Tumblr Screencast
(download)
TURN OFF SOUND BEFORE HAND! THE MIC DIDNT WORK!
Logos:
Icon:
Sitemap and Content:
It was too big to fit into the blog, so I had to do all this crazy business to get my YouTube account working, but it did. so.. Ta Dah!
MIDI DRUM TRIGGERS
The term MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. This enables electrical musical instruments such as the one I will need for my project an electric drum kit, to communicate and synchronize with each other. All MIDI-compatible controllers, musical instruments and MIDI compatible software follow the same MIDI 1.0 specification, and thus interpret any given MIDI message the same way, allowing two devices (a trigger device and a sound source) to communicate with and understand each other.
As for my project I would like the triggers to sense the sound from the drum kits through the computer picking up I have researched into file formats MIDI can use. I will need to use some form of file format for the storage within the site, standard storage
The Standard MIDI File (SMF). MIDI files are typically created using computer-based sequencing software (or sometimes a hardware-based MIDI instrument or workstation) that organizes MIDI messages into one or more parallel tracks for the recording and editing. Therefore each track is assigned to a specific MIDI channel and a specific instrument patch (for my drum kit I will need to assign each symbol, snare ect).
When researching into my main purpose of midi drum triggers. I was looking at all the available ones out there for electrical and acoustic drum kits which can give me a starting point to what software I would need to build for my site.
MIDI drum trigger refers to a electronic drum module without built-in sounds. The module is only used to convert signals from electronic drum pads into MIDI messages which are then used to trigger sounds on MIDI capable devices such as drum machines
“The Trigger|iO is the easiest way to connect electronic drum and cymbal pads or acoustic drum triggers to a wide range of MIDI sound sources. Use up to ten trigger inputs to play traditional MIDI devices like drum machines, sound modules and synthesizers, or connect the USB output directly to your computer to play software drum modules or lay down tracks in your favorite MIDI sequencer application. You can capture every nuance of your drumming performance into the MIDI world using the Trigger|iO.” “Featuring both USB-MIDI and traditional DIN MIDI connectivity, you can use the Trigger|iO with a wide variety of gear. The interface has ten TRS trigger inputs so you can use it with single or dual-zone pads and triggers, and even split the inputs with Y-cables for even larger custom setups. You can also use the Trigger|iO to expand the pad inputs of virtually and drum module from any manufacturer. “
I will possibly use this as a starting point for my midi drum triggers. The main reasons that I chose this specific one is that its small and compacted, can use up to ten triggers which is enough for a reasonable sized drum kit and it has a USB output directly to the computer where the teaching will take place.
After watching this video I just found the other day, I will need to be doing some research on ‘mini notes’ as well.
Any takers?
Word of Mouth Charts
Twitter API
After looking at the articles on the Twitter Developers page, I found that the Twitter Search API would be the most useful tool for mining Twitter for ‘@’ tweets. The limitations proposed by the page would not have an effect on my website as:
Information for constructing a search query can be found at the hyperlink below as well as a list of parameters to alter the search criteria.
(https://dev.twitter.com/docs/using-search)
However, the problem I’d face then is exporting the data as a html or spreadsheet document for calculating the chart. Another alternative to the Twitter Developers page is the use of a third party run software to find the tweets that I need.
Your Twapper Keeper is an open source software that can be downloaded and run by the user to archive tweets. Search criteria can be set, twitter can be searched, data can be viewed and exported in a number of different forms. This software could potentially save a lot of time when finding data and make it a lot easier to analyse the results to create the charts. It is a very popular option for data mining tweets for studying.
(http://your.twapperkeeper.com/)
OAuth
The Twitter Developers page also looks at OAuth, which is used by applications to gain permission from Twitter users to access or use their data. OAuth wouldn’t effect the business idea I had initially but if in the future an app was developed for a smart phone, this might have to be looked into depending on the apps functions.
Information regarding OAuth and the types of authorisation can be found at the below link.
(https://dev.twitter.com/docs/auth)
API Companies
Below are a couple of companies that provide data mining products for Twitter data. Depending on the exact functions of the API needed it could work out quite expensive to get the licenses needed from these companies but they are a useful back up.
Gnip offers a variety of products that allow enterprises to license high volumes of tweets from the Twitter feed. PowerTrack can be used to filter using numerous search modifiers to access tweets. API software.
DataSift is a real time media curation platform that allows the user to mine Twitter for tweets matching specific criteria. Similar company to Gnip and uses API software to complete its tasks.
The demonstration site that will display and explain the prototype /walkthrough of the idea i’ve proposed will have community aspect to cater for all the parties involved. A developer should be able to look and know what has to be done to build it, an investor should be able to see and understand the market potential, whilst a user should be able to grasp the concepts of the idea and sign up for beta releases. This will allow for me to see which things are working or good and which aren’t. Using the comments and feedback i will be able to question my original thoughts, experiment and iterate to make improvements upon my idea. The sooner I have the prototype / walkthrough the sooner i can start improving it.
The three main sites the idea will have a presence on are, Wordpress, Facebook and Twitter. Google plus will also feature. Wordpress will be the central location for all information and both twitter and Facebook will serve the purpose of social network community engagement.
On the website the main facilitator for community will be to allow visitors to comment. Comments will go as far 3-levels deep to allow for conversation to take place between commentators. They will be enabled on both blog posts and pages. Visitors will be able to be share these posts on these social networks.
The Twitter profile will link back to the Wordpess site. Tweets will consists of short updates, notifications, blog post links and general commentary around the technologies and researched areas involved in the construction of the idea. The twitter profile will also reach out to profiles that also comment on these i.e. @Mashable and @Wired so that they can also share the idea with their followers. Engaging with and within these communities will get the idea known in the professional community and also help make a potential consumer base.
The Facebook page will also link back to the Wordpress site. This presence will be more concerned with the consumer community. The wall will consist of updates, blog post links, competitions, pools, and photos. Consumers will be able to actively engage with the page by contributing to the previously mentioned.
Social network communities will be good for market research as well as a useful way to acquire ways to improve the idea.
http://www.idevgames.com/articles/ios-overview
To create a game with the iOS SDK “from scratch”, typically you would use a combination of C and Objective-C code with OpenGL ES for graphics, OpenAL for audio sound effects, Core Audio for streaming music, GameKit for multiplayer/social connectivity, and perhaps a third party physics library such as Chipmunk Physics for handling collision detection and response and other physics behaviors in your game.
As an iOS developer, you also have several choices for third-party game development libraries. These libraries are specifically designed to make creating games easier by providing you with functionality that you’d normally need to create yourself.
iOS Game Engines
Perhaps the most widely-used of game engine for iOS is cocos2d for iPhone. cocos2d has a long feature list including OpenGL ES-based graphics, integration with the physics libraries Box2d and Chipmunk, a particle system, scene management, effects *such as waves, ripples, etc), sound support, tile maps, and more. It also is adding some support for 3D graphics. cocos2d is also now available for Mac OS X, so you can deploy the same game made in cocos2d on the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac. One other benefit of cocos2d is that there are already a few books written specifically using it to create games for iOS.
Other game engines available for iOS (in no particular order) iinclude:
iTGB/iT2D
Unity
SIO2
Corona SDK
iPTK
Oolong
Bork3d
ShiVa
Airplay
GameSalad
Galaxy Engine
My idea for my proposal is to build a platform for communication between friends, allowing between 2 and 8 people to communicate with each other, similar to a skype situation but with an added feature.
The main focus of this feature, is the ability to listen to music. This would be done so everyone in the conversation would be listening to the same music, and would feature as a "club scene" but online based.
The music would act as either a discussion point, or as a background feature while people engage in general discussions. While we are obviously able to achieve this by simply using iTunes, along with your preferred "chat" software, this aids in the fact you'd be able to listen to the same music at the same time. This allows for critiquing music and sounds while not having to be in the same room, while also allowing moderators to be able to pause and rewind the tracks should the discussion see fit.
While this product could be used in a casual situation amongst friends, family and colleagues. This is a very good product to allow industry professionals to communicate in situations that require discussion of specific music, sounds and audio excerpts.
A way for this to make money can run on a similar style to spotify, with advert spacing on and around the software can be sold to be used as a revenue stream, another way would be to offer a 'pro' version, allowing for no adverts, increasing capacity of users to a discussion group and allowing file transfers.
The product will be software based, and freely downloadable with updates for the software to be available as and when they crop up.
I initially thought of calling the software 'Club Night'. But since re-thinking it as a software that could be used primarily in a professional situation, I've since come up with a new name: "WAVE Forum". This twist with this name is that I intend the word 'wave' to be spelled using the imagery of a waveform. So 'WAVE' meaning Soundwave, and 'Forum' meaning the forums that people will be in, in their discussion groups.
The software would be very visually intensive, with the area for professional situations to resemble a professional recording studio with the track information and play options being positioned where the band would be in the recording booth.
A recreational area for people to chat and listen to music would have it's own visual space, with the scene of a club dance floor with lights, smoke and a DJ booth with track information and play option appearing where the DJ would be.
Those participating will feature as floating images, either with their profile picture or a default cartoon head. The talking space would appear at the bottom of the visual room, with indications of who's speaking and what they've written.
In the recreational spaces, the moderator would be wearing a pair of animated headphones. Members can also opt-in and opt-out to listen to the group music. This will keep with the freedom to listen, should they not want to listen to the music.
Alex Taylor-Beal
Proposal
Being a musician and playing a few different instruments, I have in the past found it is annoying to try and learn a famous song on different instruments. On the websites I used to use people upload their versions of the songs like Wikipedia and other people learn them, irrespective of their instrument playing ability. As I have wasted many hours trawling through poor tab, wrong lyrics and shoddy drum tutorials, I now learn all the songs by ear.
I believe that there could be an easy way to get around this. So I would like to establish a website where accomplished musicians can create tablature and video tutorials to professionally show learners. There would be a feature where you can stream the song, and slow down the parts so you can get your head around any tricky moments in the song.
My Target audience would be musicians of any age, but more specifically young and budding musicians aged around 14-17 and older men who are stumbling through their midlife crisis wanting to emulate Jimi Hendrix.
The website would make its money by selling advertising space, but would also have downloadable video tutorials that are available to put on your iPod. You could also purchase backing tracks and other simplified versions of the songs. Contributors could also pay a small fee to ensure that their work gets priority on the site, and could be used as feature material. I would also like to branch out into smart phone apps once the website is established.
There are various websites out there that do something similar but to different degrees. www.licklibrary.com is one that I have been aware of for some time. They initially started by selling DVD’s of a guitar player showing you how to play songs by one artist per DVD. They were expensive; you could not purchase just one or two tracks and were limited to the artists that they had available. They have since branched out to doing online podcasts and tutorials, but still remain only for guitarists.
Another similar site is www.justinguitar.com who gives online guitar tutorial videos. He makes his money from donations and advertising and has a wealth of tips and tricks. However, once again this is just for guitar, and it is also limited to what Justin likes and can play. If you do not like the songs he plays, this site is not for you. Similarly, www.nowplayit.co.uk also does guitar tutorial videos from the musicians who wrote the songs. But since the beginning of my research, this website has not been functioning correctly.
My initial costs to launch the website would be to purchase the domain, an advertising campaign perhaps in musician magazines such as: Total Guitar and Rhythm. I would also have to hire equipment to make the first videos. I believe that once people start visiting the website, money will soon start coming in.
