IMPORTANT INFO

This version includes the performance AUDIO FILES with 8 CHANNELS ONLY & 13 channels only. The original version includes some simulation sound files (mono or stereo). If you need those, download a previous version of the piece!

Audio setup

• 1 Live Audio input (mixdown of the clarinet mics) goes to main DSP patch.

• Up to 13 audio outputs for speakers (original version) + 1 sfiles monitor + 1 optionnal click track Output mixdown is possible in the main patch for configurations with less speakers.

•In this version we played with only 8 channels, but other setups are possible in p MixDown : reconfigure the pan and dac outputs, and modify the loudspeakers message to fit your setup.

MAIN DSP PATCH IO

• 1 Mic Input
• 15 outputs + Sends
  • 1-13 => speakers 1 to 13 /Scalable
  • L-C-R SideR-SurR-SurC-SurL-SideL-DownL-DownR-DownSurR-DownSurL-Top / Scalable
  • 14 => Sf Monitor (unused)
• 15 => optionnal click track

SPAT PATCH

• 8 receive Input from DSP patch:

• 13 outputs sends to Main DSP :

  • 1-13 => speakers 1 to 13
  • L-C-R SideR-SurR-SurC-SurL-SideL-DownL-DownR-DownSurR-DownSurL-Top

The original speaker layout still used for the trajectories & premix before mixdown is as follows :

Mic Setup

Several microphones are requested to capture the sound of the clarinet.

For the top microphone, pavillion, we used an extra dynamic microphone (beyer M88) processed in a way to get a kick-like effect on the low C (Bb) slaps, using gate, resonant lowpass (40Hz) and compressor. The sensation of these slaps must be physical, almost like a kick bass drum.

Loudspeaker setup

Up to 13 speakers : L-C-R SideR-SurR-SurC-SurL-SideL-DownL-DownR-DownSurR-DownSurL-Top

18 inches subs are required.

Midi setup

The clarinetist triggers the cues of the score/patch with a foot pedal sent in MIDI to the computer. When an analog footswitch or sustain pedal is used (as it was the case in this version) it needs to be converted to MIDI with a MIDI Solutions Footswitch Controller. If the console and computers are far away from the stage, a MIDI Booster is used to reinforce the MIDI transmission. It is used to duplicate the MIDI info for main and spare computers. You may control the levels of the Input, the Main DSP output, the Spatialization Output and the Master by a fader controller.

Software

You need one instance of Max 8. You may enable ‘Enable Mixer in Parallel Processing’

This version is composed of two Max Projects:

• AoMII_DSPMain_Max8.maxproj
• AoMII_SPAT_Max8.maxproj

Except for the routing, no special Max setup is required for this piece. We use this standard setup :

• I/O Vector Size: 512
• Signal Vector Size: 256
• Sampling Rate: 48000Hz
• Scheduler in Overdrive: yes
• in Audio Interrupt: no

System calibration and tests

The input level should be set rather high for the effects to work properly.

Two soundfiles can be used as a simulation to quickly test the patch without the clarinetist. CLCB-sectA_05-diff.aif is a recording of the first 28 bars of the piece. CLCB-sectB-37_49-diff.aif is a recording of the bars 37 to 49.

You may need to adapt the mixdown for a particular setup different from the original 13 points layout. For this, have a look at the mixdown subpatch in the dsp_main. Adapt the spat5.pan, spat5.meter to your number of outputs and configure correctly the viewer and the panning law. No other adjustment should be necessary for the spatialization.

Initialization routine

When launching the two projects, you can check for errors in the Max window.

Once you have loaded both projects:

• Start the audio with the red LED Dac on/off. You can check that the CPU pourcentage near this LED is changing.
• Then init-all with the button of the Main.
• Check for errors , if you get an error from ambicontrol, try to re-do ‘init-all’
• Pass one or two cues with your right arrow key (->)
• Then re init-all with the button of the Main
• Don’t forget to check the input faders of both Max patches.
• For the pedal of the performer to actually trigger the cues, the mode menu should be set to use instead of test

Patch presentation

The DSP main patch interface:

This patch handles the sound fx,the soundfiles, the score & transport. The Input levels, Fx levels and master out are followed here (by mici ccs). It is the main audio inputoutput. It sends and receives audio wiith the spat patch.

The SPAT (spatialization) main patch interface:

This handles all the trajectories. Be sure that they are correctly loaded (sources should visually move with concerned events)

The level of the spat is followed here (by midi CC 7). The audio is sent back to the main patch.

Performance notes

In general, Yann Robin likes when the sound coming from the computer is loud in the room! Adjust the volume consequently!

• The first sound of the electronics, triggered at the first note of the performer should be really impressive in the room, like a scream. This effect is mosly given by the Spat patches out
  From cue 11, the electronics is much quiter then grow again progressively. Keep this as a rather longcrescendo* in the electronics, don’t push up the volume directly.
• At the end, the last section of slaps (pedal 44 to 45), the electronics have to be quieter and distant.