Frightening fun with sensors, projectors, and Max/MSP
Now this is my kind of fun. An ultrasonic sensor (left) connects to our Make Controller board, which connects to our laptop, which connects to a video projector and a 200-watt PA speaker, which we use to scare the pants off people walking down San Francisco's Haight Street.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)
It all started when a free, unsolicited copy of Cycling ’74’s Max/MSP 5 hit my desk. How, or why, the holy grail of interactive audio/video authoring software found its way to me is still a mystery, but I’m glad it did. In fact, I felt so grateful I knew I had to return the kindness by creating something ambitious with it. That’s when I e-mailed Matt.
My friend Matt Ganucheau is a guru when it comes to Max/MSP. Because this particular piece of software is so adaptable, he’s used it to program robots, create video DJ software, author plug-in effects for music applications, and give life to busty mannequins (he hates when I bring that up). With my motivation and Matt’s know-how, I was sure we could come up with something interesting.
Editor’s note: The following video gets nerdy and very loud. If DIY and electronic arts projects don’t interest you, you probably won’t be interested in this video or the remainder of this article.
Getting creative wasn’t easy, however. I felt like a colorblind kid who’d been thrown a deluxe box of Crayolas. Most people who come to Max/MSP already have a problem in mind that they wanted to solve, like “How do I get my Guitar Hero controller to play real music?” or “How can I create propane-powered flame organ?” Instead, I had a solution in search of a problem.
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