Electronic Music 411 - Magnetic / Radial - magnetic, radial, openframeworks

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Hey all! Haven't posted in awhile and wanted to share a project in progress. I've created an openFrameworks add-on called "Magnetic" which does some advanced tracking stuff. But more relevant is the software I'm writing on top of it for music performance, "Radial". If you watch the video, you can see an early prototype towards the beginning.

This is not a MIDI controller. This is an all-in-one motion multi-touch/loop-based performance application. It basically involves a bunch of WAV files and metadata in XML. I'm building it to meet my needs specifically. I've found that Ableton Live isn't for me. All I use it for is playing back loop and running a couple FX. The lag and overall distant feel between MIDI controller and audio is just too much for me. With Radial, I am touching my sounds.

Radial has three volume control points... an outer ring, an inner ring, and the center. When you load a scene, the sounds start at 0 volume. As they approach the center ring, their volume increases. As they pass the center ring and approach the center, the volume decreases. When they touch the center, they are removed from the screen. So basically, you perform your track by driving them towards the center of the screen.

I'm also working out a couple of FX. These are separate, larger objects that you drag around to affect sounds within their proximity (or drop on the center to affect all sounds). Multi-point gestures (ie, two finger pan) controls FX settings.

More to come...