many things

much is happening. earlier this week i released an update to VIZZable, my set of video plugins for ableton live. it’s a big update with fancy new features like GL optimisation and autoconnection(!) the auto connection code is thanks to chris gough from the jitter in live google group. if you’re into video and ableton live and maybe even max/msp, you should join us to help us test and make various awesome things.

 

if you’re in melbourne, you can see these plugins in action along with some button pressing, singing and jumping around when i play live at plugnplay next thursday the 28th of april at the kent st cafe, 201 smith st, fitzroy.  i think i’m playing with vdmokstati, jean poole and others… bit short on details at the moment… but it’ll be awesome, i’m sure.  the day after that (friday 29th) i’m playing at the builders arms with time shield, the leafs and sun blindness.  i’ll also supplying visuals for the leafs and sun blindess.  check the fb event!  and the poster:

 

in other news, the dudes at projuice have thrown up a little write up about me which makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy.  projuice is a media creation showing airing on abc at the moment – it’s really great seeing tutorial style programming making the airways especially since it’s pretty much favorite sort of thing to watch on the interwebs.  that and videos of baby sloths.

in other, other news, i’ve been inspired by this, this and this and have decided to build a midi controller (i’ve undertaken a similar project in the past).  i’ll be using the guts from two korg nanokontrols and a usb qwerty keyboard and it should end up looking a bit like this:

can’t wait.

AV club

Practice

racing snail

Another gig!  I’ll be playing the first official zeal gig of the year next wednesday Thursday the 24th at 303 supporting Sydney’s Karoshi.  The new audio visual set’s really coming together after last weeks trial run and it should be even better by next wednesday.  I’m also scheming some evil live streaming schemes so all of you in internet land can check out the shiny new moving pictures and sounds…  more gigs coming.  and videos and things.  oh, the unbearable intrigue.

dig the facebook event

P.S. I’ve revamped my facebook page!  go like it, eh?

laser switch

i’m playing this saturday night at the empress with JUNK! and the time shield – and this time not as zeal but as my VJing alter ego lazy laser.  i’ll be trailing some new AV material (using VIZZable)  and it will be under rehearsed but hopefully interesting. it should be a taste of the future zeal live show.  the inimitable junk will be doing some stripped down acoustic or ambient or jazzy versions of their songs and time shield will be there to shield us from the horrors of time (and also make pretty pictures and sounds).  back to getting my shit together!

go dig the facebook event.

Vizzable now a legal scrabble word.

peeps have been quick to jump on my new little max4live project Vizzable which has been great.
I put together a quick live set to take this audiovisual automobile for a test drive:

this is going to be the format of the new Zeal live set except expect some acoustic guitar, live sampling and words that sound nice but don’t mean much.

VIZZable


i’ve been wanting to run video plugins since before Max for Live came into existence and Max/MSPs VIZZIE VJ modules seemed perfect as Ableton plugins. so i swapped out all the non-MIDI automatable parts and shoehorned some plugins together.

Download: VIZZable Modular VJ plugins for Ableton Live

UPDATE!

These plugins are completely compatible with the amazing V-module suite by Fabrizio Poce. These two projects have now merged to provide a comprehensive suite of video, effects and real-time graphics tools for Live. If you’d like to become involved in testing and developing these plugins please join us in this google group.

Change list
6/12/2011
V 0.9.3
  • Updated auto-connect v 1.0
  • Syphon output added to the viewr module
  • new midigrid device – receives midi notes and outputs white squares.  originally made for the novation launchpad but will work with any midi input
  • new 2switchr device to toggle video between two different outputs
17/4/2011
V 0.9.2

  • All modules can now auto-connect (thanks to Chris Gough from the Jitter in Live google group)
  • All module’s preview windows can be disabled by clicking
  • Viewr GL optimized
  • Viewr can now toggle menubar in fullscreen mode
  • Viewr acts as a central hub to all other VIZZable modules allowing toggling of module preview windows and setting global resolution for all modules
  • New Previewr device, similar to viewr but without global controls or fullscreen
  • New Zamplr effect module
  • Playr has several performance improvements
  • Playr now properly saves loaded movie folders with live set
  • Clicking the Playrs name below the preview window activates a FPS meter and unique frame toggle for performance monitoring
  • VIZZIE preset code removed – presets can be saved in Live browser
7/4/2011
  • Effect modules are now bypassed when device is deactivated.

6/4/2011

  • All parameters can now be automated with clip envelopes
  • Code cleaned up
  • Scribbler bugs fixed
3/4/2011
  • All devices now connect using the same drop down system as V-module
  • Player now has selectable resolution
25/1/2011
  • all devices frozen and outputs plugged with “.” to prevent stack overflow errors
  • Grabbr – webcam source now selectable
  • Playr – clips in drop down now save properly

 

shred ahead

two or three more zeal shows before the year is out!

1.) Thursday 9th of December at the toff with rush in attack and 8-bit love

2.) Thursday 16th of December @ Pony with Junk, Uncle Chunk and Keith Party

it’s the first time i’ve played either of these venues.  also, i might whip out a VJ set at the toff gig…

there’ll be one more show in Radelaide before the year is up but i’ll post about that later.  until then, enjoy a preview of colourful things in the works…

This is not an update

Sydney was awesome. Pictures and thing will surface, I’m sure.

like these ones:

If you’re heading to this year’s TINA I’m going to part of a panel discussing making music with game controllers smart phones, not so smart phones etc.  I imagine I’ll be talking about AXIS and and MAX/MSP…  The TINA/Sound Summit Program puts it like this:

Saturday, October 2nd:

2.00pm – 4.00pm: Artist Presentation
Instant Expert: Know Your Gadgets
Process Space (401 Hunter St)

Facilitator: Andrew Tuttle (Sound Summit)
Participants: Brett Kinny (Megatroid), Jason Forrest (Cock Rock Disco, DJ Donna Summer, Nightshifters; USA), Pia van Gelder (Dorkbot), Robert Jarvis (Zeal)

The ongoing development of gamer controller technology and continuing innovations in smartphone capabilities have contributed to an increasing number of electronic musicians composing and performing with these tactile devices. Learn some tricks on how to revolutionise your live performance, and have a whole lot of fun doing it.

Should be a lot of interesting ideas in one place!

If you’re in Adelaide Monday the 20th of September (tonight)  come down to the wheatsheaf from around 8 to see Virtual Proximity play with me in my VJ disguise.

Venturing

Hobart + Music = Yeah! was officially awesome.  I’ve come home wanting to play more house shows.  I’ll throw up pics and video as they become available… like this one!

More travels imminent to promote my (new and free) album:

Fri 17 Sep
The Loft, Sydney
w/ Alps(!!)

Sat 18 Sep
The Gate, Sydney
SeeKae, Bon Chat Bon Rat and Zeal

Mon 20 Sep
The Wheatsheaf, Adelaide
Virtual Proximity (VJ set)

Fri 24 Sep
Colonel Light Hotel, Adelaide
w/ The Honey Pies, The Bon Scotts and The Witch

Sat 16 Oct
Blue Tile, Melbourne
w/ Citrus Jam, 12 Inch Clocks and Deadly Are the Naked

Will report back with medias for your consumption.
Good eve.

devils

Hobart + Music = Yeah!

My goodness.  There’s alot coming up over the next two months.  One biggie in about a fortnight is HOBART + MUSIC = YEAH! A festivus of wonders…  I just made up that byline… maybe it’ll be picked up next year.  I’m playing with the splederous tiger choir who i’ve played with twice before and there are a stack of other great bands playing.  Also it’s cold and there are devils.  what more could you want?

I’m also working on a new VJ set for a live audio visual project for james annesley in his solo electronic guise.  I’m incorporating live video feeds into this set which is something new for me.  Dr Who style video feedback FTW!  I’m going to trial some of the new material still in it’s learning-to-walk phase this sunday at the workers club. We’ll see how it goes…

but wait there’s more.  I’m playing a show in Sydney September 18th which is way exciting as i’m yet to have carved up that particular town with my plastic axe of doom.  I’ll put a proper post up about that show soon.  There’s still more because there’ll probably be a radelaide show shortly after that.  Ampersand there’s even more because after that i’ll be at this years This is Not Art speaking as part of panel on  alternative controllers in electronic music… spoiler alert: ergonomics, stage presence and the buttler did it.  My new album is still free BTW.