Unattended Music Vizualization
NOTE: People with epilepsy and/or photosensitivity may suffer a seizure if exposed to flashing or strobe lighting.
32u2 works with two sources of audio: your built-in microphone (activate with F1), or a .wav audio file loaded from the disk (Ctrl-F1).
18 keyboard shortcuts control various aspects of the performance. Use F2 to toggle control status bar and inspect all current settings.
To script MIDI performance along the timeline, use your favourite DAW and a utility that translates MIDI to keystrokes.
Without toggling status bar to visible state, by only using keyboard shortcuts, it is possible to prepare the text phrase and show it as an announcement.
There are two types of announcements: the static, toggable announcement (Ctrl-F12) and animated announcement (F10). Ctrl-Left/Right arrow controls the color of the announcement text and Ctrl-Up/Down arrow adjusts the text size.
32u2 is designed to be equally suitable for live performance and for unattended generation of visuals, possibly for hours at a time. The most common usage pattern in, say, clubs, is unattended execution (feeding audio from the laptop's buil-in mic), combined with occasional typing and recalling of text announcements - something that can easily be performed by the DJ and thus not requiring dedicated VJ role.
Some of the 32u2 control parameters, like preset selection, preset interval and blending time, require the entry of numeric values. If the application is in the full screen mode, possibly with the status bar not displayed on the screen, this would be very difficult without the use of the numeric buffer. Following Enter key, that clears numeric buffer, any digit up to four digits would populate the buffer. The fourth digit entered will clear the buffer and become the only digit available in it. For 'blind control' it is essential to always start population of the numeric buffer with Enter key. Commiting buffer (F7, F8, F9) will also clear it. The buffer content is at any time visible in the status bar.
Every preset generates visuals according to its own internal logic. The blending of the two presets is not simlpy fading out of one and fading in of another preset - what actually gets blended are the preset parameters. Because of this, the succession between any two presets is almost unpredictable. Setting the long preset interval time and even longer blending time ensures the most varied evolving visuals that would require centuries before again encountering the very same image on the screen. For the immediate recall of another random preset (with no blending involved), use F5 keyboard shortcut. F5 does not affect the set blending time for the next scheduled transition.
32u2 is designed in such a way that the full control is available only through keyboard shortcuts (possibly automated along the timeline using MIDI). This does require some practice and internalizing of what exactly each of the keyboard shortcuts does. While learning, and also during the live performance, using F2 shortcut, it is possible to display (or hide) an inobtrusive status bar containing all current parameters. The liberal use of Enter key during performance to clear the numeric buffer and remove focus from the announcement's text entry field ensures the least amount of mishaps. Jotting down the list of IDs for presets that will be manually recalled at various stages of the performance also helps.
The simplest way to BPM synched visuals in the club is a dedicated laptop using its built-in mic as a sound source. Computer needs its microphone to be enabled - a popup error will occur if that is not the case.
32u2 is not an audio player, so this option is included as a backup option when mic is not available. The visuals will continue updating after the file had stopped playing.
Selection of filters (grayscale, sepia, color saturation, color inversion/negative, brightness, contrast and hue rotation) can be applied to all played presets to a various degree (i.e. "sepia 80%").
32u2 status bar is inobtrusive enough to be tolerated for the brief periods of time during public performance. It shows all currently active options. Status bar is not needed to perform any actions using keyboard shortcut keys.
With random cycling through presets turned off, the current preset will command visuals ad infinitum. For full control over visuals one can always choose to set cycling to false and use numeric buffer + F9 for manual control.
The history of played presets is accessible using this shortcut. F4 triggers blended transition and Ctrl-F4 immediate transition to the previous preset.
F5 for blended and Ctrl-F5 for immediate transition. Rapid succession of Ctrl-F5 and F4 'refreshes' the current preset. F5 does not restart the preset interval time, so the next scheduled change is still on time.
This shortcut is used together with the numeric buffer. It sets the interval, in seconds, after which the random preset change will occur. Of course, the status of F3 toggle (cycling set to true, or false) overrides application of this interval.
This shortcut is used together with the numeric buffer. It sets the period of time, in seconds, over which the 'old' preset will blend in with the new preset before the new preset takes over. The nature of blending depends on the presets at hand.
This shortcut is used together with the numeric buffer. The preset IDs are available from the drop down in the left corner of the status bar (activated with F2). Preset transition takes in the account specified blending time.
If any announcement text is entered, F10 will launch the animated announcement. The color of this text will depend on selected font color and be somewhat transparent. The announcement dissapears after 6 seconds.
Pressing Ctrl-F10 and any text afterwards will change the announcement text. It is essential to press Enter after finalizing the text entry in order to return the focus to the numeric buffer. The text is displayed in the status bar.
While animated announcement stays on the screen for only 6 seconds, the static announcement is turned on and off with this key. The font size and font color are set with Ctrl-Up/Down Arrow and Ctrl-Left/Right Arrow shortcuts respectivelly.
The font size, as denoted in the status bar, controls only the appearance of the static announcement. The size of the animated announcement is calculated on the fly, subject to how long is the announcement text.
The color of both announcement types is controled using this shortcut. Currently selected announcement color can be seen in the status bar - the black color will not be visible, though, as the status bar background is also black.
This shortcut has two functions depending on the context. While busy typing announcement text, it finalizes this task, though not yet displays the announcement text. Otherwise it clears the numeric buffer.
If you are in the announcement text entry mode (following Ctrl-F10), digits become part of the announcement text, just as if they are normal alpha characters. Otherwise, the digits populate numeric buffer. See also Enter key.
This is standard browser shortcut to enter, or exit full screen mode. This application hides mouse pointer, so (on Windows) by using Alt-F4 first ensure your browser is in focus.
32u2 requires some time to 'get into it' and squeeze the most out of its features. Memorizing all 18 keyboard shortcuts and getting to know the presets is the most important part of it. Creating lists of various preset IDs under different tags (i.e. 'splashes', 'b & w', 'calming', 'whirling' etc.) helps too.
The Android 32u2 Remote app reached its beta - change scenes, apply filters, compose and fly announcements from the comfort of the dance floor!
For the creatives among us, this mobile app allows access to the PC's file system and loading of visualization presets from the JSON files found there.
This means editing, remix, or creation of entirely new presets in an editor such as Visual Studio Code, with near instant (requires retrigger via mobile) preview of the results in the browser becomes recommended workflow.
The manual describing the creative process is on its way. In the meantime, visit jberg's GitHub repository to acquaint yourself with the required JSON format - without his stellar work on bringing Milkdrop to WebGL2 this project would not be possible.
