The Harmonizer: Communal Synthesizer via Wifi-LAN and Mobmuplat

The Harmonizer

The Harmonizer is a single or multi-player mini-moog synthesizer played over a shared LAN.

(credits: The original "minimoog" patch is used by permission from Jaime E. Oliver La Rosa at the the New York University, Music Department and NYU Waverly Labs (Spring 2014) and can be found at: http://nyu-waverlylabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/minimoog.zip)

One or more players can play the instrument with each player contributing to one or more copies of the synthesizer (via the app installed on each handheld) depending on whether they opt to play "player 1" or "player 2".

By default, all users are "player 1" so any changes to their app, ex. changing a parameter, playing a note, etc., goes to all other players playing "player 1".

If a user is "player 2", then their notes, controls, mod-wheel etc. are all still routed to the network, i.e. to all "player 1"'s, but they hear no sound on their own machine.


There are 2 pages in The Harmonizer. (See screenshots below.)

TheHarmonizer.zip

PAGE 1:

help-page1.png

PAGE 2:

help-page2.png

The first page of the app contains all controls operating on a (more or less) "meta"-level for the player: in the following order (reading top-left to bottom-right):

pl2: if selected (toggled) the user is choosing to play "player 2"
mot(ion): triggers system motion controls of the osc1,2&3 levels (volume) based on the accelerometer inside the smartphone (i.e as you twist and turn the handheld in your hand the 3 oscs' volumes change)
rate: how frequently should the handheld update its accelerometer data
slimit: by how much should the app slow down sending the (continuous) accelerometer data over the network
presets: from 1 to 5 preset "save-slots" to record and reload the Grid 1 and Grid 2 settings that are currently active
S: save the current Grid1 and Grid2 selections to the current "save slot"
L: load the currently selected preset into both Grids
">>": go the the next page (page 2 has the reverse, a "<<" button)
Grid 1: the settings, in 4 banks of 3 parameters per-, which are labeled top-down equating to left-right
Grid 2: the same as Grid 1, but with a different set of parameters

The second page comprises:

the 2-octave keyboard (lower notes on top),
a 9-button octave grid (which can go either up or down 4 octaves),
a quick-preset grid which loads one of the currently saved 5 presets
the "<<" button mentioned above, and
both a mod and pitch-bend wheel (as labeled).

SETUP:

All players install Mobmuplat;

Receive The Harmonizer (in the form of a .zip file either via download or thru email, etc.)

When on your smartphone, click on the zip file, for example, as an attachment in an email.

Both android and iphone will recognize (unless you have previously set a default behavior for .zip files) the zip file and ask if you would like to open it in Mobmuplat. Do so.

When you open Mobmuplat, you will be presented with a list of names, if in android click the 3 dots in the top right of the window and on the settings window , click "Network" Or on an iphone click "Network" just below the name list;

On the Network tab, click "LANDINI".

Switch "LANDINI" from "off" to "on".

(this will allow you to send your control data over your local area network with anyone else who is on that same LAN).

From that window, click "Documents".

You will be presented again, with the previous list of names.

Scroll down to "TheHarmonizer" and click on it.

The app will open to Page 1 as described and shown in the image above.

Enjoy with Or without Friends, Loved, Ones, or just folks who want to know what you mean "is possible" with Pure Data :-))!


Theories of Thought on the Matter

My opinion is:

While competition could begin over "who controls" the song, in not too great a deal of time, players will see first hand, that it is better (at least in this case) to work together than against one another.

If any form of competition emerges in the game, for instance loading a preset when a another player was working on a tune or musical idea, the Overall playablilty and gratitude-level will wain.

However, on the other hand, if players see the many, many ways one can constructively collaborate I think the rewards will be far more measurable than the costs, for instance, one player plays notes while the other player plays the controls.

p.s. my thinking is:

since you can play solo: it will be fun to create cool presets when alone then throw them into the mix once you start to play together. (Has sort of a card collecting fee :-)).


Afterward:

This was just too easy Not to do.

It conjoins many aspects of pure data together (I have been working on lately (afterward: i did this app a long time ago but for some reason and am only now thinking to share it) both logistical and procedural into a single whole.

I think it does both quite well, as well as, offer the user an opportunity to consider or perhaps even wonder: What is 'possible'?"

Always share. Life is just too damn short not to.

Love only.
-svanya