Tonight, Jarrod and I spent some time hammering out the details of our visuals, as well as exploring our options with Max MSP.
We decided to adopt a style similar to Kandinsky's "synesthesia" phase. Examples:
The black keys on the piano will draw circles, while the white keys will draw lines. We will use the "velocity" of the key press (how hard you press) to determine the opacity of the shapes. Size will be based on how long the key is pressed down. Other factors could be changed as well, using the modulator or pitch bend functions of the keyboard, but these are yet to be determined.
In order to maintain some consistency in the placement of the shapes, the keys will be placed in groups of three, with each group pertaining to a part of a 4x4 grid. For example, the keys which are the lowest in tone will be in the bottom-left gridspace, and the highest will be in the top-right. This way, the user can retain a degree of control over the placement of the shapes.
After determining these graphical characteristics, we started building a program in Max which would detect MIDI inputs. We made one which could determine the key being pressed and the velocity of that press. Changes in the modulator and pitch-bend peripherals could also be monitored. By the end, the program could determine if a specific set of notes were being played, and turn a switch if they were. Progress!
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