 Go

ejies library

Emmanuel Jourdan

1.24 Mo

ircam Spat

Thibaut Carpentier

comment

v 4.6.9

103.67 Mo

tech rider sound engineer

Sebastien Naves

comment

technical rider for sound engineer only. not including materials for electronics.

61.88 Ko

dm2000 setup

Sebastien Naves

comment

pdf showing inputs and outputs for dm2000 console. also constains list of all microphones used

71.63 Ko


Instructions

Description of the piece:

"Stèle d'air" is a piece composed by Jérôme Combier for 20 instruments and live electronics. It was premiered in Centre George Pompidou in October 2007 (ensemble intercontemporain, direction Susanna Malki, computer music design Benoit Meudic).

In 2013/14, Jerome Combier wrote a new version of the same piece, premiered during Presences Festival at Radio France in February 2014. The "computer music" was "designed" by Robin Meier.

It is divided in seven parts.

Elements needed to play the piece:

  • 1 computer with max 6 and Live 9 (we have used an intel MacBookPro 2.4Ghz),
  • 14 ins/ 6 outs audio interface (we have used a fireface 800)
  • microphones for each instrument
  • mixing console (we have used a DM2000)
  • 6 points full band diffusion system.
  • 1 reverb
  • usb midi mixer or iPad (Lemur app).
  • 1 midi pedal for triggering electronic events

  • Loudspeaker setup

     

    1 2

    3 4

    5 6

     

    Audio inputs

     

    ADC are respectively :

    1. flute
    2. oboe
    3. clarinette
    4. brass mix
    5. perc1
    6. perc2
    7. cymbal
    8. guitar
    9. harp
    10. piano
    11. violin
    12. viola
    13. cello
    14. bass

    max dsp settings

    • iovs 128
    • vs 128
    • overdrive ON
    • scheduler in audio interrupt OFF
    • Sampling Rate 44.1 kHz

    computer keyboard shortcuts

    esc: reset

    x: matrix

    e: events (lists)

    r: mixeR

    p: pedale

    s: bonus


    software installation

    install the ejies library

    set Max File preferences to point to the "PATCHE_Robin" folder

     

    checklist:

    • - open _events-pedal.maxpat
    • - open _mainpatch-Steles-dair-pedale.maxpat
      • besides a few warnings you should have no errors in the max window
    • - choose midi-input in patcher midi-in (pedal, midi-mixer)
    • - turn on dac
    • - activate pedale
    • - reset / init
    • - choose "1-event" in the event menu of the ro.events subpatch

     

    The midi channel assignation for midi-mixer is set in the bpatchers arguments of the "mixer" subpatch. The first argument corresponds to the midi channel receiving the external controller canal midi, the second argument is the midi channel to send the audio level in db (0-127 range).

     

    Footswitch pedal assignation is set in the patcher "pedal"

     

    simulation

     

    A mulit track recording of the piece is in the folder "steles-d'air-simulation project". It can be use to test the patch before reharsals.


    more ...

    see enclosed documents and patch for further instructions!

     

    Program Notes

    Stèles d’air sera le prolongement de Vies silencieuses à plusieurs égards. Dans la mesure où elle empruntera semblables matières (les harmonies, les échelles de hauteurs, les tempi, les proportions…) et où elle en sera l’extension orchestrale autant que l’érosion. Le titre de « stèles d’air » vient d’un texte que Philippe Jaccottet a écrit sur l’œuvre de Giorgio Morandi et plus précisément sur ses dernières aquarelles qui datent des années 1963-1964. A propos de ces peintures qui ne sont plus, semble-t-il, que l’ébauche du visible – là, une tâche qui rappelle une bouteille, là un seul trait qui dessine, dans le vide qui l’entoure une forme par omission – l’écrivain parle « d’assomption des choses qui culminerait dans leur presque disparition (…), des stèles d’air qu’un roi sans royaume aurait fait dresser à des confins sans nom, à l’ultime bord du monde visible… ».

    L’électronique aura cette fonction là : elle érodera le sonore porté par les instruments, diluera harmonies et échelles dans des saturations douces, des sons chargés de bruit — elle aura avant tout fonction orchestrale.


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