Thursday, November 10, 2011

Post 04: Project #3 Proposal

My idea for this project is to create an audio-visualization program that generates tones based on user-activated “turtle paths”. By taking microphone input, the program creates a semi-random turtle path depending on the volume/length/pitch of the user’s voice. (For example, speaking quickly will create a turtle path that changes direction frequently, producing a rapidly fluctuating tone.) These “turtles” in turn will produce a musical tone defined by their movement. The overall effect will be to create a unique audio environment based on the user’s input. Using the “turtles” to create a constantly moving visual pattern will also be a goal for my project as well. To keep the program in constant motion, I may also have a “metronome” effect happen by default if there is no input at a given time.

For the project, I’ll be using Max5 to create the overall visual and aural result to be presented to the viewer. In addition, I will also use GarageBand for creating the “base” tones that the program will alter. The program will use the computer’s built-in microphone, though it’s possible I may be able to use a USB microphone for user input instead.

The first week of work will be concentrated on creating the basic programming and making sure the program runs in a simplified form. The next week will be concentrated on determining what to measure, how it translates to output, and tweaking it to get a desirable result.

The general concept I have for the project is similar to the Music-generation game Electroplankton for the Nintendo DS. Here's a video of the game, just to give you an idea.

No comments:

Post a Comment