Nerd Lab 001 - The Hacked PowerGlove

in #music6 years ago (edited)

We are actually living in a 1960s future, if you ask me. Magical information networks, hoverboards, robot kitchens, and most interesting to me - nearly limitless ways to make music!

I'm most fascinated by the crossroads of motion capture and MIDI control. Since the blessed invention of these magical messages that allow translation of different musical expressions between any type of interface and digitally created sound, we've come a long way!! You can hack a Kinect camera to trigger beautiful filters just by waving your arms. There are MIDI armbands that calibrate to your muscle movements. And in a wondrous juxtaposition of retro vision and future hacking, I present to you the Hacked PowerGlove, made by my amazing friend Moldover. Although I first thought it a novelty, it's become an amazing, physically engaging way to connect with my audiences on an even more visceral level.

Movie clips are from the film The Wizard

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I think I just overdosed on techy nerd bits — and I’m even more in love with you than ever. I didn’t understand about 90% of what you said, but — clearly — you and Moldover are a spectacular combo. BADASS!

Hahha thank youuu! I love you!

hahahaha ! amazing!! Nintendo meets music awesomeness :D , loved the explanation , being a nerd myself. I see this can send Program changes and also continuous Midi messages , I find that to be amazing ! I do have MIDI implementation in my gear but only for effects switching and routing and expression via Pedals ,but since I suck at performing with this stuff Live , I ended up having a custom little pedal built just to Sync Tempos of delays on my rack gear and a couple preset switchings , I take it out once a year hahahaha , I am becoming lazy with carrying gear around :P !

Oooh! I'd love to see your setup!!

Sure , I kind of took it apart so it is just now sitting on an old drawer without being connected ! hahaha. It is basically a mix of old and new gear , as I kind of like the sounds of Tube Preamps and Old School pedals with some sort of facility when switching around and making patches.. :P!

MIDI rig.jpeg

What We have here is a Preamp and two FX brains as the core of the rig and everything is MIDI accesible .

The Carvin Quad-X is a 9 tube 4 channel preamp that weighs a ton and gives the main dry sound , each channel has an independent in an out so it is very flexible , on the Main FX loop of the Preamp is the TC Electronic G-Force FX unit , where I store my patches for Delays , Reverb , Tremolos ,etc , anything is programmed inside that box in Bank presets and controlled via the Gray Boxes which basically give simple MIDI commands like Preset Change , Tap Tempo , or turn on and off a specific effect , the controls change depending on the patch.

The other brain is the NUX Cerberus controller which basically is a Router, MIDI switcher with some on board FX , that unit is a lot newer and I use it both in front of the preamp and in the preamp out as it has ins and outs in it's back for the gain section and post-gain section. I basically use the NUX for it's IR loading capabilities so I can store Digital Amp Cabinets in it. Since it has a Dry Kill button and Stereo Outs.. I can route it in many ways . The simplest one would be out from the Carvin with the G-force in it's FX loop to the NUX IR loader and then to a Stereo L and R feeding a mixing desk or a power amp, But another setting I like to use is a Dry/Wet setting . meaning the Fx coming out independently on one side and the raw signal coming out from the other and just mix it however I like it. You can just add any guitar pedal on front or in the loop of a channel however you want. I mostly just use distortion pedals , the rest I take from the rack units.

I am planning on hooking it up to just be a recording rig since it is very unpractical to lug around for live playing and I work at studio 80% of the time .. not performing live so much anymore. So I would just have it with a L and R out feeding two inputs of my Apollo Sound Card.. and work the rest with plug-ins.. oh .. technology! makes it easier :D !!

Sorry for the log nerdiness ! hahaha !

OMG you are awesome, girl!!!! I can't believe I hadn't come over here to investigate you yet after joining Helpie! I'm so behind! i wanna be you!

Right?!? Elle's the boss!

Faaaaaaaaaaarq! That’s so rad!!!!
This is so amazing!
Months ago Meno asked me to do a tutorial on how I made my foot drum triggers. I’ll have to make a video at least showing them up close.
I’ve had many other alt-electro instrument ideas that haven’t yet made it to the creation stage. I think you and I think alike in this way.

Do you have any footage of your live shows, you incredibly creative, talented, radiant woman?

Oh thank you @nathankaye ! I have an entire Boiler Room set actually :)

Holy fååååååq!! That is so rad!
Mad. Crush. On. You.
When I get to the USA next I'm coming to one of your shows!!! Yes!!!!
I could probably hook you up some festival gigs here in Australia and Bali with that vibe you're kicking! I used to co-organise Earthdance in Byron Bay back when Earthdance was mega globally so I'm still well connected with the electronic scene here.
Off the hook talent sista!
Yeeeeeew!

I wanna see that video, Nathan! Please!!

And...isn’t she just?! Elle is a powerhouse of talent and brilliance. So stoked to have her on here! I’m hoping she’ll enter the open-mic at some point. 😉

I definitely will

So cool to find you on Steemit and a great post on how art and technology are pushing the boundaries of creation and performance. Totally kickass :-)

This is one of the coolest, innovative ideas i have seen in a long time. Its a bout time someone put a nintendo glove to good use

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That's cool! But a little to techy.
As a DJ I can understand what are you actually doing there but you know this is not for everybody.
Most people will see a cool looking glow that you are moving exactly on music and will thik "Wow, great coregraphy!" :)

Did you used it Live in a show?

Hahaha, yes this is true, and yes I'm using it live. The reality is I think many people won't understand the details or necessarily want to, but i think this at least gives them a visual cue to connect to the music :)

such a unique piece of technology! great times we're living in right now! love the gadget! :)