Networked Video

). approach, (see Polytemporal Music), I decided to construct my own visual cuing system, i.e. a visual metronome, using a graphic software program. I was disappointed to discover how difficult it is to predict the actual beat without an ictus and the concomitant recoil that naturally occur in the gestures of a conductor. Cartoon animators long ago learned the necessity of using speed ramps when programming objects in motion. Actions such as walking, throwing a ball or cars stopping and starting always incorporate speed ramps in their construction. When the speed ramp is eliminated, i.e. the deceleration and acceleration of the movement which define the ictus, determining the tempo is much more difficult. I have include examples of my failed visual metronome below to demonstrate this point. The best feature of this program is that it accepts midi input, which makes the generation of a video cueing/metronome track much easier. The examples shown below use a 6/4 (12/8) time signature and the standard conducting pattern for this time signature. An auditory click track is included in the video samples for reference only, as that part was not intended for actual use. The generation of an audio click track using midi software program and a DAW is a no-brainer.

I was disappointed to discover how difficult it is to predict the actual beat without an ictus and the concomitant recoil that naturally occur in the gestures of a conductor. Cartoon animators long ago learned the necessity of using speed ramps when programming objects in motion. Actions such as walking, throwing a ball or cars stopping and starting always incorporate speed ramps in their construction. When the speed ramp is eliminated, i.e. the deceleration and acceleration of the movement which define the ictus, determining the tempo is much more difficult. I have include examples of my failed visual metronome below to demonstrate this point. The best feature of this program is that it accepts midi input, which makes the generation of a video cueing/metronome track much easier. The examples shown below use a 6/4 (12/8) time signature and the standard conducting pattern for this time signature. An auditory click track is included in the video samples for reference only, as that part was not intended for actual use. The generation of an audio click track using midi software program and a DAW is a no-brainer.

My first composition using this technique was written in 2005 for brass octet, and that led to the development of my approach to solving the problems of composing and performing polytemporal music. I had settled on the process of conducting each part of the score and producing a separate video of me conducting that part. (Fortunately, conducting was part of my background.) Each video was played back on a separate device, e.g. a computer or special DVD player, and those devices were synchronized over an ethernet network located on stage at the performing venue. I have been looking at different options and modifications ever since.

   My first polytemporal composition using Networked Video, called "Passing Thru," involved 8 separate computers linked via an ethernet network, plus one extra computer to serve as a master to synchronize the other 8 computers. You can watch a video presentation describing this composition here. "Passing Thru" uses the same rhythm Reich used in "Clapping Music" as a kind of homage to the composer. I expanded on the phasing technique and added a variety of polytemporal effects, including the superimposition of completely unrelated tempo and time signatures.

By 2014, I had decided to limit polytemporal compositions to string quartets. This was necessary to reduce rehearsal costs and equipment demands. A separate document containing photos of a string quartet rehearsing in my home, along with other documents describing the equipment involved, appears here.

If you decide to investigate Networked Video, I caution you against using laptops, tablets and wireless systems. There's nothing wrong with the processing speed of a laptop computer when incorporated into a LAN that provides visual cues for a polytemporal composition. The problem is the absence of dedicated, secure, network-type connectors. Most laptops were not intended to be hard-wired directly into an ethernet network using Cat6 cables. They were deisgned with portability in mind. Their use envisioned a wireless connection to a network, where a little antenna-like transmitter/receptor called a wireless adaptor was plugged into the USB port. Laptop computers were envisioned as being connected wirelessly to external devices, such as the internet or a printer.

Any concert hall technician will tell you that wireless devices are still unpredictable and unreliable in that environment. The use of wireless microphones and headsets has taken decades of modifications and integrated redundancy to become acceptable. And they are not cheap. The UHF wireless signals these systems use dominate the environment and can cause interference with other wireless signals. Even when in use, some engineer somewhere is standing behind the curtain ready to swap the wireless rig with a cabled connection at a moments notice. While you can get away with that kind of malfunction during a rock/hip-hop concert, you just can't tolerate a technical interruption with classical music... especially during a polytemporal performance.