2D Corpus Exploring

A video tutorial guiding that teaches you how to build a two-dimensional corpus exploration patch in Max.

A Brief Synopsis

This tutorial guides you through building a two-dimensional corpus exploration patch in Max. If you’ever come into contact with software such as CataRT, LjudMAP or XO then this way of working might be familiar. Briefly, the musical motivation for making a patch like this is quite diffuse. You might:

  1. Explore a relatively unknown collection of sounds in a visual space
  2. Exploit the sample’s spatial positioning for creative inspiration
  3. Inform your selection of materials in real-time, such as for improvisation

The tutorial starts off by showing you how to segment a sound file and analyse each segment with the Loudness and SpectralShape descriptors. This information is then used to drive a looping playback mechanism, kind of like an automated drum chopper / sequencer. The notion of descriptor-driven playback is then expanded: the descriptor values are processed and made usable as as coordinates so that each sound segment can be placed on to a FluCoMa Plotter. This creates the visual space that can be navigated with the mouse.

Each fundamental component of the patch is separated out so that you can tinker and experiment with the workflow in a more bespoke way (once you’re comfortable with the basics). You could try changing the descriptors or modifying how you interact with the data. Using a FluCoMa Plotter is just one way to think about this!

YouTube Tutorials