Difficult Change Requests

[tconley]

KC,
I know this is bound to be a difficult couple of requests but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask. I realize it wont probably be possible until v4 i bet.

1) Would it be possible to do multi track sound and be able to control the volume of each track independantly as the show progresses. Is would be great to have a wind effects track. that could be brought foward in less important parts of the song. This would be along the lines of what you can do with an audio mixing board.

Mixing Board (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gweep.net/~prefect/pubs/iqp/img60.png&imgrefurl=http://www.gweep.net/~prefect/pubs/iqp/node105.html&h=541&w=582&sz=192&tbnid=hxHK1oY1T1-HrM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmixing%2Bboard%26um%3D1&start=1&ei=tJQNR_mzLpmIhAPn3I0w&sig2=kCiH78uTreYW9Ck5ArRSqg&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1)

2) an optical beat machine. you know like those simple drum machines but triggering the lights.

Drum machine software examples (http://www.flashmusicgames.com/drum_editor.html)

3) what about an a different ramp on and off. maybe like a parabolic or hyperbolic curve.

Parabolic Example (http://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full/2003/24/aah4341/img35.gif)
Hyperbolic example (http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/af000e/AF000E04.gif)

4) the pull down for the play button shouldnt trigger the play as soo as it is click. Every time i open a session i go set it to only play the highlight section and it start playing the whole thing. It should only play when the F6 button is hit.



I just think they would be great add ons to enhance an already great program.

[stempile]

Sounds like you want to perform live with Vixen? I can't speaker for KC, but here are some thoughts on how you might do a couple items now:

1. Pre-Mix your tracks using software such as Garage Band (Apple) or other software mixing such as Audacity (OpenSource). Building in an audio mix seems outside of the scope of the project. This may only be useful during a live mix or show, otherwise it is assumed you setup your music track once and leave it alone.

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
Garage Band (http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/)


2. Record you digital drum beats via midi recording software. Save a midi file, use the Vixen midi addin to read the file and sync light channels to the midi channels in the file. Again the request may only useful during a live mix or show...


ms

[KC]

2.0 has enough potential for bugs as it stands, but the future is always open.

[tconley]

I know that why i said for later version.


As far as the drum machine i wasnt talk about an actualy sudio drum machine just the similar idea for doing rythms of lights.

[stempile]

I don't have time to look for one, but there are software packages that are 'simple' drum machines that will output midi files. Then you can use my suggestion with that file.

Band in the box is one, I think there is a shareware or freeware version of that. You can pick the style, time to play, then it creates the rest using midi instruments or midi files.

ms

[tconley]

i am not talking about the audio..........


I was just looking for a plugin that you could make the lights pluses to a standard rythm. As a base for a song.

[stempile]

Audio or not, it may work the same way......

1. Create the midi reference file I mentioned.
2. Load it into the sequence
3. Run the Vixen midi file reader
4. setup channel assignments to midi channels
5. create the sequence from midi file
-- in your case--
6. remove the midi file, the sequence will remain
7. add in the actual song audio you want to use

Now lets see if the lights "pluses to a standard rythm".

As far as I know the plugs that analyze the audio track do it once because the overhead of real time audio processing would be a huge hit on the controller response.

I liked your idea but it might be a while, I think this will be a viable work around.

Try it and let the group know if it works.

Keep in mind it will be hard to get a sequence to stay in sync with a pre-made beat. If the beat comes from a plug-in or a midi reference there isn't a good way to make sure the lights stay in sync with the actual song, unless the actual song is use to create the reference for the sequence. No audio track made my humans will sync up with a rythm beat made by the computer. Might start out in sync, but it won't end that way.

ms