Adafruit Huzzah32 Ambient Trombone with OSC

[quiethorn]

I've started using an Adafruit Huzzah32 board to control my ambient setup (Plogue Bidule) wirelessly with OSC from my trombone. I've wanted to do this for a long time, so I'm pretty excited about it. I made a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2wcUy_0Rzo

[aoVI]

Pretty sweet! It looks like that is going to work well for you--great performance on the second half of the vid too!

[GaryG]

That's inspired, could see this being an easy way of mounting switches to guitars too (controlling loopers etc). I'm all for reducing cabling. I have a homemade midi control box (based on a teensy-lc) which seems permanently on the workbench, always tweaking the exact configuration. Now you've got me wondering if I should make it wireless with one of these boards...

Lovely piece too, there's something about brass instruments in ambient music for me. Do you know lol coxhill/morgan fishers Slow Music?

[quiethorn]

That's inspired, could see this being an easy way of mounting switches to guitars too (controlling loopers etc). I'm all for reducing cabling. I have a homemade midi control box (based on a teensy-lc) which seems permanently on the workbench, always tweaking the exact configuration. Now you've got me wondering if I should make it wireless with one of these boards...

Lovely piece too, there's something about brass instruments in ambient music for me. Do you know lol coxhill/morgan fishers Slow Music?

Thanks! My homemade MIDI box served me well for 10+ years too, but wireless OSC is pretty nice. I think the Huzzah32 can send MIDI over USB anyway too as a failover.

I know Lol Coxhill from his free improvisation playing. I do a lot of ambient stuff now, but free improv a la Paul Rutherford and the British improv guys is something I still do from time to time. I'll checkout Slow Music.

[annode]

Only had a few mins to check out the Adafruit site, but since I have a tech background, I will revisit the site soon.
I really liked your Youtube improve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM19uY0rRw4 I'm sure your tired of Jon Hassell remarks, but I do love that sound.
I do have the Eventide bundle and the H3000 (I forget) does Hassell very well...lots of fun!

In the old days there was the Varitone and Hammond Condor systems for reeds and horns. Don't see them anymore.
Reed members of The Mothers used the Condor...sounded great. (King Kong)

If you have more of your bone ambient posted somewhere, pls show me, love to hear more of that.

[quiethorn]

Only had a few mins to check out the Adafruit site, but since I have a tech background, I will revisit the site soon.
I really liked your Youtube improve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM19uY0rRw4 I'm sure your tired of Jon Hassell remarks, but I do love that sound.
I do have the Eventide bundle and the H3000 (I forget) does Hassell very well...lots of fun!

In the old days there was the Varitone and Hammond Condor systems for reeds and horns. Don't see them anymore.
Reed members of The Mothers used the Condor...sounded great. (King Kong)

If you have more of your bone ambient posted somewhere, pls show me, love to hear more of that.

Thanks! Yeah Jon Hassell's sound is something I never tire of. Sometimes I need to be careful not to overdo it, but my playing shifted in a big way when I started listing to him several years ago.

I'm hoping to build up my YouTube channel with more ambient stuff more when I get some time, but I also have a lot of albums at quiethorn.com if you wanna check them out.

[Ambient Mechanics]

Have you even thought of actually making a commercial version of this? I mean, the possibilities are really good for adapting this for other instruments as well..maybe some sort of crowdfunded project? I think this is something that would really sell if marketed right.

[quiethorn]

Have you even thought of actually making a commercial version of this? I mean, the possibilities are really good for adapting this for other instruments as well..maybe some sort of crowdfunded project? I think this is something that would really sell if marketed right.

Yeah it crossed my mind. I'd have to think about how to deal with some of the technical things in an easy way for people who don't have any interest in messing with the code. Getting and assembling the components is one thing, but an easy to use that doesn't require any messing with code and just gives straight ahead options for functionality would be worth more than soldering the components. Maybe it's something I'll look into.

[Ambient Mechanics]

Yeah it crossed my mind. I'd have to think about how to deal with some of the technical things in an easy way for people who don't have any interest in messing with the code. Getting and assembling the components is one thing, but an easy to use that doesn't require any messing with code and just gives straight ahead options for functionality would be worth more than soldering the components. Maybe it's something I'll look into.

Well, please keep us posted here on AO, as I'm certain you will have more than a few customers here if you should ever take this further.

[annode]

quiethorn. What went wrong when you tried using a gate plugin or pedal effect?
EDIT - I did notice you use the Huzzah as a stutter effect, but besides that difference.

[wave_function]

Like the other posters said, great improv. Will be checking the channel and your site right away!

On the trombone/tuba front, immediately reminded me of Nono's Post-Prae-Ludium 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VET1VeTajM0

[quiethorn]

quiethorn. What went wrong when you tried using a gate plugin or pedal effect?
EDIT - I did notice you use the Huzzah as a stutter effect, but besides that difference.

Gates have never worked well for me. Maybe they just don't work well for wind instruments or at least with this kind of playing. Any non-musical noise (mouse-clicks, a squeaking chair, garbage truck outside) could trigger the gate if it's loud enough and get looped over and over again.

I've used pedals before, but with a condenser mic, you need to run through a preamp first, then your pedals, then into the soundcard, etc... it's just more money for more gear for what ends up being less functionality and flexibility in the end. Plus, most pedals have that standard guitar pedal footswitch that 1) hurts your feet when you play without shoes like me, 2) is so loud that it gets picked up on the recording.

Hey, there's another idea for a commercial piece of hardware... an Arduino board with a couple inputs and ouputs that you plug a physical guitar pedal into and mix the output of the pedal via an OSC app like TouchOSC. Hmm...

[annode]

I see...you explained that well. I have little experience with gate plugins, but i can understand how they may have a particular sound sensitivity selectivity. (that's a mouth full. haha)
And yes, I didn't consider the stray sounds that can get into the loop. I forget the artist I saw live. The sound board tech set off a great feedback squeal which got into his loop. He dealt with it begrudgingly..he had no choice at this point in the layering. That also went out over the air! Later heard he was fuming and pissed off to the max about it. I still have that recording.

Sorry, I wasn't clear about the effect pedal. I should have said a gate effect pedal. And yes, it can be a fight with adapters inserting a TS 1/4" plug effect pedal into a balanced mic line with phantom power and a preamp.

EDIT - may I suggest to you to put your BC link into your settings/signature ?
I think ppl at AO would like your music quite a bit.

[aoVI]

EDIT - may I suggest to you to put your BC link into your settings/signature ?
I think ppl at AO would like your music quite a bit.

Hear, hear! You have some seriously good stuff up at BC.