OVERVIEW
What is the "9 Box" Method?
"9 Box" is a portable social musical instrument and performance method. It can also be used as the basis for an educational music lab.
"9 Box" is a portable social musical instrument and performance method. It can also be used as the basis for an educational music lab.
Project Goals
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Create a framework that would bring more electronic music joy into the world and also act as a catalyst for science-based music education.
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Create a social musical instrument that would allow for performance, improvisation, and spontaneous tribal jams with music, sound, and light for 1-4 people.
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Less than a 2 minute learning curve to start a jam
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Allow users to play and control audio samples and audio effects with gestures, and by moving and turning intelligent musical blocks.
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Offer feedback on block function and tempo in the form of light.
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Allow players to quickly refill sounds with new sounds including original wavs,mp3s, aiffs recorded with a mic or digital recorder.
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Allow admins and players to spend more time making music and sound than configuring hardware and software.
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Use only off-the-shelf commercially available components.
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Offer a consistent method for performance regardless of sounds loaded.
Applications
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Group social musical instrument
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Performance system for artists
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Performance system for installs
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Can be used as a platform for educational computer music lab, student outreach, and music therapy
Quick Facts
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Created by Boulder-based experimental electronic music artist, composer, and synthesist Mark Mosher.
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Is based on a set of templates for Ableton Live and Percussa MIDI Bridge for use with Percussa AudioCubes as controllers.
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Is an "open knowledge" project shared under Creative Commons (see page footer for details) so that others can adopt and extend these concepts.
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Is already in use and the basis for a computer lab in a Denver Metro area school see related blog posts.
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Uses a consistant setup and perofrmance method which is easily learned via a printable Table Top Quick Start guides
SLIDE SHOW SUMMARY OF METHOD
View more presentations from MarkMosher
VIDEO DEMOS
System Startup and Short Performance
System Startup and Short Performance
First Use at Adams 12 STEM Magnet School
DETAILS
1-4 Players
The system is intended for applications in social musical jams, music education, music therapy, installations, and festivals and supports 1-4 players per instance.Without changing any settings, or having to reconfigure controllers, the system can organically scale from 1-4 players. Players simply decide what role they will take and re-arrange the cubes accordingly. Not limited to humans.
The system is intended for applications in social musical jams, music education, music therapy, installations, and festivals and supports 1-4 players per instance.Without changing any settings, or having to reconfigure controllers, the system can organically scale from 1-4 players. Players simply decide what role they will take and re-arrange the cubes accordingly. Not limited to humans.
Light
The AudioCubes edition also emits light that is tempo synced making the performance visual interesting for observers. The light also offers feedback to players and allows for interesting color mashups. The system supports a drag-and-drop refill concept allowing users to drop new sounds in on-the-fly.
Adaptable, Extensible, Endless
The 9 box system makes it easy to change the sounds and musical phrases on-the-fly by dragging refills to a 9 Box. This happens without stopping the music making this an endless musical system with no limits other than your imagination. In my first template, I'm arranging 9 box clips so each box has a specific role, one for Tone, one for Rhythm. Clips get more complex as you move from 1-9. I've designed the 9 Boxes this way to support clear user roles for those learning the system. You are not locked into this structure of course, and can do anything you like with the 9 clips. Light Refills are also in the works. See related blog posts on this.
The 9 box system makes it easy to change the sounds and musical phrases on-the-fly by dragging refills to a 9 Box. This happens without stopping the music making this an endless musical system with no limits other than your imagination. In my first template, I'm arranging 9 box clips so each box has a specific role, one for Tone, one for Rhythm. Clips get more complex as you move from 1-9. I've designed the 9 Boxes this way to support clear user roles for those learning the system. You are not locked into this structure of course, and can do anything you like with the 9 clips. Light Refills are also in the works. See related blog posts on this.
A Backpack-Ready Laptop Based Near Infra-structureless Jam Station
The system is very light on the infrastructure side and only requires a laptop (MAC or PAC) running the latest version of Ableton Live and - for the first edition - 3-6 Percussa AudioCubes, a few free APPs and a powered USB hub. So backpack ready. Once you understand the system, you can set it up in about 5 minutes. See photos.
The system is very light on the infrastructure side and only requires a laptop (MAC or PAC) running the latest version of Ableton Live and - for the first edition - 3-6 Percussa AudioCubes, a few free APPs and a powered USB hub. So backpack ready. Once you understand the system, you can set it up in about 5 minutes. See photos.
Advanced Users
For advanced users, the system offers an easy to grasp methodology and use it as a starting point to control audio in a consistent and tangible way.
For advanced users, the system offers an easy to grasp methodology and use it as a starting point to control audio in a consistent and tangible way.
The Number 9 and the 9 Box
"9 Box" refers to a 3x3 matrix of 9 clips - hence the "9 Box". Why 9 clips? After much research I've concluded that 9 is a perfect number of clips for mapping to a single AudioCube and a small enough number of clips that it's easy to keep track of the different musical or sound phrases.
"9 Box" refers to a 3x3 matrix of 9 clips - hence the "9 Box". Why 9 clips? After much research I've concluded that 9 is a perfect number of clips for mapping to a single AudioCube and a small enough number of clips that it's easy to keep track of the different musical or sound phrases.
Within a template, multiple 9 Boxes can exist as targets for user control. In other words, a user's movement with the controllers can launch music, sound and light clips via controllers.
In the first template which I'll be posting soon, four 9 Boxes:
- Tone
- Rhythm
- Lights for Tone Cube
- Lights for Rhytm Cube
1-4 players can perform compositions interactively with real-time effects with visual feedback that is locked to tempo.
Built-In Effects
In addition to launching musical phrases, players can also apply 8 real-time effects. In the first template I've organized these effects so that one AudioCube controls effects for Tone, the other for Rhythm. In the first template I've mapped effects as follows:
In addition to launching musical phrases, players can also apply 8 real-time effects. In the first template I've organized these effects so that one AudioCube controls effects for Tone, the other for Rhythm. In the first template I've mapped effects as follows:
- Cube A (Sensor) = FX: 1 = Filter, 2 = Delay Wet/Dry, 3 = Scratch, 4 = Vocoded Resonance effect
- Cube B (Sensor) = FX: 1 = Filter, 2 = Delay Wet/Dry, 3 = Beat Repeat, 4 = Bit Crushing
I plan on releasing additional templates with different mappings.
CREDITS
While I have personally put a lot of time into creating the templates and methods, I could not have done it without great engineering work by Ableton, Percussa, and Novation. Also thanks to Marc http://djnotsomuch.com/for his Ableton Template work and the creation of the "Platter" concept which inspired me to structure my "refills" as drag-and-drop live sets for on-the-fly loading.
While I have personally put a lot of time into creating the templates and methods, I could not have done it without great engineering work by Ableton, Percussa, and Novation. Also thanks to Marc http://djnotsomuch.com/for his Ableton Template work and the creation of the "Platter" concept which inspired me to structure my "refills" as drag-and-drop live sets for on-the-fly loading.
I also want to credit Moldoverfor his inspirational work in controllerism. The Octamasher work is brilliant and pushed me to come up with a way to create a similar system that would fit in a backpack.
