Today I received a lovely review letter through the post from Soundbeam, evaluating my time there during my work experience.
Category Archives: Soundbeam
Work Experience Day 5 – Soundbeam
My last day at Soundbeam began with me taking samples from the VCS3 and recording them through a interface into Logic. I then edited the samples adding effects to some and not to others. I then loaded the samples on to Soundbeam and created a new preset consisting of just VCS3 samples. I felt that this preset had quite a nice history to it as the VCS3 is where it all began and the Soundbeam is where it led too. Below is a video of me playing the preset I created:
In the afternoon I performed both presets I had created over the week to the Soundbeam team.
The preset which I created for my Live Brief got good feedback, particularly for the switch work, such as the bass line which allowed the player to play each note individually by pressing the switch and each note could be held for as long or as short a time as desired.
Adrian suggested a improvement for the beams which was to select the playing option multi sustain, which would normally build up each note to create a chord which would for this preset not sound good, however he then selected the dimensions and changed to 1 so that you could play each note individually whilst still being sustained however it would not build a chord, this did make playing the beam easier.
It was said that the preset i created which consisted of Drums, Bass and Guitar could work well in schools to teach children about the make up of a band.
The video of the final performance of my live brief is below:
Adrian and Cindy both particularly liked the VCS3 preset which I had also created they liked the variety of sounds which were used.
Conclusion
My week spent at Soundbeam was a great learning curve for me. I got a great in-depth knowledge of how the soundbeam works and how to created your own samples, recordings and presets. This will come in great use for my next project in which I will be working at a school for disabled children and using the Soundbeam heavily.
I got an insight into how the company works and runs from day to day, which is a good base for the future, when I hope to create my own product and business. I also gained contacts within the area I hope to go into in the future.
Work Experience Day 4 – Soundbeam
My Day began with a demonstration of ArKaos from Adrian, which is the VJing program which is used along side Soundbeam. Arkaos picks up not only the switches buy also the beams and images can be assigned to eat note/switch so that when played an image will flash up. I really got the sense of power that Arkaos can add to individuals experiences of Soundbeam, not only does it make Soundbeam an Audiovisual experience but it can also be used to make the piece which is played on the Soundbeam more personal, by using pictures which provoke memories etc.
I then continued on with my live brief, I edited the sounds and note of both the sensors as I was still not happy with how they were sounding, I am now at a point where I am happy with the sounds on each switch and beam and spent the rest of the day playing my preset forming a structure and getting to grips with how best to play Soundbeam. The results are below:
I have also decided to create a remix of the preset I have created, I am doing this by recording each switch and sensor live using the recording equipment within Soundbeam, I can then transfer the recordings to my laptop and am editing using Logic, the results so far are below:
Towards the end of the day I was extremely privileged to be aloud to play Edward Williams, creator of Soundbeam, EMS VCS3 (The Putney), Edward Williams used the VCS3 in many of his compositions and was one of EMS’s long standing customers along side the likes of Pink Floyd, EMS went on to produce the first Soundbeam for Edward Williams.
It was a great experience to experiment with it, the sounds which can be gotten from this synth are truly amazing. Below is some footage of me experimenting with it:
Tomorrow I will be getting samples from the VCS3 and loading them into the Soundbeam to add them to my preset.
Work Experience Day 3 – Soundbeam
I began my day with helping Cindy packing up the Soundbeams ready for shipping.
I then continued on with my live brief, I have now become confident with loading in Samples i have made on logic into the Soundbeam and assigning them to a switch or beam and adjusting pitch using the soundbeam, i have also become confident of playing midi in live to the Soundbeam using a keyboard and assigning the note arrangement to be played by a switch or beam using a midi instrument which comes with the Soundbeam.
I am working towards creating a rock piece for the Soundbeam as this is something that Cindy has said the Soundbeam does not have, so i have used a rock drum kit midi program on logic and some distorted guitar. Here is what I have come up with so far:
I still feel I need to become more confident in playing the Soundbeam as it is like any instrument it takes time and patience to learn to play.
Cindy also Tweeted and Facebooked about my time at Soundbeam giving my website a shout out:
Work Experience Day 2 – Soundbeam
My day began with some testing of Soundbeams which were being shipped off to places around the UK and Taiwan. The testing involved testing each beam and switch input, testing samples and midi instruments etc.
Soundbeam App
After testing the Soundbeam’s me and Cindy discussed the possibility of a Soundbeam App which is something they are considering developing in the future.
I sent an email through to Leigh Davis, a MA student on Creative Sound and Music, who has experience in designing App’s himself, he is currently taking part in creating the app Feed seen below:
During the remaining of my day at Soundbeam I experimented with putting my own samples and Midi into Soundbeam, as part of my Live Brief.
My very own office at Soundbeam Headquarters: Bristol:
I began by using some samples I had created on Logic I exported them and loaded them onto the memory card within Soundbeam i then assigned the samples to switches. I then decided that i wanted to insert Midi patterns onto the beams so that individual notes could be played, to create a further sense of interaction, control and creativity.
To create the Midi I plugged a Korg keyboard into the Soundbeam interface and played the samples into the beam creating what is known as a ‘Note Sequence’ within Soundbeam this note sequence can now be assigned to a beam and played using the midi instruments within Soundbeam.
Below is a vlog of the Live Brief so far:
Work Experience Day 1 – Soundbeam
It became apparent as soon as a arrived at Soundbeam that they are a small close knit team who work extremely hard, the team consists of: Cindy, Adrian and Steph.
The Soundbeam Offices:
The Studio
The Office
A map of Soundbeams in the UK (outdated)
Studio 2
Sound of Intent
Set up in 2002 by Institute of Education & Royal National Institute of the Blind.
Aim: To promote musical development of young people with learning difficulties but could also be used with adults and could in fact transcend into many different areas.
The SOI Framework:
The framework seen above can be accessed via the Sound of Intent’s website: www.soundofintent.org. The Framework is interactive and when registered can be accessed and an individual profile can be created for each client/student. You begin in the middle of the framework and work your way out as each part of the framework is completed. Each section can be filled in with notes and videos and can be accessed at anytime online.
Imuse
iMUSE interactions support:
- expression
- communication
- aesthetic resonance
- awareness of control
- exploration
- cludic engagement.
Creates visuals to accompany Soundbeam. Midi created from Soundbeam then creates visuals.
Going wireless:
Soundbeam are looking into creating a wireless system, points of interest are The Skoog and The Alphasphere. However neither are yet wireless.
A few ways in which they could go wireless were discussed including, battery packs, rechargeable batteries, a dock in which the Soundbeam could be stored and recharged. I also put forward the Arduino as a possibility.
Live Brief
During the afternoon of the first day of my placement I was able to put together a Soundbeam and experiment with it, I was also given a quick tutorial of how it works by Cindy and Adrian after a hour or so of playing it I began to get to grips of exactly what the Soundbeam can do.
I have been sent a live brief by Cindy to create a Preset for the Soundbeam (each Soundbeam comes with 30 presets, this includes a mixture of midi instruments and samples assigned to each beam and switch, creating a preset) if my preset is good enough it may be issued onto all Soundbeams as a factory setting. Best get cracking!
Arranging Work Experience at Soundbeam
Below is the email conversation I had with Soundbeam to secure work experience place with them. It became apparent that work experience places were fully booked for the year, but I would be able to go in for a day to have a tour of the office and meet the team, however I then received an email from Cindy who said she had seen my website and particularly liked The Jam Cam Experiment and that she would try and fit me in for work experience, it all went from there…
A Soundscape Of My Life 