Second Life to Open Sound Control (SL2OSC)

Inventor

A while back I cooked up this scheme for bridging the gap between the SL community and the music software community by enabling SL objects to control music software via OSC. I did not, however, have the expertise to make it happen. Well, our own wmonk took on the challenge last night and today and succeeded!

I was test subject running a simple synth on my Mac and a position-sensitive waistband with HTTPRequest() function call scripted into it. Now that it works, when my avatar walks around the synth changes it's dual sine wave tone. This is a bold step forward in uniting the two communities that I enjoy.

If you would like to experiment with such a setup, please contact me to discuss it or post here, thanks.

Les

WearableSynth_001.jpg

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My avatar standing on a cake stage (my rez day is tomorrow) wearing the demo motion controlled synthesizer.

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Inventor · Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:41 am Post subject:

Look! Look! Look! I did it... Second Life's first avatar-interactive stand-alone synth. It took a little while but once wmonk got the server side working and after some frustration I finally smartened up and learned how to use it, I was off to the races on the SL and client sides. This is a simple music synthesizer made of four sliders.

The bottom slider controls tempo and the top four control frequency of a ChucK SinOsc. It may be modest as a synth, but the key is that it bridges the gap between the immersive SL 3D VR environment and the music software world. Now people on both sides and especially those with one foot in each camp like myself are free to create in this way.

I gotta repeat something that really made me proud. I know this guy who was in SL since beta and earned a living for years from it. He knows pretty much all there is and is a master of many SL skills himself. When he saw this thing come together and work for the first time, he said "You are on a whole other level my friend, a whole other level"...

We were giddy with laughter at that moment because we knew something of minor but meaningful significance had occurred. It was one of the highest compliments I've ever received. So thanks woody and Zenia and anyone else who contributed to this success, together and collectively we are on a whole other level!

Les

FirstSLSynth_001.jpg

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Auraltone · Joined: Feb 10, 2011 Posts: 1 Location: USA

It looks pretty cool! I was wondering if this could be done, looks like you have done something good there! I am also in SL, not building synths like this, but creating music which is made up of electronic sounds, each placed in prims in a sculpture and play in variable loops, creating unending shifting pieces of ambient music. I also have been running a music show there, and sometimes even have offered live streams to musicians.

I have also been interested in a way to connect real life to SL; my solution (if it's a solution) was to work with another musician inside SL. I provide samples of sounds inside the world via a HUD and prims, which are then transmitted to his computer, where he manipulates them with his computer, using software synthesis, and then all this is sent back via the stream, along with extra improvisation on both our parts. Not quite perfect yet....

Inventor · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:21 pm Post subject:

ArualTone, please contact me in SL for a demo. In SL I am Inventor Alchemi.

Les

emdot_ambient · Joined: Nov 22, 2009 Posts: 667 Location: Frederick, MD

I find all this very fascinating...but every time I've looked at maybe joining SL I've realized what a huge amount I have to learn, and how much time it would take away from being productive in other areas. (Like I've dropped out of almost all my gaming to focus on SDIY and then, hopefully, live performance.)

Still...Love seeing what you guys are doing. Is it possible to do videos of what you're doing? Would love to see that!

Inventor · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:43 pm Post subject:

Here is the second SL synth, a four step sequencer with volume and tempo controls. The server software is in it's second revision as well now.

Les

SL2ndSynth_002.jpg

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Inventor · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject:

SL2OSC is growing in popularity fast. I taught a class to four people last sunday night and gave away a demo kit wit my part of the software open sourced to the SL community. two days later wmonk told me that the server got over 17,000 web hits from controller commands, lol. So we figure either one person has been busy or it is spreading like good open sourced software should do. Whatever, it's all good man and here is the class notes that explain the technology for anyone wanting to do this.

Les

Class Notes on SL2OSC Synthesizer.pdf

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SL2OSC class notes

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Class Notes on SL2OSC Synthesizer.pdf

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nobody · Joined: Mar 09, 2008 Posts: 1687 Location: Not here

Neat!

pyrosonic · Joined: Jul 12, 2008 Posts: 383 Location: Kent,Oh. USA

Good job Les!

droffset · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:38 pm Post subject:

What a cool achievement, I'll have to pop into SL sometime to check it out!

1:11 · Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 9:19 pm Post subject:

Cool, Les!! Very Happy

Once i get a lil more free time, i'd like to work on this with you, if you'd like.
i've got designs of GUI controller systems that have been just sitting around, and it fits right in with what you're doing.

Wouldn't be until after schools out, but i could draw out the interface for you now. albino

Teaching a virtual class.....the future is NOW!!
Did it feel weird to do?

Way to go wMonk, Inventor!!

Inventor · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 2:16 pm Post subject:

cool, i'm happy to see the response. currently wmonk is coding a stand-alone bidirectional version of the server script and i have been working on crreating an installation. My friend Hojo has created a keyboard and interfaced it to a ChucK program after much effort and testing. We hope my friend Jadz can find us a venue, and I am looking for a server that can host the installation. Will keep you all posted.

Les

Inventor · Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:01 am Post subject:

This project has stalled temporarily due to the need for a shoutcast server with ChucK installed in order to set up an installation. Bummer it is, but you know sometimes things go on the back burner and then they get revitalized.

Les

Inventor · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:49 am Post subject:

On a related note, the other day i got the notion that i could clean up the nasty audio quality of voice in SL by post-processing with ChucK. So I set up the audio routing and coded a chain of three algorithms that turn out to do a nice job at that task. I tested it on some hot mic folks with clipping and they became much more intelligible, noise was reduced, and volume was adjusted. It's not perfect as it introduces it's own noise and distortion, but it does make understanding people a whole lot easier.

I sent an email to the Phoenix viewer dev team to see what they say about it. I think I'll contact SL as well... If not, I'll put it on the marketplace.

Les