Once, weird instruments only made the rounds at exclusive academic conferences. Now, they go viral on Facebook.
Such is the case with Collidoscope, the creation of a UK-based mixing and mastering service (out of London label Sunlightsquare Records) and Queen Mary researchers – Ben Bengler and Fiore Martin. It’s a massive tangible table-top interface to a granular instrument.
There are a few things that make this one special, even to those of us who have seen such items before.
1. It’s big. It appears that the basis of this is a very large display, cleverly built into a slick-looking table-top interface.
2. It’s visual. A crisp, clear waveform display attractively shows you where you are. Nicely executed, that.
3. It’s physical. Big knobs and faders and a keyboard set this apart from the iPad apps and whatnot that do the same – and also set up the possibility for collaboration.
4. It samples. Built-in sampling is connected to a SuperCollider engine underneath for responsive sonic control.
More here, though they’re a bit scant on details other than it’s a one-off prototype. (And the site is, sadly, orange and full of big ads! But the prototype itself is great!)
http://www.doctormix.com/blog/collidoscope
Built your own interesting granular controller? We’d love to see it.
Seems this could also be a chance to open up design ideas. Speaking of which, I really should come up with a better interface for my own mangled Pd creation and maybe clean up the patch enough that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to let anyone see it!
But really brilliant and inspiring work, lads! This raises the bar. Or, at least, the table.
That is a tiny, tiny keyboard
The small keyboard seems pitch perfect for the design. Helps it feel approachable which appears to be a design goal.
For keyboardists that want to use granular for music making, we have many many tools to plug out larger keyboards into.
That is a tiny, tiny keyboard
The small keyboard seems pitch perfect for the design. Helps it feel approachable which appears to be a design goal.
For keyboardists that want to use granular for music making, we have many many tools to plug our larger keyboards into.
That is a tiny, tiny keyboard
The small keyboard seems pitch perfect for the design. Helps it feel approachable which appears to be a design goal.
For keyboardists that want to use granular for music making, we have many many tools to plug our larger keyboards into.
If this leaves you curious trying out Granular Synthesis in SuperCollider, there are some really nice building blocks and tutorials around. Below is an (incomplete) list:
http://doc.sccode.org/Classes/GrainBuf.html << One of many UGens in SuperCollider to do Granular (re-)synthesis
https://mitpress.mit.edu/index.php?q=books/supercollider-book << The SuperCollider Book (also as pdf e-book) has a really great chapter on Microsound (which Granular Synthesis is part of) written by Alberto de Campo.
https://github.com/supercollider/sc3-plugins << For the advanced user, I highly recommend looking at the UGens written by Josh Parmenter available via sc-plugins
http://sccode.org/ << resources for SuperCollider programming, lots of examples on Synthesis etc. written in SuperCollider
Wow, great! Thanks so much! 🙂
If this leaves you curious trying out Granular Synthesis in SuperCollider, there are some really nice building blocks and tutorials around. Below is an (incomplete) list:
http://doc.sccode.org/Classes/GrainBuf.html << One of many UGens in SuperCollider to do Granular (re-)synthesis
https://mitpress.mit.edu/index.php?q=books/supercollider-book << The SuperCollider Book (also as pdf e-book) has a really great chapter on Microsound (which Granular Synthesis is part of) written by Alberto de Campo.
https://github.com/supercollider/sc3-plugins << For the advanced user, I highly recommend looking at the UGens written by Josh Parmenter available via sc-plugins
http://sccode.org/ << resources for SuperCollider programming, lots of examples on Synthesis etc. written in SuperCollider
(also: http://tai-studio.org/index.php/2015/11/supercollider-and-granular-synthesis/ )
Wow, great! Thanks so much! 🙂
If this leaves you curious trying out Granular Synthesis in SuperCollider, there are some really nice building blocks and tutorials around. Below is an (incomplete) list:
http://doc.sccode.org/Classes/GrainBuf.html << One of many UGens in SuperCollider to do Granular (re-)synthesis
https://mitpress.mit.edu/index.php?q=books/supercollider-book << The SuperCollider Book (also as pdf e-book) has a really great chapter on Microsound (which Granular Synthesis is part of) written by Alberto de Campo.
https://github.com/supercollider/sc3-plugins << For the advanced user, I highly recommend looking at the UGens written by Josh Parmenter available via sc-plugins
http://sccode.org/ << resources for SuperCollider programming, lots of examples on Synthesis etc. written in SuperCollider
(also: http://tai-studio.org/index.php/2015/11/supercollider-and-granular-synthesis/ )
Wow, great! Thanks so much! 🙂
I so want this to become a standard family living room instrument. For now, Samplr will have to do.
Why isn’t the world filled with those wide low res screens? I want to run a sequencer with one. Text be damned.
It’s just one display with a bit of plastic across it. I suppose you can make most displays like that if you have some spare acrylic laying about 😉
Ah, good idea about the ‘split screen’. Could be right. But at that aspect ratio? Seems pretty specialized even if you look at it as a single display with a piece of plastic across the middle. And super matted finish? So easy on the eyes. Want.
I so want this to become a standard family living room instrument. For now, Samplr will have to do.
Why isn’t the world filled with those wide low res screens? I want to run a sequencer with one. Text be damned.
It’s just one display with a bit of plastic across it. I suppose you can make most displays like that if you have some spare acrylic laying about 😉
Ah, good idea about the ‘split screen’. Could be right. But at that aspect ratio? Seems pretty specialized even if you look at it as a single display with a piece of plastic across the middle. And super matted finish? So easy on the eyes. Want.
I so want this to become a standard family living room instrument. For now, Samplr will have to do.
Why isn’t the world filled with those wide low res screens? I want to run a sequencer with one. Text be damned.
It’s just one display with a bit of plastic across it. I suppose you can make most displays like that if you have some spare acrylic laying about 😉
Ah, good idea about the ‘split screen’. Could be right. But at that aspect ratio? Seems pretty specialized even if you look at it as a single display with a piece of plastic across the middle. And super matted finish? So easy on the eyes. Want.
That screen is a digital DJ’s wet dream. It would also help in a club environment, so clubbers would know the DJ is not just checking his email when “Serato-face” occurs.
That screen is a digital DJ’s wet dream. It would also help in a club environment, so clubbers would know the DJ is not just checking his email when “Serato-face” occurs.
That screen is a digital DJ’s wet dream. It would also help in a club environment, so clubbers would know the DJ is not just checking his email when “Serato-face” occurs.
I’m really curious how the screen works, is it basically one giant flat panel ? I doubt you can find screens as wide as these ones….
It’s just one screen with a bit of plastic around it and across it.
I’m really curious how the screen works, is it basically one giant flat panel ? I doubt you can find screens as wide as these ones….
It’s just one screen with a bit of plastic around it and across it.
I’m really curious how the screen works, is it basically one giant flat panel ? I doubt you can find screens as wide as these ones….
It’s just one screen with a bit of plastic around it and across it.
I don’t get it. It’s a big display, yeah but at crazy low resolution. A smaller crisper display would be much cheaper. Unless this is touch enabled? But it isn’t. Can’t I do all this on my laptop? In a much more portable and standardised configuration? I am all for new interfaces, but they have to offer something new.
I think it’s probably plenty “crisp”, the waveform just isn’t rendered all that well. Other than that I’d tend to agree.
I think the mix up here is the ‘offer’. In particular, this isn’t a studied exploration in granular synthesis for musicians. It’s a big approachable and lovely looking Casio SK1. Music for the Masses, etc.
I don’t get it. It’s a big display, yeah but at crazy low resolution. A smaller crisper display would be much cheaper. Unless this is touch enabled? But it isn’t. Can’t I do all this on my laptop? In a much more portable and standardised configuration? I am all for new interfaces, but they have to offer something new.
I think it’s probably plenty “crisp”, the waveform just isn’t rendered all that well. Other than that I’d tend to agree.
I think the mix up here is the ‘offer’. In particular, this isn’t a studied exploration in granular synthesis for musicians. It’s a big approachable and lovely looking Casio SK1. Music for the Masses, etc.
I don’t get it. It’s a big display, yeah but at crazy low resolution. A smaller crisper display would be much cheaper. Unless this is touch enabled? But it isn’t. Can’t I do all this on my laptop? In a much more portable and standardised configuration? I am all for new interfaces, but they have to offer something new.
I think it’s probably plenty “crisp”, the waveform just isn’t rendered all that well. Other than that I’d tend to agree.
I think the mix up here is the ‘offer’. In particular, this isn’t a studied exploration in granular synthesis for musicians. It’s a big approachable and lovely looking Casio SK1. Music for the Masses, etc.
I must admit to wanting to not like this, but still swooning a bit. Must be all the little disciplines involved in making it happen. It’s not, however, granular anything, in my book. It’s just a sampler. The “make the loop really small and move it about” thing would more accurately be called wavescanning, or even wavetable synthesis in a pinch. IDK, the clouds of grains is kind of a big deal in granular, this doesn’t have any of that, not even a crossfaded loop, it sounds like.
This is a good thing, though. This means the people who hear this sort of sound can achieve it with so many tools available right now; soft- and hardware.
I must admit to wanting to not like this, but still swooning a bit. Must be all the little disciplines involved in making it happen. It’s not, however, granular anything, in my book. It’s just a sampler. The “make the loop really small and move it about” thing would more accurately be called wavescanning, or even wavetable synthesis in a pinch. IDK, the clouds of grains is kind of a big deal in granular, this doesn’t have any of that, not even a crossfaded loop, it sounds like.
This is a good thing, though. This means the people who hear this sort of sound can achieve it with so many tools available right now; soft- and hardware.
I must admit to wanting to not like this, but still swooning a bit. Must be all the little disciplines involved in making it happen. It’s not, however, granular anything, in my book. It’s just a sampler. The “make the loop really small and move it about” thing would more accurately be called wavescanning, or even wavetable synthesis in a pinch. IDK, the clouds of grains is kind of a big deal in granular, this doesn’t have any of that, not even a crossfaded loop, it sounds like.
This is a good thing, though. This means the people who hear this sort of sound can achieve it with so many tools available right now; soft- and hardware.
A harware version of Reaktor’s Travelizer.
A harware version of Reaktor’s Travelizer.
A harware version of Reaktor’s Travelizer.
I love the whole slide/twist mechanism for controlling the start end point. i think i might try and replicate this on my QuNeo.
I love the whole slide/twist mechanism for controlling the start end point. i think i might try and replicate this on my QuNeo.
I love the whole slide/twist mechanism for controlling the start end point. i think i might try and replicate this on my QuNeo.
Reminds me to the vestax faderboard sampler side.
Reminds me to the vestax faderboard sampler side.
Reminds me to the vestax faderboard sampler side.