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Helmi Zuhdi

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My teaser

Content Development #5

This is the rendered video of my so called theresynth box, it is not completely finish yet, im going to altered it back later. and the name, is copyrighted somehow, so i've to change it later, going to use this as the teaser for my project.




done it using google sketch up and the rendered is not so clear and nice, will be using a proper video editing tools for the next teaser.
welcome any comment to improve my project.
thanks

Content Development #4

Circuit Diagram

My plan on how to connect the sensor to arduino based Fritizing. Fritzing is the simplest way for designer or developer who use arduino as their main subject for their project.
Very simple and easy to understand infact you can creat a schematic plan of arduino wiring system in just a minute without worrying about what might goes wrond if you choose to do it manually on photoshop.

screenshot for my breadboard plan

breadboard arduino + theremin + synthesizer 101

my schematic plan for the projects

schematic plan

sorry for the smaller image, for assessment purpose, you can view my fritzing file and download it here

thanks

References:

fritzing website

Content Development #3

Experimentation

i ve done some experimentation and follow up few tutorial to test run my project.
first i run a test on rgb LED sequencer, this test was made using arduino and 1 RGB led.



this test is involving processing. quite nice and entertaining for me.

the next test is based on my sensory subject, at first im intended to use ultrasonic sensor but later on decide to use potentiometer to control the value.




the main reason why im replacing ultrasonic sensor with potentiometer meter is because, the ultrasonic sensor that i bought is not really accurate at all. The data reading from the sensor is doesn't make sense. I've few screenshot regarding this issue and will upload it later due to the picture is still in the camera and my camera is not with me right now(gf borrow it -.-'). So to make the test run, i've replacing it with potentiometer 10k, i know i suppose to replace it with another range finder sensor but due to not enough fund and time i still not manage to buy it tho. will going to buy them at nixie soon. *finger crossed*

orite the next test is about creating a sound from arduino IDE using arduino and piezzo speaker. Just like the old days, back in life's skills subject. the audio reminds me to my year back in secondary school.



the follow up test, im using potentiometer *again to replace my ultrasonic sensor to control the sound coming from arduino. This is where you can find the fundamental of synthesizer, in my actual project, there will be 4 pots and 1 range finder sensor.
will show the preview sketch later.



the last video is my test on SuperCollider. The scripting show on how to create a sound and together with stethoscope, as for me, with this simple scripting is still giving me hard time to understand on how to operate SuperCollider. I will do lots and lots of research about programming language in SuperCollider next.



References:

Content Development #2

cont from previous

SuperCollider

"SuperCollider is an environment and programming language for real time audio synthesis and algorithmic composition. It provides an interpreted object-oriented language which functions as a network client to a state of the art, realtime sound synthesis serve"

in the simplest way, SuperCollider is working based scripting and programming language to create real time audio synthesis. It is the alternate ways to create midi sound.

I did some experiment with my arduino (check my above post) and what my ideas is, to connect arduino and SuperCollider via processing.


Arduino + IDE + SuperCollider via Processing = Midi Sound with Visualization.


orite it might be difficult to understand, even i have found myself really numb to understand what is actually happen. lets free your mind with the video that used SuperCollider to project the visualization and sync it with audio, hopefully you guys can understand. harhar



here another one.



ok, i was so amazing with the result of SuperCollider sync with processing, but still to figure it out by myself is quite difficult, the scripting and programming is really killing me tho.tsuk.

So i guess, using vvvv and max/msp is is quite decent rather than SuperCollider, since vvvv and max msp is involved with less scripting and quite easy to understand compare than SuperCollider and his scripting (duh) and another thing is, SuperCollider is actually is a Mac OSx based platform and as for me, i dont have mac pc or what so related, its quite difficult to understand the terms (another reason for me to buy mbp harhar).

This is the installation that made using SuperCollider and Processing.




references:
wikipedia
Super Collider Official

Justification and Content Development.

Yo, i guess for now, my project's concept is already strengthen up (still guessing). I'm certain now, im going to develop/create a digital instrument based on theremin and i felt like enhanced the idea with the use of synthesizer. Add on, im going to project a visualization to implement the midi sound that coming from the synthesizer/theremin. Oh, and the main key for this project is using arduino. I'd always love to do some wiring and circuit diagram since my earlier days, back went 'Kemahiran Hidup' subject is still offered to me, i guess it was back on 2003. Sadly, later on after that, there's no subject i've taken offered me to do a project based on electricity and electronic stuff. So its time for me to explore it now.

example of arduino +theremin

As moving forward, i do a lots of research based on arduino and theremin. I've found out, it was so effing difficult and the research became too messy once i step in into the arduino world which is involved a lots of programming and processing, the scripting only is killing me. But in a positive ways, the project gave me a lots of benefit to improve my scripting knowledge. Well it's true, i hate scripting and such but, the project forcing me to learn all the stuff (but most of the time copy and paste is better than understand the scripting it self). Just want to keep blog with lots of words so i m going to start talk about crappy stuff and bla bla bla. haha. ok enough with me blabbering about the stuff that you don't really care, so let's move on to the next chapter.

As far as im concern, My project is a sound based project togetherness with audio visualization. I'm doing my part by start researching about the midi sound, arduino and its environment, and the plug in i need to make the projects work. Also, the software that needs to be integrated with arduino and its environment, which is processing value. There's a few programs that offered a function to keep up with arduino and such. As been advised to me, vvvv and max/msp is the best ways to visualize the data that i'll collect from the arduino board.

Max/Msp environmet.

vvvv environment

Beside these, i've found other interesting programs that are been used to do the audio visualization, which is by using SuperCollider. But the poor things is, this application involved lots of scripting but of course in a fun ways, and the result of SuperCollider was superbly amazing. I've tried few things about the SuperCollider and found out, actually it might be the direct way to create a digital music but the hardest part is well-known, the scripting and the communication of it which involved lots of plug-in, nevertheless to studies the program itself is fun! (but so stressed out when thing doesn't seem to work on your orders)

Aite i will be going to talk about SuperCollider and including the plan for may project floor plan (does this sound wrong? wtv), and some storyboard regarding my imagination device and cicuit diagram.

references;

max/msp tutorial
vvvv website
Creating your own digital music
handmade music

Flowchart

General Flowchart about my installation




Detailed flowchart with issuing how the user communicate with my project and what is the outcome from the interactivity.



Basically that's how im going to project my installation on paper.
it's going to be difficult once i started out to build the actual project. *sigh

Budget Sheet

The approximate total cost of my project, but some of them i might not be able to afford it.
So just stick to the important stuff first, literally all my project stuff is not complete yet.
All the equipment is still under R&D stage, for example, the sensory subject. My Ultrasonic sensor is not working so well so i guess i should replace it with Sharp IR sensor and the use of 5k potentiometer is seems giving me trouble, my arduino is automatically turned off when the pots reaches the higher value, going to try with 10k later. Here is the budget sheet that i've plan for my project.


Hopefully i can manage to gather all the stuff i need for this project as soon as possible.
the next stage will get more crucial than all the critique i guess.
Please let me finish my project as smoothly as i can. *crossed finger*

Worksheet

Too much of SRI stuff for me, lots of words need to be done and my eyes are officially tired looking at those. As for my project stuff, i started out with planning my time and organizing my so called 'worksheet' which are only god knows how truthful i am following my own and only orders regarding 'time'(sigh..). Enough blabbering, I've been through lots of senior's blog and been surfing my tired eyes to search for the simplest way to create worksheet or gantt chart and to replaced the old ways for creating worksheet which is by using excel document. So the result come to Tom's planner. Haven't heard about it? make your way to here. It is the easiest way (for me) to create gantt chart, tom's also claim that there are the easiest planning tools compare than others (ms documents) and i tried it, indeed, the talks is true.

Ok, this is the screen shot of my worksheet;


The official link to my personal worksheet hehe.

I will try my best to follow the timeline. *hopefully*

Contextual / Discussion

The project's context

The lecture on context studies and themes on digital art has triggered me do an outline research based on my project. The lectures cover from historical context, education context, geographical context and others. So the assignment is to define what is the actual context that directly pointed to my projects. As i do my research, my project is about building a devices art (digital instrument + theremin based), so from my personal point, my project covered 3 context.

Historical context

- Theremin, a digital instrument that has been created by Leon theremin on 1920, a russin phycisict. The existing of this instrument already reached 80 years and can be considered as ancient by many.

Cultural context

-Has been used by many musician/composer as one of their main instrument to produce music.
-Can be consider as a cultural instrument to plays a music concert, for example one of the band's legend, Led Zeppelin, has used theremin as one of the main instrument in their live concert.
-Theremin also have a role on creating a movie soundtrack, for example to create a horror and spooky sound for horror movie.


Critical and theoretical context
-Many of young designer intend to create a similar project of digital instrument by implementing the theremin itself.
-Theremin has project and idea to create a do-it-yourself musical instrument and has been influenced many of independent and experimental developer to produce a low cost instrument by imitating an existing musical instrument.

Idea development/Critique 2 #5

Precedence studies/Additional research.

By browsing through and surfing much about devices art, I've found that it was really interesting for developer to build cool gadget by implementing their own ideas of being creative. Devices art, is broad subject to discuss, it has been covered by many independent artist and designer by creating/designing not only an audio based but whole lots more. Most of them are purposely create to imitate the existing gadget to make it more interesting and playful to be learned, for the fact, some of them are too subjective and the message is too deep to understand. The experimental idea of arts has discovered and interpreted from political to humanities context, its explain how creative the designer can be when the fun is being tolerated between experimental-ism and ancient ideology.



A typographic sequencer, an experimental performnace by Ashley John Pigford. Absolute genuine idea, transforming an alphabet to audio. He only used an electric bass guiter and played them sequentially to create and original musical composition accordingly to the thems 'electronics and musical images'. The based idea is to translates text into audio melodies. An outstanding performance by combining electric bass guitar(device) sync with the rhythm of the melodies to create such an experimental arts. I wish this is something that im going to produce from my project.

The one that catch my attention on devices art project/gadget or tools is a "midi synthesizer", gosh they were awesome! and since im doing a project on theremin concept i feel somehow it was connected to my idea of creating a digital instrument. Well of course the process of development is going to be hard and hectic for me to understand every single coding on processing stages, but at least i've been through my concept and sure what my project's purposes. haha sound a bit silly, but im going to try it!

this is some of the synthesizer that are really awesome.







To make it more interesting and to crossed out from typical digital instrument, i've been advised to implementing them by adding some visual interference. At first, my idea laid to visualize some human 3d facial for solfege plays, but as deeply brainstorming by many of ideas it feels like kinda numb and boring, the user might get too tense to experiment my project if they only produce a monotonous audio such as do re mi. The great idea i've been thinking now, is to replaces it with some midi sound and visualize it using a funky and electro visualization. There's a plenty of aduio visualization open sources programming that need to be consider and have to do a lots of research. Im going to experiment them, on critique 03 in content development stage. For now, from what i've been surfing and browsing, 'supercollider' is seems interesting and nice to be projected, example;



there's a lots more software that can produce a similar outcome like this, such as papervision, vvvv, and etc.