Performance Handbook

Performance Handbook
Georges Benjamin, Antara
Publication Information
Copyright © 2003 Ircam – Centre Georges Pompidou
Managing director: Bernard Stiegler
Publishing director: Vincent Puig
Director of pedagogy: Andrew Gerzso
Director of production: Alain Jacquinot
Texts collected and edited by Tom Mays (musical assistant) and Bertrand Cheret (IRCAM documentation manager)
All rights reserved. Any reproduction by any means of parts or the entirety of this document without the written permission of Ircam is expressly forbidden
For any representation of the piece, the user will have to contact the publisher.
IRCAM Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique/Musique
1, place Igor-Stravinsky
F-75004 Paris - France
Tel : +00331 44 78 12 33
Fax : +00331 42 77 29 47
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Table of Content
Antara by Georges Benjamin........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Publication Information ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................1
Presentation of Antara ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
General Presentation .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Instrumentation ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Performance Elements List .........................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Elements Description..............................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Screen-Shot.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Equipment List ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Technical Diagram ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
MIDI Diagram ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
Stage Setup Diagram ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
MAX App/Patch Presentation .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Main Patch: Antara2003_msp................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Config Patch .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Procedure .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
OMS MIDI Setup..................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
Running the Max/MSP Patch (Optional) .............................................................................................................................................................................11
Running the Patch Application............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Configure Audio and MIDI ..................................................................................................................................................................................................14
Audio-Out-Test ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................16
Notes..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
Notes on Performing the Piece............................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
Notes on Optional Two-Computer Operation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Appendix A: Keyboard Program Overviews - Key Groups ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Keyboard 1 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................18
Keyboard 2 ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................20
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Presentation of Antara
General Presentation
First performance: 1987 April 25. Ircam
First performance of Max/MSP version: 2003 Mai. Ircam
Duration: 24 minutes
Publisher: Faber Music
Musical Assistant: Tom Mays (Max/MSP version update)
Instrumentation
• Soloists: 2 piccolo flutes, 2 synthesizers
• 1 trombonne (bass/tenor), 1 trombone (bass), 1 tuba, 2 cellos, 3 violins, 2 violas, 1 double bass
• Percussions (2 players). Refer to the score for tuning information:
➢ Percussion 1 (Player 1):
➢ Percussion 2 (Player 2):
6 anvils
6 anvils
1 very large spring coil
1 very large spring coil
2 tubular bells
2 tubular bells
4 sizzle cymbals
7 maracas (4 suspended in foam rubber, 3 hand-held
3 drums or 3 roto-toms
3 drums or 3 roto-tom
• Electronics: computer and live electronics devices
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Performance Elements List
Elements Description
1 CD-ROM which contains all performance elements in the folder Antara2003_MSP:
• Antara-res: folder containing resources that the application will need in order to run. It must be in the same folder on the same level as the Antara2003
application
• Antara2003.app: The Antara2003 standalone application
• ASIO Drivers: The folder that must contain the ASIO driver for the audio card you’re using. It must be in the same folder on the same level as the
Antara2003 application (this content could be replaced by your own Audio Card Asio drivers).
• OMS-MIDI config:
➢ Antara.oms: The OMS setup file defining the MIDI interface and the two Keyboards
➢ OMS2.3.8.sea: self-extractive archive containing the OMS application installer (if OMS isn’t already installed on you machine)
• collective: Not needed for the application – intermediate step between the Max/MSP patch and the standalone application
• patch Max/MSP: Not needed for the application – the original Max/MSP patch version of the application
Screen-Shot
Figure 1. Data list
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Equipment List
• Computer:
➢1
•
Macintosh G4 (867 MHz or higher) running MacOS9
MIDI Equipment:
➢ One
•
•
MIDI interface with 2 input
➢2
MIDI 88 key master keyboards1. Ref. model Yamaha KX88 or Kurzweil PC88
➢2
switch/sustain pedals, one for each keyboard
➢4
volume/expression pedals, 2 for each keyboard
Audio Equipment:
➢4
mics ( ref. model: MKE2R, SM85, SM81 for flutes and RE20, SM58 for trombones)
➢1
ASIO compatible audio card with 4 outputs (ref. model: RME Hammerfall, KORG 1212,...)
➢1
mixing console (16X4X2, with 4 aux)
➢2
reverb devices, one for the Mac and one for the trombones
Sound Equipment:
➢4
speakers for the main outputs (see Stage Setup Diagram for placement)
➢2
monitor speakers for the keyboards
1 Antara has always been performed using two Yamaha KX88 keyboards, which are now getting difficult to find (outside of Ircam). It can be performed with other keyboards if they meet
certain requirements:
• 88 keys, preferably “weighted”
• A modulation wheel controller (0-127 with no return to the middle position as is the case with a bend wheel)
• Sustain/switch pedal connection
• Can connect TWO continuous controller pedals
• Quick acces to 16 program change numbers
With this in mind, an optional MIDI controller keyboard would be the Kurzweil PC88 (NOT PS88, but PC88). Make sure that the continuous pedals you use are compatible with the
keyboard you choose. Roland pedals will not work on a Yamaha, for example.
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Technical Diagram
MIDI Diagram
Figure 2. MIDI diagram
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Stage Setup Diagram
Figure 3. Stage Setup Diagram
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MAX App/Patch Presentation
Main Patch: Antara2003_msp
Figure 4. Antara2003_msp
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Config Patch
Figure 5. Config Patch
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Procedure
Copy the CD-ROM to the hard-drive of the OS9 Mac. Making sure not to move the application to another folder or to the desktop, double-click
Antara2003.app to open it.
OMS MIDI Setup
Figure 6. The OMS studio setup file used at Ircam :
You must install OMS if it is not already installed on your machine.
Version 2.3.8 is included with the application Antara2003.
You must create a studio setup document and make it “current” –
including the recognized MIDI interface and the two keyboard “devices”
for keyboard1 and keyboard2. See OMS documentation.This will vary
depending on the MIDI interface and keyboards you use. You can choose
any name you want for the keyboards.
See MIDI configuration – keyboards 1 and 2 for an explanation of how
to select the correct device from within the application.
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Running the Max/MSP Patch (Optional)
If you have a valid installation of Max/MSP 4.1 for MacOS9, you might chose to run the application in its original “patch” form.
To do this:
• Assign at least 25 megabytes to the Max/MSP 4.1 application
• Place the ASIO driver for your audio card in the ASIO Folder of the Max/MSP application
• Open the Max/MSP application and open File Preferences in the Options menu
• In the File Preferences window, click on a choose box next to an available text box, and select the folder Antara-res/ (see the next screen captures
Figure 7)
• Quit Max/MSP (this ensures that the preferences are correctly saved
• Re-open Max/MSP and then open the file Antara2003.pat in the folder •patch Max/MSP/
Figure 7. From there, follow all directions pertaining to the application Antara2003
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Running the Patch Application
All the following description relate to the main patch application (see also Figure 4 for a general presentation)
Click to initialize program. This will only be done once.
• 1a. click to configure audio and MIDI. This will only be done at the setup stage before the first rehearsal. Once it’s
been done and the parameters correctly saved, it can subsequently be skipped. See section configure audio and MIDI.
• 1b. click to test audio outputs. This should be done before the first rehearsal to calibrate gains, but is later optional. See
section test audio outputs.
• 2. The second required step. Click to turn on the audio (dsp). If you just tested the audio outputs, this will already be
on.
Figure 8. Step by step procedure to
follow once the application/patch is
opened
The volume of each keyboard can be adjusted. If there are stuck notes or pedals, the green
panic button can be pressed which stops all stuck notes and resets the volume pedals.
This can also be done at either keyboard by selecting program 16. To toggle on/off the 440
Hz test tone, click the blue test-tone-alt button. This can also be done at either keyboard by
selecting program 15.
The patchers section contains an old patcher README from the NeXT/ISPW patch, and a
new patcher README-Apr03 pertaining to the current version.
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Figure 9. During the piece
The world_2003 (see Figure 4) patcher contains all the control and dsp subpatchers, except the dac
outputs.
The “dacs” patcher is the audio outputs patcher. It is connected to two pairs of peak meters corresponding to
the stereo outputs of each keyboard.
The following displays for Keyboards 1 and 2 are identical:
• In the above left are the received values for pitch and velocity
• In the above right is a display indicating the polyphonic voice assignments for the sampler (for each of the
24 voices, 1 for active, 0 for inactive)
• The first graphic keyboard display indicates the notes that are played by the keyboard
Figure 10 . world_2003
• The second graphic keyboard display shows which keys are assigned to
samples for that program
• The program number box is an active display of the current program
number. It displays the current program number chosen by the
keyboard, and at the same time it allows a program number to be
selected with the mouse
• The sustain 1 switch is an active display of the sustain 1 pedal
• The sustain 2 switch is an active display of the sustain 2 pedal. This
Figure 11. Graphic keyboard
pedal was an old feature that is no longer used. It was kept in this
version for reasons of historical integrity
• Swell 1 and swell 2 are active displays of the positions of those two continuous pedals
• Bend is an active display of the bend wheel (modulation wheel on the keyboard, but connected to a bend function in the program)
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Configure Audio and MIDI
The following audio and MIDI (keyboard) configuration windows are found in the "config" patch. (See also Figure 3 for a general presentation) .
The audio configuration window allows you to select the driver for audio I/O and to configure its connections with the application.
The driver menu contains certain basic options plus whatever ASIO driver you have for the same folder as
the application (or in the Max/MSP folder when running the program as a Max/MSP patch and not as a
standalone application).
The recommended vector sizes are signal vector size 128 and I/O vector size 128. If your audio card only
allows an I/O vector of 512 (for example) that should be ok as well. There may be a very slight latency
between the MIDI keyboard triggering and the playing of the samples in this case though, which there
would not be with an I/O vector size of 128. In this application, there is no other reason other than latency
for choosing a small vector size, therefore you are free to select whatever works best with your
configuration.
The output routing allows you to select the correct physical output to correspond with the application’s
virtual outputs. In most cases these will be as shown here in the audio config image.
Prioritize MIDI should be on.
Overdrive should be on.
Scheduler in audio interrupt should be on.
Altivec Optimization should be on if using a G4.
A CPU limit of 90-95 % is recommended on slower machines (<733MHz). The cpu usage on a G4 867
with both keyboards playing all available voices (total = 48), will be around 60%.
Figure 12. Configure Audio
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The configuration panel for keyboards 1 and 2 are identical. Keyboard 1 however must absolutely be
sending MIDI channel 1, and keyboard 2 MIDI channel 2.
There is no way to change the reception numbers in the application (a programming choice made for
good reason).
Select the OMS device corresponding to keyboard 1.
All switches should be checked (on) except sustain 2 which is no longer used.
You might have to change controller numbers and/or on values to correspond with the controller
keyboard you have chosen. If you are using a Yamaha KX88, the default values here correspond to the
default values on the KX88. If you are using another keyboard such as the Kurzweil PC88, some
numbers here will have to be changed, or else the PC88 programmed to match. The default settings for
the PC88 in Voice Mode are: switch pedal 1 (sustain 1) = controller 64, continuous pedal 1 (swell 1) =
controller 11, continuous pedal 2 (swell 2) = controller 4, wheel 2 (bend wheel) = controller 1.
You can test the input and display the values coming in from the controller by looking at the raw
MIDI input info section of this panel.
The displayed program change numbers should be 1 to 16 (not 0 to 15).
IMPORTANT! – when you’re finished modifying the config panel, click the green button at the
bottom labeled store current state (“user preset”). This will enable your values to be recalled at patch
initialization time. There is absolutely no change to this procedure in the case that each keyboard runs
separately in two different computers. Verify the correct reception of the MIDI keyboards using the
keyboard displays in the main window of the application.
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Audio-Out-Test
When the blue procedure 1b button is
clicked in the procedure section of the
main window, the following audio test
window opens.
Check the box test outputs on/off
A –40 dB sine wave “scale” should be
audible at the audio outputs, ascending in
frequency from outputs 1 to 4.
In the above right section of the patch you
can select other dB values.
When you’re finished, uncheck the box
test outputs on/off.
Figure 13. Audio-Out-Test
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Notes
Notes on Performing the Piece
For tuning purposes, the 440 Hz test-tone can be activated either with the blue button at the top of the window, or with program 15 on either of the two
keyboards. The same button, and/or the same program 15 button will toggle the test-tone “off”.
During the piece, there is really nothing to do except make sure that MIDI continues to come in from the keyboards.
The program change numbers for the keyboards can be selected with the mouse in the keyboard displays section of the application window. This could be
useful if the keyboardists don’t change programs in time, or possibly during rehearsals.
The panic button (green) can be clicked if there are stuck notes. This will not change the current program. If a keyboardist, however, selects program 16,
which is his “panic button”, he must then reselect the correct program number to continue playing.
The volume sliders for each keyboard can be adjusted with the mouse if need be.
Reverb levels for the trombones will vary at the mixing console as per the score.
The Mac audio outputs will also be reverberated at the mixing console to help mix the sampled sounds with the acoustic instruments.
Notes on Optional Two-Computer Operation
It has been suggested during the period of the Antaras development to Max/MSP that it would be useful if there were the possibility to have each keyboard
connected to its own computer. Keyboard 1 must still be MIDI channel 1 and keyboard 2 must still be MIDI channel 2.
The advantages would be: use two slower computers instead of one fast one (cheaper, more easily available?) and keyboardists rehearse separately.
In light of this, the current application has been designed to run either both keyboards at once or each keyboard separately. There is nothing special to do
except to verify the correct OMS device in each computer and probably change keyboard 2’s audio outputs to 1 and 2 instead of 3 and 4. The application is
designed to MUTE all voices that are not playing, so having an unused keyboard in a computer doesn’t “cost” anything.
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Appendix A: Keyboard Program Overviews - Key Groups
Keyboard 1
18
19
Keyboard 2
20
21
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Index of Figures
Data list............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
MIDI diagram ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
Stage Setup Diagram ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Antara2003_msp.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Config Patch ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
The OMS studio setup file used at Ircam :.....................................................................................................................................................................................10
From there, follow all directions pertaining to the application Antara2003. ............................................................................................................................... 11
Step by step procedure to follow once the application/patch is opened ........................................................................................................................................12
During the piece ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12
. world_2003.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Graphic keyboard........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Configure Audio.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
Audio-Out-Test.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
End
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