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Year end Sonic-mash: the soundscape!

January 13, 2012 by Varun Nair

First: a BIG thank you to all the contributors, this wouldn’t have been possible without the sounds!

How did this work?

The Max/MSP patch works by playing random files in a random sequence and from random points within the files. If left by itself it can play these files back in this random order to create a never-ending soundscape. Although, there are a few controls to help design the way it sounds:

  • Play length of each file (Eg.: If it’s set at 4000ms, it would play back a sound for 4000ms and then crossfade into the next sound)
  • Fade length – crossfade length (from 0ms to 1ms less than the play length)
  • Speed/pitch: Vari-speed playback control
  • Reverse
  • Random type: Urn (random without repeats), Drunk (Randomised but ‘drunken’), Random (random with unpredictable repeats), Counter (sequential playback)

The outputs were connected to a channel strip type interface, from which the signal was sent (parallel) to a reverb and delay plugin.

What you hear below are sounds that were contributed (thank you again!) and then generated and ‘performed’ using the above mentioned controls with a MIDI controller. I recorded a few takes and this was the one I preferred the most. I’ve also included a screengrab of the patch at work, for the curious.

Have a great sounding year ahead!

Thanks to:
Eckhard Kuchenbecker
Echo Collective
Hrishikesh Dani
Chris Nealy
Angel Perez Grandi
Jaydea Lopez
Ana Roman
Péter Terner
Anna Papaioannou


Year End Sonic-Mash on Soundcloud

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/35020447[/vimeo]
Year End Sonic-Mash on Vimeo

Filed Under: featured Tagged With: 2012, community, field recordings, max msp, new years eve, sonic-mash, sound design, soundscapes

Comments

  1. lostchocolatelab says

    January 13, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    I love this project, thanks to everyone for contributing their sounds and time to making it happen!

  2. Daniel says

    January 13, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    This is pretty cool

    I imagine a purgatory ambiance, or some sort of coma/psychic visions sequence, where a character/actor is having images slammed at them.

  3. Kim says

    January 13, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    Brilliant..!! Loved this!

  4. Varun Nair says

    January 13, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    @Daniel: Haha! Daniel, that’s a cool interpretation of it. Might also ring with the whole ‘end of the world’ theme. ;)

  5. jack says

    January 14, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    This is super interesting, how do I get this programme / patch so I can create my own?? 

  6. Varun Nair says

    January 14, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    @Jack: There are things I’d still like to develop before I release it as a downloadable app. I don’t have a specific date, but it will be available on my website when I do release it. 

  7. Oscar says

    January 16, 2012 at 8:43 am

    @Varun: This is fantastic. I am also very interested in this app! I am following you on twitter now, so I guess I will know when it is finished?!

    Awesome job everyone!

  8. Varun Nair says

    January 16, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    @Oscar: Thanks Oscar! Yeah, if you follow me in twitter you should get to know about it. Alternatively, you could drop your email at the bottom of this page for notifications http://re-sounding.com/keyd/

    I’ll also comment on this post, for anyone else who might be interested. 

  9. Simon Gray says

    June 22, 2013 at 2:00 am

    Following @Oscar and @Jack’s comments, though a few years later, I would be interested in programme/app/patch as I have searched for something that does just what your patch does but have not found anything else. Will sign up for updates and check your website to see if an app appears, fingers crossed Simon

Trackbacks

  1. GFF: Content. Tools. Performance. says:
    February 5, 2012 at 10:32 am

    […] Music: We will be using some pre-composed music which I will be effecting and designing using a newer version of the patch I used for the Designing Sound/Sonic-Terrain year end sonic-mash. […]

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