Mash Up: Hot Wonder Ice Bomb Problems, Part 99

An interactive mash-up of 20 songs from Frank Sinatra to Mims.

This video depicts the MAX/MSP interface controlling the mix, a clip of me mixing it with a controller, and the album art for the songs being sampled at any given time.

Created with Pro Tools, Max/MSP, and a USB controller, the idea was to create a composition that could be remixed on the fly.

First, beat matching, chopping, and composition were done over the course of a month in Pro Tools. You can check out a screenshot of the mix here: http://www.mfrederickson.com/images/mashup/full_protools_screenshot.jpg

Second came constructing the Max patch for controlling the mix. All 16 tracks were soloed and exported from Pro Tools, and arranged in a custom interface that allows groups of tracks to be selected with the DPAD on the controller. The two analog joysticks then apply effects to the selected tracks. In this video, you'll notice the tracks with yellow borders are selected and are being mixed live.

The boxes to the right of the video show the effects that can be applied, and the current effect status.

Top: Panning
The left analog stick controls to which of the four speakers the selected tracks are panned. The mix has been reduced to 2 channel stereo for YouTube. A yellow dot in the box shows where the panning is currently set.

Middle: Degrading / Filtering
The right analog stick can degrade (bit rate / word length reduction) the selected tracks, or apply a filter. The middle box shows the position of the right analog, and pressing down on the stick switches the effect type.

Bottom: Chopping
When turned on via the right set of buttons, chopping mutes the selected tracks, and only brings them in when the "1" button is tapped.

You can view the entire Max/MSP patch here: http://www.mfrederickson.com/images/mashup/full_patch_screenshot.jpg

And a shot of the recording setup for the video here: http://www.mfrederickson.com/images/mashup/rec.jpg

Comments are welcome! See if you can pick out all 20 songs sampled.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mash
• up
• mashup
• hot
• wonder
• jay-z
• mims
• t.i.
• vanilla
• ice
• eurythmics
• outkast
• michael
• frederickson
• brown
• university

[derocktman]

what program is that?

[mfrederickson]

@derocktman On top it's an interface put together in Max/MSP - the lower third is a video feed and the album art composited over.

[croates]

What was more jarring, hearing this masterpiece for the first time, or when its author fell on top of me approximately 4 am New Year's Day while I was asleep.

Ultimately, I say the former, although the latter was more cuddly.

[mfrederickson]

haha.  Thank you Mr. Oates.

[WOMP2007]

the covers of the content being mixed is the coolest thing i've ever seen, as well as the fact that this guy made this. maybe the coolest thing i've seen as far as originality i've seen in years. outside of myself and group of friends i've never seen anything that i respect as much as i do this, and i don't even wish i said that but its true

[Shortline999]

sweet vanilla ice dreams

gorgeous, sir.

[ryanspanger]

dope

[jojo808]

Nice stereo sound kid.

[beckybunnyy]

This is my guilty pleasure. Sometimes I listen to it while getting ready to go out...plus I like the fact that I can see your freakish thumb.

[beckybunnyy]

This is my guilty pleasure. Sometimes I listen to it while I'm getting ready to go out....plus I love the fact that I can see your freak thumb.

[BDaMan612]

Yeah, that part was real dope, just like the rest of this mix.

[srnielsen69]

nice,

well i am to dumb to could do that :)

[dandarya]

very impressive :)