Background Info

Instrumentation

• (improvised) percussion: snare drum (+ found metal), hi hat
• electronics: processed samples, processed percussion, synthesized sound
• mobile devices: sounds triggered by web server

Form

• three large sections with contrasting textures + improv. styles
• drone + hiss / modem
• in part inspired by Contact opening scene (zoomout)
• textural improv on SD/HH with dreadlock brushes
• cell phones accumulate in radio samples / filtered noise bursts
• chopped/reversed input recordings

Form cont.

• (three large sections cont.)
• radio + static
• based around 60 bpm pulse
• delayed beeps + second roving beep at 59.7015 bpm
• hihat rolls synced with radio/static
• multi-tap delay with each delay randomly panned
• cell phones imitate modem sound from end of sec 1 (enter sequentially)

Form cont.

• (three large sections cont.)
• telegraph
• hiss + clicks on speakers
• sea of morse code pulses (cell phones) imitated on HH/metal on SD
• ends with brown noise swell
• Note: all durations and subevents determined at runtime in Pure Data

Background

• working at Stony Brook's Teaching Learning Lab (media lab) - wanted to apply computer programming to doctoral recital
• inspiration - Steven Schick premiere - Lei Liang's Trans (2014) (Miller Theater, Columbia)
• distributed stones to audience, signaled when to strike from stage
• wanted an inexpensive way to do multichannel audio

Aesthetics

• wireless - in content and medium
• breaking cultural (concert hall) norms
• performer/composer/audience relationship/balance of power
• improvisation, chance procedures on server/patch/mobile devices
• audience participation (active vs passive)
• stage/hall invisible wall
• performer/stage as focus of attention - audio/visuals on cell phone
• not silencing cell phones

Aesthetics cont.

• spatialization
• massively multichannel
• immersivity (sound sources from audience)
• chance-based location and volume (depends on audience)

Aesthetics cont.

• randomization
• hands-free organicity (division of duties)
• computer as performer (living piece)
• unpredictability (vs fixed-media/performer+tape)
• "fuzzy"/aleatoric composing
• composing in general outlines/proportions, leaving computer to fill out details
• specifying rates of triggering, chances of triggering, ranges of parameters

Sounds

• majority of sounds reference wireless technology (samples, synthesis)
• wireless telegraph (radio waves) - Guglielmo Marconi (patented 1896)
• first public radio broadcast - Lee De Forest/Metropolitan Opera (12/3/1910)
• Enrico Caruso as Canio - I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
• Riccardo Martin as Turridu - Cavalieria Rusticana (Mascagni)

Sounds cont.

• 1200 baud modem (not quite wireless, but evokes the WiFi-enabled nature of the piece)
• other misc sounds (radio static, fake talk radio)

Technical Details

Software Tech Stack

• Pure Data - brains
• sound for on-stage speakers, scheduling, cues
• Node.js (Macchiato/Clojurescript) - messasge forwarder
• host web page
• OSC communication with Pure Data
• WebSocket communication with individual clients (socket.io)
• triggered events from Pd via OSC

Software Tech Stack cont.

• HTML/CSS/JS(CLJS) - message implementer
• client-facing view
• React/Reagent/JS - reactive visuals/info display
• Web Audio API/Tone.js - synths, samples
• Websocket communication with server via socket.io

Hardware Tech Stack

• laptop
• audio interface (+ mics)
• wireless router

Pure Data

Jobs

• audio for on-stage speakers
• live input recording (attack-triggered at max rate of 20s) / processing (rev./chopped, delays, FFT bin mag. thresholding)
• samples + synthesis
• user interface (controls, clocks, cues)
• clocks for overall piece, current section, current section duration, next event timing
• sec. 2 - cues for roll entrances 8th note before start and finish

Jobs cont.

• scheduling and triggering
• determine structure of piece (3 major sections)
• communication with node.js server (OSC)
• retrieve client list (base64)
• direct server to trigger events (WebSockets)

Chance Operations

• overall section durations
• randomly chosen within ranges to add up to at least seven minutes
• timings of events/subsections
• approx. times with given ranges (smw-nextsubsec 50 7 -> 50 seconds in given section +/- 7)
• perc. part cued as well! (sec. 2)

Chance Operations cont.

• specific contents of events
• random selection of given range of clients
• random selection and playback location of sound files (sec. 2)
• randomization of parameters of synthesized sounds (sec.1 drone)
• random triggering (and selection of params within given ranges) of samples
• randomization of delay lines (section 2)
• all based around abstractions of [random] object (LCG)

Node.js server

Jobs

• serve web page for clients
• keep track of indiv. connections via WebSockets (socket.io)
• trigger events on all devices (broadcast)
• trigger events on a specific device (emit)
• communicate with Pure Data (OSC)
• provide list of connections (base64)
• forward triggers from Pd to clients

Client (HTML/CSS/JS via CLJS)

Jobs

• client-facing interface loaded on devices
• CSS, JS for dynamic background, React (Reagent) for dynamic text
• sound synthesis/playback (Web Audio API / Tone.js)
• triggered by Node webserver (with visual feedback)

Chance Operations

• all sequences generated client-side (audio.cljs)
• chopped samples (sec. 1), filtered noise (sec. 1), telegraph beeps (sec. 3)
• freq / dur / Q / sample location / amp. / etc.
• start times of sequences (client.cljs)
• flags from OSC for immed. start / delayed
• other sound parameters
• base freq. for modem synths (clicks/whine)
• speed of modem clicks (subdivisions of 4s)
• freq of sine osc. for telegraph

Technical Discussion

Technical Notes

• why browser and not native?
• easily (comparatively) cross-platform
• no need to download additional software
• server/client
• cons
• data payload size
• limited to browser capabilities/non-native

Technical Considerations

• accessing hosted web site?
• static IP (easy, /etc/network/interfaces on *nix)
• router and DNS server?
• OpenWrt (DNS)
• Dynamic DNS (host on computer with bind?)
• qr-code direct to static ip
• port number (port 80/custom port)
• port 80 (Web): setcap 'cap_net_bind_service+3p' /usr/bin/nodejs

Technical Considerations cont.

• Apple/iOS - need user interaction to start audio context
• latencies from WiFi (rhythmic/timing accuracy)
• auto-screen lock without interaction
• NoSleep.js - https://github.com/richtr/NoSleep.js

Biblography

• "[Met Performance] CID:49210." MetOpera Database: The Metropolitan Opera Archives, Metropolitan Opera Association, archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=49210&limit=2500&xBranch=ALL&xsdate=&xedate=&theterm=1910-11&x=0&xhomepath=&xhome=. Archive of December 3, 1910 Matinee Program Information

Bibliography cont.

• Kane, Joseph Nathan. Famous First Facts. The H.W. Wilson Company, 1964.
• Fantel, Hans. "Sound; Out of De Forest And Onto The Air Came Music." The New York Times, 14 Jan. 1990, p. 002030, www.nytimes.com/1990/01/14/arts/sound-out-of-de-forest-and-onto-the-air-came-music.html.

Bibliography cont.

• Sims, Michael. "Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci Crimes of Passion." Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci, www.concertoperaboston.org/cavalleria.html.
• Guglielmo Marconi - Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2018. Sun. 14 Oct 2018.