The Future of the Music Animation Machine

And Other Music-Related Projects

What's next up for the M.A.M.? There are a lot of possibilities.

First, there're lots of features and variations to the M.A.M. itself:

  • Note shapes to reflect the envelope (continuous amplitude) of the sounds
  • Using real-time variations in the note (e.g. changes in intensity, size, shape, etc.) to reflect changes in pitch, volume, or timbre
  • Using a fisheye lens-type view to enhance the "now"
  • Multiple onscreen windows (e.g. to compare two performances, or parts of the same performance, etc.)
  • More robust feature-set for the M.A.M. editor: transpose, group operations, etc., etc., etc.
  • Incorporating the Voice Tracker into the M.A.M. display
  • Incorporating DYAD-like features into the M.A.M. display
  • A version of the M.A.M. for Windows
  • A version of the M.A.M. for Java

    Second, there are several M.A.M.-related projects that don't necessarily involve changing the M.A.M. itself, but using the M.A.M. software (or just the idea) as part of other things:

  • Music Animation Machine CD, M.A.M. companion scores for good recordings
  • Gamelan M.A.M., a way to study gamelan performance practice and compositions
  • Second Demonstration Reel, with recent developments in the display, better renditions, better instrumental sounds, better video image
  • MIDI-to-M.A.M.-QuickTime converter
  • Score tracking to allow M.A.M. to work with Max Mathews' Radio Baton

    Third, there are some non-M.A.M. music- and music-visualization-related projects:

  • Wake, a visualization of James Tenney's piece
  • Put together an animation setup to do non-real-time music animations
  • Oskarettes; the main unfinished project is to extract gestures from musical renditions and allow these to control the motion of fluid shapes
  • Music Visualization Development System, perhaps based on a game machine