For this project, I chose to explore the use of Max/MSP for audio-visual work. I used Max/MSP to receive MIDI signals from Ableton Live, because I wanted to explore how external signals could control images in real time. Also, I wanted the visuals to feel connected to the music, instead of just being a separate video.
In Ableton, I created a simple MIDI track with some notes and a repeating pattern. Then I send the MIDI signal from Ableton to Max/MSP. In Max, I used [notein] to receive MIDI notes and [ctlin] to receive midi controller data. I also used [scale] to convert the MIDI values into corresponding scales in Max.
For the visual part, I used [jit.world] as the main Jitter window and [jit.gl.gridshape] to generate a simple 3D shape. MIDI notes in Ableton control the size of the graphic, while controller values change its rotation and color. As the MIDI rhythm becomes tighter, the visuals also speed up.
The result is simple, but I really like how the sounds and visuals interact with each other in Ableton and Max/MSP. At first, some of the visuals were too random, so I had to figure out which MIDI signal was best to control which visual element. This is the key considerations when working on audiovisual projects.
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