Software

Mapper4Live

Using Control Structures to Embed Complex Mapping Tools into Ableton Live

This paper presents Mapper4Live, a software plugin made for the popular digital audio workstation software Ableton Live. Mapper4Live exposes Ableton’s synthesis and effect parameters on the distributed libmapper signal mapping network, providing new opportunities for interaction between software and hardware synths, audio effects, and controllers. The plugin’s uses and relevance in research, music production and musical performance settings are explored, detailing the development journey and ideas for future work on the project.

Boettcher, B., Malloch, J., Wang, J., & Wanderley, M. M. (2021). Mapper4Live: Using Control Structures to Embed Complex Mapping Tools into Ableton Live. NIME 2022. https://doi.org/10.21428/92fbeb44.625fbdbf

Mapping Tools Virtual Workshop 2021

On 2 September 2021 we held the second annual workshop on the mapping tools project (libmapper and the surrounding tools). This year we had presentations and discussions covering:

  • recent related projects and publications
  • map expression syntax for supporting reducing over vectors, signal history, signal instances, and inputs to convergent maps.
  • improving distribution via package managers
  • using libmapper on embedded platforms including ESP32, Raspberry Pi, and Bela
  • integration with the game engines Godot and Unity
  • using MediaPipe as a libmapper source device
  • implications of the upcoming MIDI 2.0 protocol for interfacing with commercial hardware and software
  • proposals for future applications

Video documentation of the workshop will be posted soon!

Digital Orchestra Toolbox featured on Cycling74.com

Content You Need: Digital Orchestra Toolboxdot_icon

We tend to focus a lot on new Max objects in the Package Manager, but with Max there are many ways to solve problems without compiling externals. This Package Manager release brings a collection of highly practical Max abstractions from McGill University’s IDMIL, designed with music and digital orchestra projects in mind. Looking at this package, all of the well-organized abstractions are clearly the result of real-world patching that we can all learn a few tricks from.

The Digital Orchestra Toolbox is now available in the Max Package Manager

Using multiple IMUs for sensing deformation

I made this video today to quickly document some work I’ve been doing using multiple inertial measurement units (IMUs) for tracking the orientation, bending, and twisting of deformable objects. Intertial measurement units generally contain 3-axis accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers – the data can be cleverly combined to obtain an estimate of orientation (as long as the IMU is being used in an environment with constant gravity and magnetic field, and not in free-fall).

This particular object has two Mongoose IMUs embedded inside it, running some custom firmware I wrote for complementary filtering/sensor fusion for estimation of orientation.