2007
 
3
Feb

Seelenlose Automaten

tagged as: digital and animation, generative, HFG Schwäbisch Gmünd, music, my projects at university, vvvv,

Generative audio visualization by Patric Schmidt and Benedikt Groß.

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Original resolution 1280 x 1024 px @ 60 fps

Abstract
We decided not to go the usual way (take an already produced piece of music and do for this an timebased animation with a video editing tool). Instead we composed a minimalistic electro track to have before all possible informations like notes, pitch, volume, length … and our own dramaturgy.

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Dramaturgy

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Quantity diagram: appearance of all samples

By analysing these informations, we figured out a “set of rules” which maps the musical informations directly to a visual output. For that “mapping” we developed a mini visualizing software. The software is fed via Midi with exactly the same notes (data), like the ones controlling the musical part. For instance, if Midi Note #43 - “Dri Metal” - is played, the visual rule is: Rotate all one step to the right. Everything is based on our system of rules, there is no animation in the common sense at all.

The shown clip is just a live recording during the playback of one pass of the entire track. There was no editing afterwards.

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Setup diagram

(188 words)

17 Comments


  1. Trackback by Generator.x: Software and generative strategies in art and design — 2007 Mar 2 @ 7:14 am

    […] Seelenlose Automaten is a generative music visualization with an unusal approach: Instead of analyzing the music for cues for visual change, MIDI control messages are sent simultaneously to the sound and image generators. Each mapping to a specific visual or sound effect, these messages are a vocabulary of rules giving structure to the composition. All change can be precisely predicted, and as a result the entire composition is perfectly synchronized.

    Created in VVVV by Patric Schmidt and Benedikt Groß, the video uses minimalist forms to good effect. Polygons, lines and circles twist and turn in a gray void, responding to the smallest change in sound […]

  2. Pingback by refect.intern » Blog Archive » Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 Mar 2 @ 1:45 pm

    […] http://www.looksgood.de/log/2007/02/03/seelenlose-automaten/ […]

  3. Pingback by erratica » Blog Archive » Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 Mar 29 @ 4:54 pm

    […] Generative audio visualization by Patric Schmidt and Benedikt Groß. View it here […]

  4. Pingback by mediamour * always follow your heart » Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 Apr 3 @ 10:46 am

    […] Diesen kleinen Electro Clip habe ich bei der Recherche zu dem VJ Programm vvvv gefunden. Sehr nett anzusehen und laut Künstler nicht nachbearbeitet. Es wurden einfache visuelle Regeln erstellt, die mit den höhen und tiefen des Sounds synchronisiert wurden. […]

  5. Pingback by URBANGAP | URBANBLOG: web, multimedia e non solo » Selenlose Automaten… it looks(very)good! — 2007 Apr 12 @ 4:19 am

    […] Affamati come siamo di arte generativa non ci è sembrato vero di scovare http://www.looksgood.de il sito di Benedikt Groß. Questo giovane “guru digitale” ha all’attivo parecchi originali progetti, tutti accomunati da un raffinato gusto per il design e da un utilizzo sperimentale dei nuovi media. Selenlose Automaten, progetto realizzato in collaborazione con l’amico Patric, ne è un esempio lampante. Si tratta di un’animazione generata in tempo reale a partire da una traccia Midi, una serie di “regole generative” e una buona dose di VVVV. Ogni informazione sonora (le note, la loro durata, l’intonazione e il volume) viene tradotta da VVVV in forme astratte che danzano e mutano sullo schermo seguendo l’evolversi della soundtrack. Il risultato e’ assolutamente impressionante, noi siamo ancora qui con lo sguardo trasognato ad immaginare videoproiezioni formato stadio e folle in preda ad un delirio generativo collettivo… Comunque giudicate voi stessi, Benedikt non ha minimamente esitato a fornirci la clip originale… thank you Benedikt! […]

  6. Pingback by TOCA ME blog - a design blog » Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 Apr 18 @ 3:35 pm

    […] Patric Schmidt and Benedikt Groß built this Generative audio visualization in which NOT the audio leads the visuals but instead BOTH (audio and visuals) are controlled by a single source. See and listen here. […]

  7. Pingback by theoreticalplayground.co.uk : Blog Archive : Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 Apr 20 @ 4:02 am

    […] Generative audiovisual project by Patric Schmidt and Benedikt Groß. A sequencer controls the audio and visual output in unison. The visualisation is created using vvvv. […]

  8. Pingback by Le blog de multimedialab.be » Archive du blog » Benedikt Groß & Patric Schmidt : Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 May 24 @ 5:42 pm

    http://www.looksgood.de/log/2007/02/03/seelenlose-automaten/

  9. Pingback by Persk.ru » » 23:59 04.09.07 З@грузка. 4 сентября 2007 — 2007 Sep 9 @ 11:19 am

    […] художники Patric Schmidt and Benedikt Grob создали «Бездушный автомат». Это не механический монстр, а аудио-визуальный […]

  10. Comment by ananym — 2007 Oct 4 @ 8:10 am

    http://dataisnature.com/?p=394

  11. Pingback by Adam Crowe - links for 2007-10-15 — 2007 Oct 15 @ 2:32 am

    […] Benedikt Groß - Seelenlose Automaten “By analysing these informations, we figured out a “set of rules” which maps the musical informations directly to a visual output. For that “mapping” we developed a mini visualizing software.” (tags: vvvv generative video) […]

  12. Comment by Bizidar SVETEK — 2007 Nov 9 @ 12:23 pm

    … It is difficult to explain, let alone assert with certainty what actually happens with the physical impulse of sound – listening to music, as time-defined psychoactive substance, affecting our senses. No doubt, such confrontations with the abstract, rhythmic and harmonic contents are strictly subjective, but owing to their comparability and insight they are also extremely interesting …

  13. Pingback by Node 08 - Digital Arts Forum » Blog Archive » Seelenlose Automaten — 2007 Dec 3 @ 11:30 am

    […] A self made audio composition of a minimalistic electro track is the base for this visualization. A self composed track comes with all kinds of information like notes, pitches, volume, length which enables you to program your own dramaturgy, sais Benedikt Groß on his website http://www.looksgood.de. […]

  14. Comment by hans romanov — 2008 Jan 13 @ 8:30 pm

    sehr schön. großartige audioelle motivationsmaschine. alles geht mit einem male wie von selbst. NODE08, der hans r. -ffm

  15. Comment by panos — 2008 Mar 2 @ 9:36 pm

    Congratulations on your project. I am student of electroacoustic composition. Now I discover VVVV. I have seen it a little bit, but I need more tutorials, because I dont have a visual background. I want to make an interactive installation, with motion tracking of people that will effect the final image and the final sound. Do you have any suggestions? thanks in advance and congratulations again…

    panos

  16. Comment by alex — 2008 Aug 30 @ 12:18 am

    Waooooo, good job!!!!

  17. Comment by Zoltan Sz. — 2008 Sep 18 @ 4:39 pm

    Amazing stuff…I am coming from a different angle: music composition (not that I am good at it…) Can I use your software to visualize my own music?

    I understand that the key is to set up the “translation” rules from “MIDI audio” to “MIDI Video”.


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