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.

Name My New Project

Posted on June 5, 2009 by John C.S. Keston

light_controller Here’s a segment from another jam session using the GMS with Graham O’Brien on drums. This was our second attempt, and performed at a slower tempo than the third piece that I posted excerpts from recently. I’m looking forward to the next session because I’ve done a bit of refining within the GMS code, including some optimization and bug fixing.

I was going to name this project “Particle System” (as in particles of light that drive the GMS), but then I learned that there’s a popular band called “Particle” and decided against it. I’m horrible at naming things, so if any of you ACB readers have any brilliant ideas, let ‘um fly.

Jam 2 Segment

Late April MAW Outing GMS Excerpt #4

Posted on June 4, 2009 by John C.S. 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 C.S. 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 C.S. 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 C.S. 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