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THE OCTAMASHER
Interactive Audio Installation
Thanks to Gary for help with the gear, Jon and Raychel for help with Logistics, Camp Boom Bap for on-playa support and the citizens of Black Rock City for inspiration and participation.
Read about the Octa-Masher and other Burning Man music in the December 2005 issue of Keyboard Magazine
After building The Interstellar Remix Wagon for Burning Man 2004, Moldover decided that big, heavy artworks are best left to people who live closer to Nevada. For the 2005 festival, Moldover decided to transform his custom Live Remashing rig into a user-friendly, eight-person, audio playground.
1) Make the system completely self contained and fool-proof.
2) Make all sounds work together musicaly (i.e. happen in the same tempo and in related keys)
3) Make the human interface intuitive enough for anyone to figure out.
Pre-Process
1) Devide 400+ sounds into 8 categories (drums, bass, voice, full songs etc.)
2) Tempo-map all and re-pitch all sounds to match one another.
3) Create 8 unique effects-chains, appropriate to the kind of sounds in each category.
4) Assign one keyboard to each of the 8 categories and set it up to trigger sounds, control volume and effects.
5) Assign a speaker to each keyboard, such that sounds coming from a speaker are controlled by the keyboard next to it.
6) Set up various algorithms to control and periodically change sounds if no one is interacting with that keyboard.
Post-Pre-Process
1) Haul all the gear and a gas powered generator out to the Black Rock Desert.
2) Figure out how to make it all work in grueling heat and dust storm conditions.
3) Paint each keyboard a solid color to match it's corresponding speaker.
4) Paint the face of each keyboard to draw attention to impor tant controls, and help users learn how they work.
5) Arrange everything in such a way that users can hear the sounds from all 8 speakers, but can hear the one close to the keyboard in front of them the best.
6) Let it go and watch people interact!
Technical Info
keyboards: M-Audio Oxygen-8 with power and MIDI over USB
Speakers: Roland MA-8BK
USB hub: 7-port General Electric USB 2.0 hub
Laptop: custom built Mobile Pentium by ADK Pro Audio
Audio Interface: RME Multiface
Software host: Ableton Live
Software effects processing: Native Instruments Reaktor
Software MIDI Processing: MIDI Ox
Paints: Acrylic