Day 15: (Tue Oct 24, Week 9) Introduction to OSC and MIDI

Notes for 2023-10-24.

New Assignments

1. New assignment, due in a week: choreograph a light and motion performance at least two minutes long.

Agenda

1. Review of recent progress:

   • we assembled the current machine right before break

   • I fabricated new lighting gel holders

   • I rewrote the control code into separate lighting and motion servers

   • I wrote a new MIDI translation layer and tested with Logic

   • I recorded a five-minute performance

   • We ran at least 108 performances since last Wednesday as per the logs

2. Introduction to OSC and MIDI. References:

   • OpenSoundControl

   • Akai MPD218 Drum Pad Controller

   • MIDI

   • python-osc

   • mido

   • StepperSpline Arduino Sketch

3. Detailed walkthrough of new theater control software.

   • Theater Control System

   • Theater System Scripts

   • Max/MSP interfacing

   • Ableton Live interfacing

   • Logic Pro X interfacing

4. Discussion of next steps.

   • What’s the next revision of the hardware?

notes on IDeATe Cluster MacBook Pro

1. Currently has Python 3.11.5 installed, but no extra packages.

   • Audio MIDI Setup.app: configure and enable IAC Driver

   • Max 8.5.6 installed and authorized via keyserver

   • Ableton Live 10 Suite installed

2. Setting up python:

   • pip3 install mido python-osc scipy matplotlib python-rtmidi PyQt6

   • download tools.zip and theater.zip

3. Running the MIDI to OSC bridge client:

   • set up IAC Driver bus to communicate MIDI out of Live

   • python3 MIDI-bridge.py --ip 172.24.26.199 --midi 'IAC Driver Bus 1' --console --debug

   • connect MPD218 or run virtual-MPD218.py

4. Recording events with Ableton Live:

   • from Settings, enable the MIDI busses

   • set first track output to IAC Driver (Bus 1) Ch 1

   • set second track output to IAC Driver (Bus 1) Ch 2

   • set track inputs to either virtual or real MPD218

   • arm track recording for either channel, press record, perform in real time

Using your own computer

1. You’ll need some kind of MIDI sequencer capable of MIDI output:

   • This does not include GarageBand

   • Ableton Live, Logic Pro

   • Reaper

   • Max/MSP (not a sequencer, but support for visual programming)

   • more ideas at Comparison of MIDI editors and sequencers

2. You’ll need some means of sending MIDI from the sequencer to Python:

   • macOS: Audio MIDI Setup IAC Bus

   • Windows: loopMIDI (VirtualMIDI)

3. You’ll need some kind of input device

   • recommended: check out MPD218 from Lending

   • also possible: use virtual-MPD218.py