Open Sound Control (OSC) for Kyma

OpenSound Control is an open, transport-independent, message-based protocol developed for communication among computers, sound synthesizers, and other multimedia devices.

OSC is often used as an alternative to the 1983 MIDI standard, where higher performance, higher resolution and a richer musical parameter space is desired. OSC messages are commonly transported across the internet and within home and studio subnets using (UDP-IP, Ethernet).

The advantages of OSC over MIDI are primarily speed and the comparative ease of specifying a symbolic path, as opposed to specifying all connections as 8-bit numbers. 

Symbolic Sound Corporation has expanded the list of devices and applications that can communicate with its Kyma sound design environment by adding support for OSC to control parameters of Kyma sound synthesis and processing algorithms. OSC communication requires the Paca or Pacarana sound engine.

Using Open Sound Control, users can interact with Kyma using a variety of real-time controllers and software that offer higher resolution and faster update rates than can be achieved using traditional, standard MIDI controllers, such as the newly announced Apple iPad (and compatible iPhone and iPod Touch), the award-winning JazzMutant Lemur multi-touch surface, among the others.

OSC-enabled Kyma X.74 is a free software update for registered Kyma X owners.

[Jazz Mutant Lemur with Kyma]

Wrapping Other Protocols Inside OSC: MIDI over OSC

Symbolic Sound's protocol for sending bi-directional MIDI streams over OSC

Users can make good use of one of the following applications for sending MIDI over OSC to Kyma (removing the need for a MIDI interface on the computer):

• Andy Capon's OSCKymaMIDI (for Max and Max for Live)
• Delora's PacaMidi
• Camille Troillard's OSCulator

[Read more: Open Sound Control (OSC) for Kyma]
[Listen U.S.O. Project exploring the SlipStick Synthesis in Kyma]
[See Kyma at these upcoming events!]

Neïmo / OSCulator Remix Contest

Our friend Camille Troillard is setting up a little incentive with his band Neïmo. They are organizing a remix contest of the song Lines, which is their second single, that marks the launch of the album 'Moderne Incidental' in Germany, and the freshly shot video for this song.
Fairtilizer will offer the winner a digital release of the track, and some nice goodies.
In addition to that prize, if the winner is using OSCulator to make the track, Camille would like to offer a $100 worth iTunes gift certificate, and 5 free licenses. Be creative, and use his software for this remix!

[all the details here: osculator.net]
[Neïmo x Fairtilizer: Lines Remix Contest]

The Klangdom (Sound dome) in the ZKM_Cube

Hightech instrument for spatialization at the ZKM | Institute for Music und Acoustics.

ZKM "Cube" (photo by Marc Wathieu)

The Klangdom was finished in 2006 after three years of conception, planning and installation. Forty-three Meyersound speakers are attached to an elliptical rig system three-dimensionally in the room, four additional ones are placed on the ground. With this unique speaker instrument, as the head of the institute Ludger Brümmer explains, "complex polyphonic space-sound-movements can be displayed realistically and perceived from every spot in the room".

It can be controlled via Open Sound Control protocol or can also be used as Audio Unit plug-in. Thus, the user can incorporate Zirkonium's panning capabilities into his preferred environment (including Digital Performer, Logic).

User interface of the control software Zirkonium, studio window

[more via zkm.de/zirkonium]
[Zirkonium Manual -PDF]
[Zirkonium - Installer]
[Zirkonium - Max/MSP and SuperCollider Examples]

Jazzmutant Lemur V2 on the blogosphere

The public beta of the v2 firmware update will launched by Jazzmutant at AES (October 3rd to 5th) with the full version released Q4 2008. The full update will be free.

Brand new features:

Breakpoint object: multi-segment envelope editor
Gesture object: trackpad emulation with advanced gesture recognition
Alias: memory and time saver
Tabbed Container
Mouse and keyboard control (!)
Improved and new-look Jazzeditor
New multi-line script pane

[Sonic State]
[Harmony Central]
[Mac Music]
[Gearjunkies]

TouchOSC

TouchOSC is an iPhone/iPod Touch application that lets you send and receive Open Sound Control messages over a Wi-Fi network using the UDP protocol.

Availabe on the AppStore now.

This allows to remote control and receive feedback from software and hardware that implements the OSC protocol such as Pure Data and Max/MSP.

The interface provides a number of different touch controls to send/receive messages:

• Faders
• Rotary controls
• Push buttons
• Toggle buttons
• XY pads
• Multi-faders
• Multi-toggles
• LEDs

[http://hexler.net/touchosc]

Announcement: OSCulator 2.6

My french friend Camille Troillard has released OSCulator 2.6 (Cam, thanks for thinking of me for the Italian translations, it was a pleasure to work with you). And with the help of Ramirez Mora, OSCulator is now available in Spanish (and obviously French) as well.

Here's a selection of new features:

• added the possibility to generate a single MIDI note
• preset management system (also preset changing from osc, and wiimote led follows preset #)
• OSC routing editor: forge custom messages or change incoming OSC messages with a graphical editor
• added support for two virtual HID joysticks
• input lock: avoid to make any changes to the document when the lock is on
• added preliminary support for the TUIO protocol
• wii guitar hero preliminary support
• added the ability to "split" an input in two (from 0 to 0.5 and 0.5 to 1) in order to get two events from that range from 0 to 1
• upgraded max count of connected Wiimotes to 8
• added smoothing to Raw IR
• added double and triple clicks to mouse events
• simplified keyboard combo creation (now you just have to strike the combo)
  

If you would like to know more about Camille Troillard and his vision on the future of OSCulator, please read this nice article written by Kenneth Stewart for the SEAMUS newsletter from the Conservatory of Rice University, Houston.

If you are an iPhone user, please take a look at OSCemote. This simple application, written by Josh Minor, turns your iPhone into a clever tangible user interface with sliders, buttons, accelerometer information, and a multi-touch surface.
Are three iPhones a better choice then my brand new lonely Lemur? ;-)

[Lemur, the renowned multi-touch control surface for audio and media applications, was launched in 2005 by Stantum, formerly known as JazzMutant, the brand name of the company’s music product division. In the December 2007 issue of Information Display magazine, Stantum’s CEO tells the development story of PMatrix technology: Developing the First Commercial Product that Uses Multi-Touch Technology. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Multitouch (But Were Afraid to Ask)]

P.S. Many thanks to W. Brent Latta and Peter Kirn for the consideration on the CDM pages! Peter, you've been one of my first subscriptions in Google Reader.

Matteo Milani