Great results in the remake of the Pure Data patch for "When the Doorbell Rings".

Pretty good results for the update of the patch as it became much more user friendly.

Also, included a README to the folder so there is a set of instructions for anyone to follow.

As convenient, all the hardware was operational.

The display was already tested in the spacing camera and it proves efficient.

The patch was tested without the arduino connected.

As it is aimed for the piece to be a stand alone artwork without the need of extra dependencies, the system is going to migrate to a raspberry pi running linux.

Pure Data runs on linux, so the r-pi will deal with all the processing needed for video and audio.

In a few words: this piece get to have its own computer.

 

 

Rework to python

Last Saturday I met again with Ricardo Amaro in very fruitfull afternoon towards the making of Cycle Sound.

We spent a lot of time installing libraries and modules and stuff... It pretty time consuming. Anyways, the point being trying to migrate part of the project to python. The language is easier and there is a greater array of possibilities with it than with the Arduino software. Mostly because with the Arduino software we can only work within the Arduino. With python we can work/communicate with Arduino along with being able to control other softwares and/or platforms.

So, towards the programming of Cycle Sound, we got hold of controlling parameters given by Arduino. We are still working our way around the piezoelectric as a sensor. I think we made quite a good progress, however it made me realise that the problems, or most of the problems we are having with the piezoelectric are not from the software domain but rather from the hardware. Electronics!

The information available online of how to go around piezoelectric issues when connecting it to an Arduino is very scarce and hard to find. However I found a great article on it which hopefully is going to get me through the main problem.

The problem is the signal peaks given by the piezoelectric. The point is to make the piezo a clean single "bang" signal containing a value that is to be transformed into midi velocity. There is nothing (or probably not much, very complex and not very effective) that software can do to go around this. So it comes down to a simple small circuit between the output of the piezo and the input of the Arduino. A couple of diodes and an RC are meant to do the job. I haven't fully tested this as I'm still waiting for one of the diodes to be delivered but I have quite high expectations, I must confess.

If the result proves effective, I will be confirming it over here. I will give the different possibilities that I tested and report the best results. I don't have an oscilloscope or anything to measure the signal in a controlled manner, but in the end, it's the results on the project that I'm interested in.

If it all works according to expectation, this is a great step towards any kind of drum machine with a great controll level and sensitivity.

Looking forward to the results!!!

 

Cycle Sound dataflow diagram

This diagram represents the data flow from its input (the bicycle) to the output (the speakers).

 

Proceeding with Cycle Sound

Last Saturday I went to Canary Wharf (aka Death Star) to meet with Ricardo Amaro. For what I though would be an up-to-three-hours meeting to get some things sorted, it actually extended to be a 10h attempt to get things going.

There were mainly two problems going on:

1st - the communication between the XBees ('modems');

2nd - the trim/threshold of the pulses from the piezo component.

For as much as I care to think and hope is that the issue with the XBees is sorted. However, we weren't able to confirm as there are other aspects that need to ready for that to happen.

As for the programming, the problems seemed to extend further.

To start with, we kind of gave up on using the pduino testing patch for pure data to start one from scratch. Along with that the arduino software came as an extension. This means that both arduino coding and patching in pure data are new built. This opens more possibilities and control over the desired elements. But also, it takes more time to build. Specially if your understanding of both languages is limited!

To sum up there's was the need to start from zero but we ended up with some good progress.

 

Loading Memories

It came to me, not so long ago, the continuous annoyance of something that puts contemporary life in a specific perspective. The annoyance of waiting for an online video to load.

I believe this state of irritation is a extremely spoiled attitude. As we look profoundly at ourselves as human beings and then the acheivement of recording the video and sound in the first place, getting it online in something called the Internet and being able to play that anywhere in the world with a device as small as a telephone, being annoyed at the fact that the video is not loading as fast as I instantly want it to is being picky.

Anyway, being picky I get pretty annoyed with that wait. But what just kills me is when a video stops in the middle of the play to load. Maybe it will continue playing maybe it won't. That you will never know. However, that expectation makes you look at the frame where it stopped. That frame has now been recorded in your memory somehow more than the rest of the video.

There is however a common thread to these recorded images: a circle. The so common loading circle in the centre of the frame.

From this conclusion I decided to collect these still images and work with them.

The principle of this project lies in collecting circular images from within the loading circles in a still frame from an online video.

 

24h Design Challenge

On the past 10th of August the furniture design studio Hendzel+Hunt opened their doors to the 2012 edition of the 24h Design Challenge.

As it is their tradition the challenge was keen in upcycling and enginiosity

This year's challenge was to build a pinball machine. Truly mechanical and all from pre-used materials.

Every team had a theme. My team's theme was King Kong.

HH 30' Trailer from Jan Hendzel on Vimeo.

 

From the 'World Anthem' on

The 'World Anthem' piece sourced another project that is ongoing.

This is 'Sound Textures'. In this project, each piece plays a sound based on the texture of a place that has a story of my past linked to it.

 

Flash Mob intervention

A plan is arising. It has been jumping in the drawer for about two years with a dazzling unquietness. Now is the time to take a serious action towards it. This is an intervention/performance flash mob! The aim: 1st liberate thy selves from boredom and dry grey social behaviour in london's public transport; 2nd bring a smile to all receptive people; 3rd annoy all boring people. So, what is this action? Everyone involved needs only three things, none of them hard to get at all. I would even say that everyone has everything needed... 1 an oyster card! Maybe one single trip will be used! Otherwise any other ticket will do as well!!! 2 an mp3 player. Ipod, iphone, iwhatever, as long as it plays it's good. Choose your own music and fill it up! Bring headphones too... 3 the willing to express yourself, not giving a flying f**k if people like it or not. It's not the place or time for judgement. This is not the Idols or Britain's got talent. It's just an act of happy enjoyment of music and expressing your inner self to the rhythms of your choice. There is a date and time to gather everyone. I aim to get over 100 people in a cacophony of joyful and unrestricted expression of music. Please join me in this. You will not be judged. You will have fun.

World Anthem

New sound piece is on the way.

I am working on the creation of a World Anthem.

Most probably not what you would expect it to be.

Topography and Resources are deeply involved in the fetch for such outcome.

Hopefully, more to come soon!

Developments to come

The antennas arrived. The programming is on the way to make all the connections to make the first tests.