Tag: Video Synthesizer

Posted on

Digital Innovation Grant: March 12th Update

Spring break has allowed me to catch up on work that I had back burnered a bit. I finished my draft of a Hypno manual . . .

Using the Hypno 1: Connections
Using the Hypno 2: Performance Mode
Using the Hypno 3: Modulation Mode
Using the Hypno 4: Feedback Modes / Feedback Modulation Mode
Using the Hypno 5: Using Input Shapes
Using the Hypno 6: Advanced Mode

Accordingly, I also feel like I have a good enough understanding of the Hypno to start creating videos. First, some context. For the last 75 years, music and music marketing has been increasingly reliant upon visual material. Due to American Bandstand (1952-1989), to Top of the Pops (1964-2006), to MTV (1981-), to YouTube (2005-), and TikTok (2016-), musicians and musical groups have been under increasing pressure to incorporate the visual into their music making routines.

This can be a problem for the independent musician. Creating visual content takes time, expertise, and often money. The more time a musician spends creating visual content, the less time they spend making music. Video synthesis is one potential solution to such a problem. Video synthesis typically takes place in real time, thus, creating a video, in theory, could take only the amount of time it takes to playback the music it will be accompanying. Furthermore, since video synthesis is based upon concepts of sound synthesis and to a lesser extent, performance, musicians are typically well versed in improvisation, and may also have an understanding of sound synthesis that gives them a basic level of expertise that can be built upon.

I recently released a recording of an improvisation based upon “The Star-Spangled Banner.” To create a video for the piece, I used public domain footage from four of Edison Studios films., including Raising Old Glory Over Morro Castle (1898), Statue of Liberty (1898), Parade of Marines (1898), and Morning Colors on US Cruiser Raleigh (1899). I used the resulting video file on both of Hypno’s video oscillators, and recorded the video output from a series of improvisations. One issue I had is that if I bumped the HDMI cable, it would momentarily break the connection between the Hypno and the HDMI to USB capture card I was using, causing the video recording to stop.

Ultimately I was able to record five video improvisations, lasting :43, 1:25, 1:35, 4:18, and 8:25. totalling 16:26. My recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” lasts 11:47, so I cut each of the five videos into phrases. I shortened the longest phrases to be between 40 and 41 seconds long. Then I arranged the longest phrases from most identifiable to most distorted. Then I interspersed the shorter phrases arranging them from most distorted to most identifiable, resulting in the video below.

Posted on

Using the Hypno 6: Advanced Mode

When not using input shapes, you may press the same combination of buttons (A & B for oscillator A or B & C for oscillator B) to set some advanced parameters. Some of these are the same as those used for input shapes. For instance, knobs E & F are used to set the luma key maximum (E) and minimum (F) of a given shape. Likewise, the farthest away of the top knobs (knob D for oscillator A and knob A for oscillator B) are used to squash or stretch the vertical dimension of a shape. However, when using the poly shape, this control is used to set the number of sides for the polygon. In this mode the three nearest knobs (knobs A, B, & C for oscillator A and knobs B, C, & D for oscillator B) are not mapped to any parameter.

Again, regardless of which oscillator is being adjusted, the slider on the left (A) performs a crop on the X axis, while the slider on the right (B) performs a crop on the Y axis. However, when the sine or tan shapes are being used, the slider on the left (A) adds extra modulation on the opposite access, while the slider on the right (B) adjusts the waveshape of the modulation.

Here’s a Sleepy Circuits quick guide describing some of the controls available in Advanced Mode . . .


video by Sleepy Circuits

The Hypno has still more features such as Eurorack patching, MIDI control, and presets. Further information can be found out about these features from the Sleepy Circuits website as well as on their YouTube channel.

Posted on

Using the Hypno 5: Using Input Shapes

The Hypno will accept video via USB. This could be a USB webcam, an HDMI camera plugged into a HDMI to USB capture card, or a USB thumb drive that contains video files. Note that input shapes can be used on both oscillators simultaneously. You can change parameters affecting the live input by pressing two buttons. To do this for oscillator A, press buttons A and B, to affect oscillator B you would press buttons B & C.

The most fundamental of these controls is the input index and folder control. These controls are knobs A & B for oscillator A, and knobs C & D for oscillator B. The outermost knob controls the index (knob A for oscillator A and knob D for oscillator B). Moving this knob to the left most counter clockwise position can allow you to switch between two distinct video inputs. When using a USB drive including numerous video files, the inner most knob (knob B for oscillator A and knob C for oscillator B) navigates the folder, while the index (knob A for oscillator A and knob D for oscillator B) navigates the files. If you want to see the file names while you are navigating, you can first turn on help mode by holding buttons A & C down while turning knob F to the right past twelve o’clock. You can turn help mode off by holding down the buttons A & C while moving knob F to the left past twelve o’clock.

Help Mode Quick Guide

video by sleepy circuits

The third knob from the oscillator (knob C for oscillator A and knob B for oscillator B) are inactive in this mode. The farthest knob from a given oscillator (knob D for oscillator A and knob A for oscillator B) control the aspect of video, with the 12 o’clock position being normal. Moving the knob to the right stretches the video vertically, while moving the knob to the left squashes the vertical dimension of the video.

Regardless of which oscillator is being adjusted, the top center knob (knob E) controls the luma key max setting, while the lower center knob (knob F) sets the luma key minimum value. When the minimum is set higher than the maximum, the luma key values invert. In essence, luma key values allows you to make a portion of a visual image transparent, based upon the color value. Likewise, regardless of which oscillator is being adjusted, the left slider (slider A) performs a crop of the image on the X axis, while the right slider (slider B) performs a crop of the image on the Y axis.

Here’s a Sleepy Circuits quick guide for using video input . . .


video by Sleepy Circuits

Here’s a useful quick guide by Sleepy Circuits showing how to prepare video and image files for use on a USB drive . . .


video by Sleepy Circuits

Using the Hypno 6: Advanced Mode

Posted on

Using the Hypno 2: Performance Mode

As previously stated, the face of the Hypno features two sliders, three buttons, and six dials. For convenience, through this manual, I will refer to the two sliders as A & B (left to right) and the three buttons as A, B, & C (left to right). For the dials I will refer to the four at the top as A, B, C, & D (left to right) and the two in the center as E & F (middle to bottom). The Hypno has several modes of operation that are accessed by holding down (or not holding down) buttons. I will refer to the mode where no buttons are being held down as performance mode.

image from Sleepy Circuits.

To get started with the Hypno, let’s not use any input, and just use it to generate video using its two video oscillators. The module is symmetrical, so the controls on the left (slider A, button A, and dials A & B) generally control the first oscillator, while the controls on the right (slider B, button C, and dials C & D) control the second oscillator. The controls in the middle (button B and dials E & F) generally control the module as a whole.

Buttons A & C set the shape for the two oscillators. Pressing the buttons cycles through the shapes, sine, tan, poly, circle / oval, fractal noise, and video input. These shapes are coded with the color of corresponding LED (red, green, yellow, blue, pink, and teal). The last setting, teal / video input, is only accessible when a USB video input is plugged in. We’ll deal with the video input shape in a later tutorial. While the manufacturer refers to the first two shapes as sine and tan, they both are essentially lines. The polygon shape is a septagon by default.

RedSine
GreenTan
YellowPolygon
BlueCircle / Oval
PinkFractal Noise
TealVideo Input



A silent video demonstration of the five basic shapes in Hypno.

Sliders A & B set what the manufacturer calls frequency, but perhaps it is better understood as a zoom function. The zoom feature can be very useful when you are first getting used to the Hypno. Zooming in completely, that is pulling the slider all the way to the bottom can make a video layer disappear, so you can better see the effect of each control. Dials A & D rotate the selected shapes, and dials B & C control the polarization of the shapes. When polarization is low, the shapes appear normal. As polarization increases, the shapes start to bend until they completely wrap around, forming concentric circles. However, it should be noted that for the polygon, circle / oval, and video input shapes, dials B & C function as Y (vertical) offsets.

A silent video demonstration of the zoom, rotate and polarization / y offset controls on the five basic shapes.

The remaining two dials (E & F) control both oscillators. The former controls the gain of each shape, with the center position resulting in a black out of both layers. The latter dial controls affects the colors of the two layers, shifting the relationship between the hues of the two layers. At this point you should understand the basic shapes and controls in performance mode for the Hypno. Notice however, with the controls we have introduced thus far, there is no movement on its own. That is the shapes only change when a control (button, slider, or dial) is changed.

Here is the Sleepy Circuits quick guide for performance mode (they call it shape pages) . . .


video by Sleepy Circuits

Using the Hypno 3: Modulation Mode

Posted on

Using the Hypno 1: Connections

The Sleepy Circuits Hypno is a video synthesizer that can generate video using two video oscillators that generate a variety of shapes shapes. Each video oscillator can be manipulated using a series of buttons, sliders, and dials. The Hypno can also accept video input via USB for each of the two video oscillators, allowing it to manipulate video (live or pre-recorded) in real time. Sleepy Circuits has a lot of great info about how to use the Hypno spread between the manufacturer’s website and their YouTube channel. However, in my opinion, they lack a single resource that functions like a full manual taking you through how to use the Hypno from beginning to end. I hope to do this in a few blog entries.

Let’s start off by looking at inputs and outputs. The back face of the Hypno features four USB inputs that can be used for connecting cameras, capture cards, USB drives, and MIDI instruments. The right hand side of the module features an HDMI out, a composite out, and a micro USB port which is used to power the unit. The Hypno is a bit picky in terms of the order you plug things in. You should always plug in the HDMI out before plugging in the power. When you plug in the power, you will notice that the Hypno goes through a boot up process. Note that there is no power switch, so turning the unit on and off is done through plugging it in and unplugging it. If you are going to use any USB input, you would plug that in third, after plugging in the power.

image from Sleepy Circuits.

image from Sleepy Circuits.

The face of the Hypno features two sliders, three buttons, and six dials. Since each of these fulfills several functions, none of them are labelled. The face also has nine 3.5mm TS sockets for use with Eurorack and Eurorack compatible gear. These nine ports can be used to control / automate the two sliders, two of the three buttons, and five of the six dials. We’ll spend more time dealing with this in a future post. However, if you plan on using these Eurorack connections, you will want to connect them after connecting power.

image from Sleepy Circuits.

At this point, you should be able to correctly connect the Hypno to inputs, outputs, and power in the correct order.

Using the Hypno 2: Performance Mode