incorporating a visual aspect to live performances

Other than the standard lights/fog machines/etc... have any of you done this?

I am thinking i would need some sort of cheap projector and run that into my laptop or something (which I also use for performing). Have any of you tried this? What other methods work/don't work? Hilarious failures are welcome as well.

I would definitely recommend you using two laptops for this. One for your DAW and one for Resolume Arena or whatever you plan on using.

I toured with an electronic duo for a couple of years and I've done visuals for all sorts of shows and I would definitely recommend Arena. But I don't know how you'd both play your music and controls the visuals though. But in Arena you can get your visuals to react to an audio inputs so you could probably just let your music do the job for you. Just make sure to edit some long videos so people won't start noticing the editing patterns in your videos.

I've done some video stuff from ableton live, hooked up to the venue projectors. Just downloaded and edited a bunch of stuff from archive.org and stuck it on the arrangement view timeline and tried to sync shit up as it went along. If I ever do any live stuff again I'll probably look into Max4live's jitter.

or just use cat videos ripped from facebook? 

edit* even better get a cat to play the synths and just film him/her doing it

That is a good idea

do what the butthole surfers did in the 80s and show penis reconstruction surgery films

Doesn't Merzbow do something similar in his sets - like crossing hardcore porn with surgery and snuff and nasty stuff ?

https://www.critterandguitari.com/products/video-scope

if you don't want to make visuals why not get one of these and hook it up to a projector? i've wanted one of these for a while just to use at home, but they would work great for a live show if you don't want to create your own visuals.

I've had friends make videos for me that I'll play in the background. Old 80s stuff, usually.

  On 8/16/2016 at 4:29 PM, QQQ said:

https://www.critterandguitari.com/products/video-scope

 

if you don't want to make visuals why not get one of these and hook it up to a projector? i've wanted one of these for a while just to use at home, but they would work great for a live show if you don't want to create your own visuals.

Holy shit, I think I may get one of these...

Do the walking against the wind mime throughout your entire set

  On 8/17/2016 at 7:24 PM, BCM said:

Do the walking against the wind mime throughout your entire set

(y)

My main project focuses on 'silly breakcore' in which I ridicule Flemish showbizz. I was asked to provide visuals for a gig once and made a .ppt with heads of Flemish schlager singers and politicians.

Another time, they told me upon arrival that there was a projection screen and accompanying laptop on which they 'played' YouTube movies. Well, most of 'em were trying to be cool kids and just chose a playlist of ''epic trippy visuals 3 hours long must check'' etc. However, when it was my turn I picked this:

My Flemish comrades will know why this is funny (the combination of the three individuals is absolutely random and the three of 'em provide an endless stock of easy jokes) and the show's host is one that I often sampled.

Funny story: all of a sudden, the entire place (250 people?) started shouting 'OVERUREN! OVERUREN!' (which means 'working overtime' and I was confused as fuck. Turned around, then got that they were shouting at the big ass screen behind me - the word was the answer to the puzzle at the very end (and the only question they could solve without the sound available). Had a good laugh.

Then spun this for the remaining half hour:

What happened to vj's, do they still exist, financial crash of '07-'08 took them down as well? 

learn max and create an environment that alters video and audio together 

That critter & guitari thing reminds me of this

https://www.lzxindustries.net/

which does things like this

https://www.lzxindustries.net/products/  makes great stuff for euro

CV-Laser interface....     want

if you think getting into euro is expensive you can buy cheaper powerpacks and DIY some sort of case

Dress up like a bird!

  On 8/17/2016 at 11:43 PM, lala said:

https://www.lzxindustries.net/products/  makes great stuff for euro

 

[cyclops laser inerafce jpg]

 

 

CV-Laser interface....     want

 

if you think getting into euro is expensive you can buy cheaper powerpacks and DIY some sort of case

oh nice!

I'm driving lasers directly from Expert Sleepers things (not using euro.. my own software for realtime lasor graphics) with a hacked ILDA cable & without any safety - this thing will be super handy.

Cool thread. I'm thinking of incorporating more specific visual elements to my music, possibly even to the point that my "gigs" are more like art installations than performances (because really, when I'm up on stage, most of the time nobody can even see what I'm using, let alone what I'm doing with it).

The main issue is coming up with something original, or at least not a horrible cliche. I have an idea for maybe some kind of sculptures that either move (animatronics?) or have some kind of projectors shining on them so they have textures and/or colours that change with the music. Wouldn't be very easy to set up though.. especially in the middle of the audience.

A laser show would be amazing but I don't think I could come close to Robin Fox's mindmelting shows:

i'd say don't fucking worry about it too much - people generally don't go to gigs for the visuals...if the music's decent that's pretty much all you need - just look at autechre doing sets in the pitch black etc. it's a nice-to-have rather than a must-have. imo it can all get a bit gimmicky and actually take away from the main reason you're there - i.e. to play some tunes.

yeah but at least in my case I want it to be both. From experience my music doesn't really get people dancing, and when I'm not playing my guitar sets I feel kinda awkward having people watch me onstage with some gear that they can't even see.. I think it'd be better to call it an art installation and have something for people to look at/interact with..

does autechre do it?

just try figure out what visuals best balance and reflect your music. Usually editing a bunch of footage at odd times tends to sync up well

Theres a funny phenomenon in people which when given sound and video they instinctively try to link the two together - so no matter how you edit it, it will always sync and make sense in some way or another

I got into CRT TV/VHS video effects for my music projects visuals - I circuit bent an old video enhancer - I find putting some of our video work or visuals from other sources through this is a great starting point for our live visuals. Either there's a VJ at the venue who will look after projecting it, or I just bring an extra laptop and make a long looping edit hooked directly to the venues projector

  On 8/19/2016 at 11:20 AM, modey said:

yeah but at least in my case I want it to be both. From experience my music doesn't really get people dancing, and when I'm not playing my guitar sets I feel kinda awkward having people watch me onstage with some gear that they can't even see.. I think it'd be better to call it an art installation and have something for people to look at/interact with..

yeah fair play if you're not doing dancefloor friendly stuff