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Rgb_2 algorithms

Rgb_2 is the latest package of the interactive schemes produced for the Rgb installation. Its main focus is sound apsect of musical communication.

"Live processing" concept

One of two main algorithms made for Rgb2 is based on processing of the live instruments in the real time. One of the main reasons for the creation of this scheme was that we wanted to put more real live action into the installation: live input of the musician with the emotions and feelings, with the direct reaction to the audience. Scheme devolps original idea of "live electronics" from sixtees into totally different conctext of DSP and interactive installation.

Usage of the algorithm has kind of two steps:

First musician play the live instrument, sound sample is grabed into sound buffer and analyzed according to relationships of the intervals between pitches, attack points, volume of the tunes and transfered into 3D visualisation model in the real time.

(see video of the live processing principle)

In the second step can connect to such an visualised "liveobject" with the flash lights and create and modificate the sound. The 3D model itself is not static but it is constantly reacting on the peoples action trough its look and positioning in the space. Main focus of the interactive model is ability to create rich spectrum of sounds all derived from the original single sample. For this custom made sound algorithms and effects were programmed.

Interactive model itself is very complex because the resulted sound reaction is not static reaction on the light colours, but it is result of the current combination of colours connected to the sound visualisation object.

Atom concept

Second main algorithm is based on the idea of atoms which are some kinds of sound creatures traveling trough the space of the screen with the ability to hold "sound information" in its sound memory which behaviour and purpose could be compared to "genetical code".

Whole concept can be seen from two different views: as inner model and as outer model. Outside goal of this scheme is to give audience ability to develop sound in rich ways and possibilities - go beyond simple possibility to just "triger the sound with flash-light", but also influence and develop its qualities in time according to some intuitive criteria.

Atom is created by meeting of two lights of the different colours. Sound is trigered if light meets with the atom on the screen or if atoms meets with the other atom. There are two colours with opossite qualities which can influence the sound quality of the atom. and the last colour can destroy the atom.

So if audience wants sound with aspects of clearness, brightness, sharpness etc. they should use red colour of the light, if they are looking for the opossite qualities - more deep, organical, developing sound they should use the another colour of the light (green) if they want to destroy the atom, they use the last blue colour.

The inner concept is much complex and it is based on the idea of duality of jin and jang principles, also it was inspired by the heritage system and some primitive principles of genetics.

Atoms can be created by lights and from the combination of the three primar lights three differents sexes can be crated (man, woman, hybrid). Red symbolises male (jang), green female (jin) and finally blue is neutral colour. In this way green and blue creates pure woman, green and red pure hybrid and red and blue man in the beginning.

This symbolises the pure sound (genetical) information of the atoms. But as atoms travel trough the space of the screen they are infulenced by different lights in time and slowly progressing its own sound memory code - less clear and pure, but rich on the possibilities of the combinations.

Each atom is different sound bank. Symbolic of the duality Jin and Jang is aplied on the atom sound qualities which are represented by parametres of the sound (envelope, settings of effect like filter, reverb, flanger etc..). Meeting of atom and light meens that the information will be distributed into the atom´s genetical code (sound parametres settings). So if for example atom meets with green colour which symbolises Jin, filter parameter should be set to be more deep because "jin" (woman) symbolises aspects like deepness, darkness, cold, minus, water etc...

Atoms can also meet with other atom, it means that atoms will merge into one and create new "sound creature". Atoms mix their genoms by primitive principle of heritage - (comparing gens and choosing the result according to dominance and recesivity).

Another point of this algorithm is visualisation. We created artificial world of fractal noise which creates kind of wind for the environment of the atoms, lights creates magnetic field which causes atraction or repulsion (according to duality of the lights) for the vector paths of the atoms (this causes to let go atoms in different nonlinear ways over the screen).

This concept seems to be still opened for the further development for its richness of possibilities. Because conceptual idea can be fullfilled practically in many different ways.

See the video of the performance on Enter Multimediale (Spring 2005)