6 ms·

Orbita – A MIDI Turntable Sequencer

75 points by Bondi_Blue 4y ago

avisser 4y ago
I love the idea, but it looks less-than-ideal to "play" it live. I watched the first video and you can see the handler struggling to place & adjust notes. Why not have the scanner sweep across a stationary circle? Not turntable enough?
- camillomiller 4y ago
  I think the scanner is less precise if it moves instead of reading as a fixed arm
  - avisser 4y ago
    You're right. The turntable would have a lot more angular momentum. It has to be easier to maintain precise RPMs.
  - plastic3169 4y ago
    Scanner does not have to move though. Just taking an image and analysing that could work. Maybe from underneath. It would be nice to have large surface without strict grid to play around placing the objects. I get the turntable reference, but if you can’t scratch it’s sort of pointless form.
- 22c 4y ago
  I also noticed in one of the demos that it his a wrong note: https://youtu.be/dYloQf7h0QY?t=60 https://youtu.be/dYloQf7h0QY?t=60 I suspect if you're not in a well lit room with cool white lighting, there might be issues with reading the correct note. If you're in a stage setting with flash lights all across the spectrum, it might really struggle to distinguish the notes. Fun little device though! Could certainly see it in a science museum or hands on art exhibit.
- elihu 4y ago
  One reason is so that the person controlling it doesn't have to be careful to time their hand motions to avoid colliding with an object rotating above the surface.
  - avisser 4y ago
    Obviously. I just think avoiding the arm is easier than trying to precisely move one of those tokens a few degrees around a rotating surface.
- newqer 4y ago
  You need to have two, a soundmixer and a DMC turntabelist.
aport 4y ago
Neat. Reminds me of the Racer game Google put out a decade ago with music by Giorgio Moroder. https://youtu.be/YT0k99hCY5I https://youtu.be/YT0k99hCY5I
mgevans 4y ago
It's like Drum Buddy without a soul http://www.drumbuddy.com/ http://www.drumbuddy.com/ https://youtu.be/vvtssL8WlJA https://youtu.be/vvtssL8WlJA
- diimdeep 4y ago
  Seriously awesome, spatial, acid, full package.
lashloch 4y ago
fyi there's a typo — "press realease" in the top-right corner
elihu 4y ago
I was kind of hoping the inner orbitals rotate faster than the outer ones, with the rotation speeds in some "orbital resonance" whole-number ratio. That would be a more complicated device, but maybe there's a reasonable way to do it with timing belts or gears.
- severak_cz 4y ago
  That was exactly my first idea - have multiple of these in different speeds to create polyrythms.
  - dwringer 4y ago
    A tangent but to anyone reading who isn't familiar, that would be a type of what's known as a Euclidean sequencer (after [0]), and a mechanical one would be awesome but there are some great electronic and software options. Lately I've been messing around with HY-RPE2[1] which I like for the most part; although I would like a bit more flexibility it's still powerful (and limitations breed creativity, as they say). [0] http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~godfried/publications/banff.pdf http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~godfried/publications/banff.pdf [1] https://hy-plugins.com/product/hy-rpewin-mac/ https://hy-plugins.com/product/hy-rpewin-mac/
    - wrs 4y ago
      I also recommend checking out an app called Fugue Machine. It isn’t laid out in a circle but functionally is in this same vicinity. Simple, approachable, and fun (and does MIDI).
    - elihu 4y ago
      Two repeating drum beats running at different speeds isn't quite the same as a Euclidean sequence. (The latter is probably more musically useful.)
      - dwringer 4y ago
        That's a good point, I was just kind of assuming the related periodicity which is not a valid assumption to make. But the parent of the post to which I had replied specified whole number ratios between the periods. Euclidean sequencers can be useful though in that they model a variety of common rhythms, and with tempo synchronized delay they can give forth a whole lot more common rhythms. Though nothing that can't be achieved a million other ways like anything else with music.
diimdeep 4y ago
But it is spinning! Fun DIY weekend project, but crazy that someone has guts to push this into mass market product. Could use CCD sensor from old scanner for high res version. OpenCV this with webcam and python script, but no spinning.
throwaway-nodox 4y ago
So nice to see that ! Around 10 years ago I had the same idea, but not as well executed. Almost had the same name as well: Orbital. Short video here[1] Unfortunately the project has now bitrotted, the wayback machine only has some remnants of it[2] Throwaway to not dox my main account ! [1]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tGzgMll43w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tGzgMll43w [2]:https://web.archive.org/web/20161104035152/https://theelectricsquid.com/orbitalproject/ https://web.archive.org/web/20161104035152/https://theelectr...
_spduchamp 4y ago
Ah, just use sonograms to generate the audio... https://youtu.be/HT0HH_fc4ZU https://youtu.be/HT0HH_fc4ZU
javier_e06 4y ago
Computer Science departments should be supporting this project to buy this gadgets to teach students sensor inputs and event driven designs.
jaywalk 4y ago
Reminds me of this old Fisher Price toy "record player": https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Classics-Record-Player/dp/B003CGVCXS https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Classics-Record-Player/d...
mixmastamyk 4y ago
Neat, although it seems that bass should be redder and treble should be bluer to match color/sound frequencies. It kinda does that but not quite.
slugiscool99 4y ago
Killer landing page

75 points by Bondi_Blue 4y ago

I love the idea, but it looks less-than-ideal to "play" it live. I watched the first video and you can see the handler struggling to place & adjust notes. Why not have the scanner sweep across a stationary circle? Not turntable enough?

camillomiller 4y ago
I think the scanner is less precise if it moves instead of reading as a fixed arm
- avisser 4y ago
  You're right. The turntable would have a lot more angular momentum. It has to be easier to maintain precise RPMs.
- plastic3169 4y ago
  Scanner does not have to move though. Just taking an image and analysing that could work. Maybe from underneath. It would be nice to have large surface without strict grid to play around placing the objects. I get the turntable reference, but if you can’t scratch it’s sort of pointless form.
22c 4y ago
I also noticed in one of the demos that it his a wrong note: https://youtu.be/dYloQf7h0QY?t=60 https://youtu.be/dYloQf7h0QY?t=60 I suspect if you're not in a well lit room with cool white lighting, there might be issues with reading the correct note. If you're in a stage setting with flash lights all across the spectrum, it might really struggle to distinguish the notes. Fun little device though! Could certainly see it in a science museum or hands on art exhibit.
elihu 4y ago
One reason is so that the person controlling it doesn't have to be careful to time their hand motions to avoid colliding with an object rotating above the surface.
- avisser 4y ago
  Obviously. I just think avoiding the arm is easier than trying to precisely move one of those tokens a few degrees around a rotating surface.
newqer 4y ago
You need to have two, a soundmixer and a DMC turntabelist.

aport 4y ago

Neat. Reminds me of the Racer game Google put out a decade ago with music by Giorgio Moroder. https://youtu.be/YT0k99hCY5I https://youtu.be/YT0k99hCY5I

mgevans 4y ago

It's like Drum Buddy without a soul http://www.drumbuddy.com/ http://www.drumbuddy.com/ https://youtu.be/vvtssL8WlJA https://youtu.be/vvtssL8WlJA

diimdeep 4y ago
Seriously awesome, spatial, acid, full package.

lashloch 4y ago

fyi there's a typo — "press realease" in the top-right corner

elihu 4y ago

I was kind of hoping the inner orbitals rotate faster than the outer ones, with the rotation speeds in some "orbital resonance" whole-number ratio. That would be a more complicated device, but maybe there's a reasonable way to do it with timing belts or gears.

severak_cz 4y ago
That was exactly my first idea - have multiple of these in different speeds to create polyrythms.
- dwringer 4y ago
  A tangent but to anyone reading who isn't familiar, that would be a type of what's known as a Euclidean sequencer (after [0]), and a mechanical one would be awesome but there are some great electronic and software options. Lately I've been messing around with HY-RPE2[1] which I like for the most part; although I would like a bit more flexibility it's still powerful (and limitations breed creativity, as they say). [0] http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~godfried/publications/banff.pdf http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~godfried/publications/banff.pdf [1] https://hy-plugins.com/product/hy-rpewin-mac/ https://hy-plugins.com/product/hy-rpewin-mac/
  - wrs 4y ago
    I also recommend checking out an app called Fugue Machine. It isn’t laid out in a circle but functionally is in this same vicinity. Simple, approachable, and fun (and does MIDI).
  - elihu 4y ago
    Two repeating drum beats running at different speeds isn't quite the same as a Euclidean sequence. (The latter is probably more musically useful.)
    - dwringer 4y ago
      That's a good point, I was just kind of assuming the related periodicity which is not a valid assumption to make. But the parent of the post to which I had replied specified whole number ratios between the periods. Euclidean sequencers can be useful though in that they model a variety of common rhythms, and with tempo synchronized delay they can give forth a whole lot more common rhythms. Though nothing that can't be achieved a million other ways like anything else with music.

diimdeep 4y ago

But it is spinning! Fun DIY weekend project, but crazy that someone has guts to push this into mass market product. Could use CCD sensor from old scanner for high res version. OpenCV this with webcam and python script, but no spinning.

throwaway-nodox 4y ago

So nice to see that ! Around 10 years ago I had the same idea, but not as well executed. Almost had the same name as well: Orbital. Short video here[1] Unfortunately the project has now bitrotted, the wayback machine only has some remnants of it[2] Throwaway to not dox my main account ! [1]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tGzgMll43w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tGzgMll43w [2]:https://web.archive.org/web/20161104035152/https://theelectricsquid.com/orbitalproject/ https://web.archive.org/web/20161104035152/https://theelectr...

_spduchamp 4y ago

Ah, just use sonograms to generate the audio... https://youtu.be/HT0HH_fc4ZU https://youtu.be/HT0HH_fc4ZU

javier_e06 4y ago

Computer Science departments should be supporting this project to buy this gadgets to teach students sensor inputs and event driven designs.

jaywalk 4y ago

Reminds me of this old Fisher Price toy "record player": https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Classics-Record-Player/dp/B003CGVCXS https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Classics-Record-Player/d...

mixmastamyk 4y ago

Neat, although it seems that bass should be redder and treble should be bluer to match color/sound frequencies. It kinda does that but not quite.

slugiscool99 4y ago

Killer landing page