MAX 5 - Sequencer for Kenton Pro-Solo

Hello... so it's been a while since I posted. In that time I decided to learn how to use MAX/MSP. I bought MAX 5 and have been tweaking away to my hearts content every night since :)

The picture above is the second little app I made in Max. You can double click on it to get a better look. It's a sequencer to control my modular synth. I use the Kenton Pro Solo MIDI/CV converter and it has Pitch CV/GATE and an Aux CV so I have 3 sequencers, one for each.

The sequencer goes from 2 to 64 steps, it outputs MIDIclock which is great for my little Doepfer A-160/161 sequencer/clock divider. Each sequencer has 3 possible modes Forward/Reverse and Random Step with the amount of random step being variable between 0-100%. The random step is really great on pitch. Each sequencer also has a random function that will completely randomize the output (rather than the step count).

There's a start/stop/reset and tap tempo button. The is also a little recorder to record the output of the modular. So it's all very good. I am designing it for a live performance so I'm not interested in using inside another app like ableton. I want it to be stand alone.

I kind of Jazz Lemured up the interface with the new presentation mode in MAX 5. The plan is to get a touch screen for about $60 and overlay it on a standard LCD screen and have a touch screen sequencer for my modular. If anybody out there has experience of touch screen overlays let me know.

I made a few short demos for ye to listen to... No effects and they all just use 1 oscillator and either the A-105 or A-121 filter. When it's finished and I have the touchscreen overlay I'll try and post a vid. For now here's some audio.

Laser partially blinds audience at Open Air Festival

Just read this crazy story over on Reuters UK. After an Open Air Festival in Moscow dozens of audience members have been hospitalized for partial blindness. "They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of vision in individual cases is as high as 80 percent, and regaining it is already impossible." a reporting newspaper quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.

Yipes. 80% vision loss.... of course the organisers have no phone number or contact details on their website and it looks like they've done a legger. I used to work the lights I burned my fingers a few times trying to realign those lasers so I know how powerful they can be and how careful you have to be when working with them. Apparently it was raining in Moscow that night so the organisers of the rave put some kind of tent over the audience and laser light that was supposed to illuminate the night sky was reflected back into the crowd.

"I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun," rave-attendee Dmitry told reporting newspaper Kommersant.

Who is to blame.... "illiteracy on the part of technicians" according to a laser hire company.