Comments on: Mike Relm and the future of Visuals http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/ A complete recource for digital dj's and performers that use digital technology including controllerism Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:46:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: DJ B-Naut http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-7158 DJ B-Naut Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:55:57 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-7158 "I?m really pumped for 90s computer-generated visuals to make a comeback. There were some really excellent technologies that never really took off?" Like LLCoolJ said, "Don't call it a comeback. I been here for years." That's the take I've had since I started adding video to my shows since 1999. Mike Relm is right. The audience takes a bit to register that the video feed is being controlled by the guy behind the turntables. Often I have had people tap me on the shoulder and ask, "Is that a DVD playing on screen? Where do I buy it?". Between the DIY Winamp AVS and pre-packaged computer animated DVDs, the general public hasn't been exposed to VJing as an on-the-fly artform (much like turntablism when it began). Those who aspired to become VJs in the late 90's often noted there was a big pricetag to go along with it, including another learning curve about video which some VJs-to-be backed away from. These are reasons IMHO why the VJ art kinda faded since then. It laid dormant and was left to develop and become bigger, better, faster, stronger. As last we saw our heroes of the bleeding edge of the VJ realm in the 90's, they have learned to grow and help develop the tech tools used while it remained not so much as an attraction. Fast forward 10 years to present day clubland. Technology has gotten less expensive. Gear is more user friendly with more bells and whistles available. The learning curve to use and manage said gear isn't as huge. The audience has wised up a bit to what is happening on stage with both the music and video being mixed and how it is done. Venue managers and event promotors are noticing that, yes, adding quality video mixers to the show is another attraction to get people in the door to help them enjoy another aspect of the evening. I agree that G-Force and Whitecap are decent for beginners. I used both early on and they worked well, but they resemble the canned Winamp AVS too much. I prefer ArKaos VJ 3.6. ArKaos is MIDI reactive-capable with full video, Flash, and still image manipulation with multiple effects and layers. Over time the ArKaos team has gotten better as the software has developed to become less hardware intensive and adding more capability with each version upgrade. I literally have done shows using ArKaos and had people grab a chair to sit in front of the screen and trip out. Roland has developed Edirol MDP1S Motion Dive .Tokyo, that comes with a USB controller, but I am not sure if it has the same MIDI or BPM recognition/triggering that ArKaos does. “I?m really pumped for 90s computer-generated visuals to make a comeback. There were some really excellent technologies that never really took off?”

Like LLCoolJ said, “Don’t call it a comeback. I been here for years.” That’s the take I’ve had since I started adding video to my shows since 1999. Mike Relm is right. The audience takes a bit to register that the video feed is being controlled by the guy behind the turntables. Often I have had people tap me on the shoulder and ask, “Is that a DVD playing on screen? Where do I buy it?”. Between the DIY Winamp AVS and pre-packaged computer animated DVDs, the general public hasn’t been exposed to VJing as an on-the-fly artform (much like turntablism when it began). Those who aspired to become VJs in the late 90’s often noted there was a big pricetag to go along with it, including another learning curve about video which some VJs-to-be backed away from. These are reasons IMHO why the VJ art kinda faded since then. It laid dormant and was left to develop and become bigger, better, faster, stronger.

As last we saw our heroes of the bleeding edge of the VJ realm in the 90’s, they have learned to grow and help develop the tech tools used while it remained not so much as an attraction.

Fast forward 10 years to present day clubland. Technology has gotten less expensive. Gear is more user friendly with more bells and whistles available. The learning curve to use and manage said gear isn’t as huge. The audience has wised up a bit to what is happening on stage with both the music and video being mixed and how it is done. Venue managers and event promotors are noticing that, yes, adding quality video mixers to the show is another attraction to get people in the door to help them enjoy another aspect of the evening.

I agree that G-Force and Whitecap are decent for beginners. I used both early on and they worked well, but they resemble the canned Winamp AVS too much. I prefer ArKaos VJ 3.6. ArKaos is MIDI reactive-capable with full video, Flash, and still image manipulation with multiple effects and layers. Over time the ArKaos team has gotten better as the software has developed to become less hardware intensive and adding more capability with each version upgrade. I literally have done shows using ArKaos and had people grab a chair to sit in front of the screen and trip out. Roland has developed Edirol MDP1S Motion Dive .Tokyo, that comes with a USB controller, but I am not sure if it has the same MIDI or BPM recognition/triggering that ArKaos does.

]]> By: nan http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6118 nan Wed, 28 May 2008 21:59:01 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6118 Ok, I dunno about the rest of you, but the only reason I even check out this site is because I'm willing to take things to the next level. For that, nothing is required. It's all about your ability and skills to be able to add your personal touch and taste that will get you to communicate something to an audience and share an experience with them. If your thing is applying new technology to your art, definetely visuals are a great option, but not the only one. It's all about what you want to express and the kind of reaction you want to get. I've been to a lot of parties, visuals and no visuals, and the way it goes is that people who really wanna dance do so + people who wanna chill and watch the visuals do so = the result is, more options, and more people enjoying themselves. I think visuals mostly will be a plus and not a minus to your gig. Obviously the more control, the more work, and the more related you get them to be to your music will make that much your show better. In the end Dj's will be Dj's, Vj's will be Vj's and people that like do both, will get the results they want accordingly to the work that will support their performance. Fun a lot of times takes work, and great fun sure takes great work, when you are the one to provide it. Ok, I dunno about the rest of you, but the only reason I even check out this site is because I’m willing to take things to the next level. For that, nothing is required. It’s all about your ability and skills to be able to add your personal touch and taste that will get you to communicate something to an audience and share an experience with them. If your thing is applying new technology to your art, definetely visuals are a great option, but not the only one. It’s all about what you want to express and the kind of reaction you want to get. I’ve been to a lot of parties, visuals and no visuals, and the way it goes is that people who really wanna dance do so + people who wanna chill and watch the visuals do so = the result is, more options, and more people enjoying themselves. I think visuals mostly will be a plus and not a minus to your gig. Obviously the more control, the more work, and the more related you get them to be to your music will make that much your show better. In the end Dj’s will be Dj’s, Vj’s will be Vj’s and people that like do both, will get the results they want accordingly to the work that will support their performance. Fun a lot of times takes work, and great fun sure takes great work, when you are the one to provide it.

]]> By: BentoSan http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6090 BentoSan Wed, 28 May 2008 16:24:57 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6090 I agree with Ean and think that the future of visuals is in real-time synthesised visuals. These provide(much like music synths) much much more control over the visualisation. Personally this would best be implementing into my setup by still continuing to keeping it all about music, nothing in my set would change besides the fact that each audio clip would also control a visual synthesizer that generates something relevant to that audio and effects smart-knobs would control parameters on what has been synthesised and/or add effects. The setup still remains focused on audio and an interesting side effect is some cool visuals going on in the background :p A part of this though is what music do you play, as visualisation syntheses i believe is more suitable to more electronic orientated music while if your mixing top-40 tracks you will probably be wanting to use the newest video clips. I agree with Ean and think that the future of visuals is in real-time synthesised visuals. These provide(much like music synths) much much more control over the visualisation.

Personally this would best be implementing into my setup by still continuing to keeping it all about music, nothing in my set would change besides the fact that each audio clip would also control a visual synthesizer that generates something relevant to that audio and effects smart-knobs would control parameters on what has been synthesised and/or add effects. The setup still remains focused on audio and an interesting side effect is some cool visuals going on in the background :p

A part of this though is what music do you play, as visualisation syntheses i believe is more suitable to more electronic orientated music while if your mixing top-40 tracks you will probably be wanting to use the newest video clips.

]]> By: Jimmymac http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6063 Jimmymac Wed, 28 May 2008 10:12:00 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6063 I doesn't float my boat particularly, I'm not keen on bars and clubs that have big TV screens, I have to turn my back, otherwise I just get sucked in and end up gawking at the screen instead of socialising and interacting with the people I'm with. I doesn’t float my boat particularly, I’m not keen on bars and clubs that have big TV screens, I have to turn my back, otherwise I just get sucked in and end up gawking at the screen instead of socialising and interacting with the people I’m with.

]]> By: Alex Weber http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6054 Alex Weber Wed, 28 May 2008 07:07:42 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6054 I'm really pumped for 90s computer-generated visuals to make a comeback. There were some really excellent technologies that never really took off... http://www.rabidhamster.org/R4/ is great, http://www.soundspectrum.com/ has G-Force, Whitecap, and more... hell, even Winamp's AVS is excellent. Man... I used to love this stuff. Maybe it's time for me to look into being a VJ again. Alex I’m really pumped for 90s computer-generated visuals to make a comeback. There were some really excellent technologies that never really took off…

http://www.rabidhamster.org/R4/ is great, http://www.soundspectrum.com/ has G-Force, Whitecap, and more… hell, even Winamp’s AVS is excellent.

Man… I used to love this stuff. Maybe it’s time for me to look into being a VJ again.

Alex

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6045 Anonymous Wed, 28 May 2008 05:00:21 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6045 I think it depends I went to a concert and in Nashville, it was DJ signify, black moth super rainbow, and headliner was aesop rock. All three artist had visuals. And I thourghly enjoyed black moths it was very entertaining it did not stop me from dancing at all. I think it depends I went to a concert and in Nashville, it was DJ signify, black moth super rainbow, and headliner was aesop rock. All three artist had visuals. And I thourghly enjoyed black moths it was very entertaining it did not stop me from dancing at all.

]]> By: weaponry http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6041 weaponry Wed, 28 May 2008 04:38:39 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6041 toning down the visuals is good, but i think having people watching, listening and dancing is definitely the way to go. if your people are just watching it means your music isn't live enough: music and lights should function complementary to each other, but also, the lights and music should also be complementary to dvj at the helm. if the visuals are stopping the people from dancing then it obviously means that the dj and the audio are not representing themselves as well as the visuals, but ultimately the dvj should have control all of it, or get out from behind the decks...and to get the argument out in the open, video gear should be independent of audio gear. the pioneer monster AV mixer is a novel a idea but serious dvjs will keep video separate from their audio, except for the vixid...maybe. does the vixid have word clock? or time code only? toning down the visuals is good, but i think having people watching, listening and dancing is definitely the way to go. if your people are just watching it means your music isn’t live enough: music and lights should function complementary to each other, but also, the lights and music should also be complementary to dvj at the helm. if the visuals are stopping the people from dancing then it obviously means that the dj and the audio are not representing themselves as well as the visuals, but ultimately the dvj should have control all of it, or get out from behind the decks…and to get the argument out in the open, video gear should be independent of audio gear. the pioneer monster AV mixer is a novel a idea but serious dvjs will keep video separate from their audio, except for the vixid…maybe. does the vixid have word clock? or time code only?

]]> By: average joe http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/28/mike-relm-and-the-future-of-visuals/#comment-6039 average joe Wed, 28 May 2008 04:20:43 +0000 http://www.djtechtools.com/?p=476#comment-6039 hmmm ... sounds interesting.. but I don't think this will be the future.. more like the turnpads that I saw.. being posted.. now that's crazy.. being able to manage sound waves trough a pad... people go to clubs to dance not to watch tv.. clubs are about getting drunk getting girls and dancing all night.. that's the club scene.. if i wanna watch tv I'll stay home.. hmmm … sounds interesting.. but I don’t think this will be the future.. more like the turnpads that I saw.. being posted.. now that’s crazy.. being able to manage sound waves trough a pad…

people go to clubs to dance not to watch tv.. clubs are about getting drunk getting girls and dancing all night.. that’s the club scene.. if i wanna watch tv I’ll stay home..

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