ixiQuarks videos  
     
 

ixiQuarks introduction:

This video shows the ixiQuarks tools browser, opens up the AudioIn tool and a spectral view and wave view. Then a bufferPool is loaded (into RAM) and soundfiles viewed in a soundfile view. A live sound is then recorded into the bufferPool and played back. We then see an EQview (showing 31 bands). The sounds from the bufferPools are then manipulated in the SoundScratcher instrument which allows for warp (granular synthesis), buffer scratching, and various other methods of granular synthesis. We see how two windows can be used at the same time.

     
 

The SoundScratcher:

Here we see two Soundscratcher instruments performing granular synthesis on two different soundfiles. We are using a Wacom tablet for drawing here and therefore the lines have different pressure. (or z-axis)

     
 

The Predators:

This video shows how a sound is recorded to disk, and then played back from disk (not RAM) and output into a higher audio channel than the speakers (0 and 1) and then an instrument called Predators is using that audio stream as source sound for playing. The predators eat from the preys and when they take a bite a sound is emitted. The pitch is related to the vertical position of the pray. The Predators is an A-life application of medium complexity.

     
 

The Gridder:

The Gridder is here shown in some of its functionality, such as playing sounds from the bufferpool, setting up scales and playing them. The Gridder focuses on microtonality and scales and one can choose from multiple scales, but also different tuning resolutions in equal temperament. (From 5-TET (5 tone equal temperament) to 48-TET (where there are 48 notes in an octave)). We also see how agents can be set into motion in the Gridder and play notes from the scales automatically.

     
 

The BufferPlayer, PolyMachine and ScaleSynth:

This video shows the BufferPlayer instrument, a very simple player of soundfiles loaded into memory. There is a global control over some of the parameters in the BufferPlayer. Then we see how an instrument called PolyMachine is loaded up and used for creating rhythms. This instrument is designed for polyrhythms and there are variable steps in each channel. We finally see the ScaleSynth instrument that is well suited for Wacom tablet use. The notes played colour the boxes so we see where we have been on the grid.

     
 

The PoliMachine and live-coding:

Here we see how the Polymachine is used in a live-coding session, i.e. the boxes of the machine contain synthesis code that can be created and manipulated in realtime while the instrument is playing. The user can therefore modify the instrument after it has been started. Arguably this is not a very successful live-coding session here, as the bass drum is 100 Hz and probably too low for this video and the sounds are not that good.

     
 

The Effects:

This video shows how the effects in ixiQuarks can be loaded up and taken into use very easily. We then load up a noise generator which is routed through an equalizer and then a klank filter. We also load a soundfile into the Player and play that through the klank filter.

     
 

The GrainBox and SoundScratcher:

This video shows the GrainBox, a granular synthesis application that makes the complex parameters of granular synthesis easy to use and understand in 2D space. We then load up the SoundScratcher instrument and do further granular synthesis on that. We record the drawn trajectories onto it and then load up another instrument that we play whilst the first one plays automatically.

     
 

The SoundScratcher - more:

This video shows how the SoundScratcher can be used for rhythmic purposes by arranging and rearranging the boxes that trigger the grains on the view.