RE: Max/Msp as a compositional tool....

[Warren Sirota <wsirota@wsdesigns.com>]

If you're in the SF Bay Area and interested in MAX at all, you should check
out Keith's presentation. Keith is a brilliant (and super nice) guy, and
MACIAS is a system he's been working on (part time) more-or-less since I 
met
him in the mid-1980s. At the risk of misrepresenting... Each member of
TrioMetrik has a screen in front of them, and all their audio and MIDI is
processed "together"; i.e., things that one musician does affect what 
others
do. MACIAS is designed to faciliate both notated and improvised music. And
the members of TrioMetrik are all quite excellent musicians (the basic
instrumentation, I believe) is guitar, violin and 'cello). Keith, by the
way, was the founder of Zeta Musical Instruments, makers of one of the top
MIDI guitar controllers and very successful in the electric violin field as
well, and he was also the founder of Octiv, whose multiband compression
objects are included in MAX (and in a number of embedded applications).

If the presentation wasn't 3000 miles away, I would surely be there.

Oh, and by the way, I believe MACIAS includes extensive looping 
capabilities
in both the audio and MIDI domains.

Best wishes,
Warren Sirota


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Miko Biffle [mailto:biffoz@arczip.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 8:11 PM
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> Subject: Max/Msp as a compositional tool....
> 
> 
> This posting from ba newmuse, posted by Bob Boster, describes 
> the group, TrioMetrik's use of max/msp programming to guide 
> their compositions, and seems like a great illustration of 
> just how deeply one can get in the program. The posting is a 
> call for works, if anyone's interested, but goes on to 
> outline TrioMetrik's methodology in their bio below. -miko
> 
> >The BEAM Foundation is commisioning 2-4 new works for TrioMetrik. 
> >Composers should submit a CV and work examples by June 15, 
> 2006. Scope 
> >of the piece and fee structure will be tailored to each 
> applicant based 
> >upon experience and proclivities. Selections will be 
> announced July 7. 
> >Pieces due end of August.
> >
> >Compatibility with TrioMetrik's tools and esthetics is a 
> must. To this 
> >end two Colloquia are scheduled to familiarize composers with these
> requirements:
> >
> >May 23rd 7 PM at BEAM Studios in Berkeley. (mail for directions) May 
> >24th 5 PM at CCRMA - Stanford Campus
> >
> >Examples of previous musical works from a recent performance and 
> >descriptions of the techolgies employed are available at 
> ><http://www.beamfoundation.org/>www.beamfoundation.org . Abstract of 
> >talk
> >follows:
> >
> >MACIAS -a new software application that intelligently 
> couples advanced 
> >instruments.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 
> >"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
> >
> >Based on the concept of enhanced instruments coupled through an 
> >intelligent network, MACIAS is the sophisticated integration of live 
> >instruments that are extended beyond their original function with an 
> >advanced music program and interface system. MACIAS is a specialized 
> >network that receives, interprets, and operates on the 
> sounds, notes, 
> >gestures, and intentions of the musicians.  The result is an 
> >interactive musical esthetic for the 21st century (named "NuRoque") 
> >that encourages complex structures and sonic adventure. 
> NuRoque takes 
> >its inspiration from the Baroque (Fr. for bizarre) 
> revolution that new 
> >instruments and esthetics caused in Europe in the 1600s.  TrioMetrik 
> >(Ashley Adams, Marielle Jakobsons, and Keith McMillen) is the live 
> >performing group using these technologies. Paul Dresher has 
> called TrioMetrik "the modern
> >composer's dream come true."   Samples can be heard at
> ><http://www.triometrik.org/>www.triometrik.org .
> >
> >Keith McMillen describes MACIAS as a system in which "knowledge and 
> >control is distributed among the musicians and guided by the 
> >composition.  Direction to the performers is conveyed 
> through an array 
> >of graphic windows on a display that replaces the 
> traditional score and 
> >music stand. The musician's gestures, the score, audio 
> processing, and 
> >other structures are permitted to interact with each other 
> in ways that 
> >lead to modifications in performance.  The result is a 
> system designed 
> >to augment and control the compositional structure beyond notes and 
> >transitions. While these concepts have been explored individually, 
> >MACIAS represents the first time a refined and integrated 
> approach has 
> >been evenly and fully applied across all of the components that 
> >comprise a musical entity." It has taken the last 25 years 
> for Keith to 
> >build the enhanced instruments and refine MACIAS.
> >
> >The instruments and external devices are tied to a computer 
> running the 
> >program, a tuned assembly of over 200 individual screens and patches 
> >written in Max/MSP. When instantiated, MACIAS occupies more 
> than 125MB 
> >of program memory not including audio buffers or data. All the 
> >components of a piece are contained within a score that sets and 
> >continuously updates thousands of parameters during 
> performance. MACIAS 
> >executes the score and defines the timbres, harmonic and rhythmic 
> >structures, interaction trees, video selection and 
> manipulation, etc. 
> >It determines the capture of audio and musicians' gestures 
> and prompts 
> >the musicians to play at the correct times and either 
> suggests politely 
> >a motif or demands and enforces a rhythmic harmonicity and a 
> specific 
> >timbre.
> >
> >Composer Jay Cloidt, who has written for TrioMetrik, has 
> remarked that 
> >the MACIAS system is "a tremendously flexible composer's and 
> >performer's toolkit. Orson Welles once said, that a movie studio was 
> >'.the biggest electric train set a boy ever had.' I think 
> MACIAS  just 
> >may be the modern composer's electric train set."
> >
> >Description and live demonstrations will illustrate the system's 
> >capabilities and lay a basic understanding of how one 
> composes in this 
> >style. The BEAM Foundation (the non-profit organization behind 
> >TrioMetrik, MACIAS and NuRoque 
> ><http://www.beamfoundation.org/>www.beamfoundation.org
> >) is actively commissioning pieces for the Trio. These 
> sessions will be an
> >excellent introduction for interested composers.
> >
> >
> >Keith McMillen
> >Executive Director
> >BEAM Foundation
> >www.beamfoundation.org
> >510.502.5310
> _______________________________________________
> Bay Area New Music Discussion Group
> NewMusic@music.mills.edu 
> http://music.mills.edu/mailman/listinfo/newmusic
> 
>