Category Archives: GMS

The GMS (Gestural Music Sequencer), written in Processing.org by Unearthed Music recording artist and AudioCookbook.org founder John Keston, analyzes video input and converts it into a sequence of musical information in real-time. Each frame is processed to find the brightest pixel. The x coordinate is converted into pitch while the y coordinate is translated into dynamics. The application was also designed to use probability distributions on pitch and durations.

Late April MAW Outing GMS Excerpt #4

Posted on June 4, 2009 by John Keston

Here’s another segment from the late April MAW outing. Once again the stuck note persists. A vibes patch is in use, and a key change occurs at one minute and seven seconds into the excerpt.

April 30 GMS Excerpt #4

Late April MAW Outing GMS Excerpt #3

Posted on June 3, 2009 by John Keston

Here’s a third segment from the late April MAW outing. Almost the entire hour and five minutes of this set has a drone throughout the sound. The drone is a stuck note that happened early on in the set. I had yet to create the ability to stop stuck notes. I managed to use the drone for the performance, but needless to say, I fixed the problem soon afterward.

April 30, 2009 GMS Excerpt #3

Late April MAW Outing GMS Excerpt #2

Posted on June 2, 2009 by John Keston

Here’s a segment of audio captured from a early performance using the GMS during a MAW outing in April. An earlier part of the same one hour and five minute set was posted in GMS Audio Captured During MAW Outing.

April 30, 2009 GMS Excerpt #2

Particle System Jam Number Three

Posted on May 28, 2009 by John Keston

toponwood As I mentioned in a previous entry, I’ve been planning on using the GMS in an ensemble setting. I finally had the chance to do this as a duet with Graham O’Brien on drums. Things went fairly well, although I managed to discover another bug my application handling the external sync. Rather than trying to fix it during the session, I just used an old version and tiptoed around the difficulties by not using an external controller as I had wanted to. Nevertheless we were able to produce some nice studies for our first attempt. Here’s an excerpt from our third jam of the evening.

Particle System Jam #3

External MIDI Control via XML

Posted on May 27, 2009 by John Keston

After a few performances live looping with Ableton and the GMS, I have found it cumbersome and frustrating to have to repeatedly swap between the two applications. To solve this, I have added he ability to control the GMS with an external MIDI device. I achieved this by creating an XML document with the parameters included as tags with a CC attribute to designate what control change value to use for each setting here’s a few lines out of the XML document.

<GMSMidiController>
    <MIDIControllerName>Korg MS2000</MIDIControllerName>
    <MidiChannel CC="31" type="knob" />
    <TopOctaveIncrement CC="82" type="button" />
    <BottomOctaveIncrement CC="78" type="button" />
    <Preset useProgramChange="true" />
    <ToggleFreeMode CC="77" type="button" />
    <StartStop CC="89" type="button" />
    <Sustain CC="64" invert="false" type="pedal" />
    <SetDuration CC="30" type="knob" />
    <ToggleDotted CC="92" type="button" />
    <SetScale CC="29" type="knob" />
    <ToggleMirroring CC="86" type="button" />
</GMSMidiController>

As you can see I’m using knobs to adjust some settings and buttons to adjust others. It’s really fun to turn a knob on my Korg MS2000 and see the sliders in my software start to move in response. Program change for presets and note on for transposition will work from any old controller, but the rest of the parameters need to be mapped to knobs, sliders or buttons. In total I have around thirty-six specific parameters that are now adjustable with a controller.

GMS Performance Excerpt #4

YAGMSMT

Posted on May 26, 2009 by John Keston

gmsdata1 Translation: Yet Another GMS Micro Track. Many of these experiments are all starting to sound very similar. The reason why is that I’ve been doing all my testing with the same GMS preset file and the same set of virtual instruments in Ableton Live.

Soon, after I’ve slowed down on tailoring the code, I’ll start creating some new versions of things to see what sort of variety is possible. I also have plans for using these techniques in an ensemble.

GMS Microtrack 2

Tonight: MAW at the Mobile Music Symposium + GMS

Posted on May 22, 2009 by John Keston

inna Tonight (Friday, May 22, 2009) MAW will be projecting at a party for the Mobile Music Symposium outside of the Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis from 9:00 PM to midnight. The artists include Jenny Schmid, Ali Momeni, David Steinman, Andrea Steudel, Rachel James, and Robin Schwartzman. I’ll be providing musical accompaniment using my gestural music sequencer, perhaps creating something similar to the following segment.

GMS Performance Excerpt #3

Odd Percussion Sequence

Posted on May 18, 2009 by John Keston

I rendered this odd percussion sequence from a GMS practice session in Ableton Live.

Odd Percussion Sequence

GMS Performance Excerpt #2

Posted on May 17, 2009 by John Keston

xmaslights Here’s another unedited excerpt from a recent performance using the GMS. This example contains two live looped layers in a similar range at 124 bpm.

As shown in the photo, I was using a string of patio lights as one of my “light controllers” to create the sequences.

GMS Performance Excerpt #2

MAW Outing GMS Excerpt

Posted on May 15, 2009 by John Keston

Here’s a segment of audio from Wednesday’s MAW outing at Art Institutes Minnesota in downtown Minneapolis. I’m pretty happy with the arpeggiated, melodic loops I’m able to achieve with the right settings and a good light controller using this application. For video documentation of what was happening at the event, please visit minneapolisartonwheels.org.

This video shows me using various light controllers, including a string of patio lights, bike lights, and LED spinning tops to construct compositions using the GMS.

MAW Outing GMS Excerpt