El derecho a la riservatezza

Figure   14.     ScreenPlay    GUI   main   control   page 

Along the top of the main control/performance interface page of the GUI is the timebar; the        indicator of which moves from left to right over the course of a single bar in 4/4. The colour        of the timebar changes depending on the playing/recording state of the clips stored in       

ScreenPlay . If all clips are inactive the timebar appears blue, if a clip is playing it will be        green,   and   if   recording   is   enabled   it   will   be   red. 

Below the timebar are 12 clip slots which, when unoccupied, appear empty.        Generating a new clip can be done in one of two ways, the first of which involves generating        a new clip of predetermined length. To do this, begin by enabling "fix length" ­ located to the        right hand side of the grid­based playing surface. Once this is done, touching a vacant clip slot        will populate it with a new 1 bar clip. If the generation of a new clip fails the clip slot will        revert to its initial empty state. This happens very rarely but, if it does, clicking once with the        mouse on any clip slot in the Ableton Live Set on the computer so that it is highlighted should        solve the problem ­ note that this step should be taken at the very end of the system setup and        configuration   process   to   ensure   there   is   no   issue   with   generating   new   clips. 

Once a new clip has been generated the loop length selection strip below the "fix        length" button will change from grey to blue, indicating that it is now functional, and will also        display a loop length selection of 1 bar. The clip length can then be changed to either 2 bars or       

4 bars if desired. Turning off "fix length" disables the duration selection strip, and its colour        will return to grey and loop length selection be cleared to indicate as such. Likewise,        triggering the newly generated clip from the GUI by touching the clip slot for a second time        also disables the loop length selection strip, before activating the clip at the next step in the        chosen clip trigger quantization value. Recording can be enabled at any time (either before or        after a clip is generated/triggered) using the "rec" button to the left of the clip slots. In single        mode the track of the selected instrument/part in the Ableton Live Set must be armed in order        to play/record notes. Note that           ScreenPlay   implements overdub recording, meaning that new        notes   are   added   to   the   clip   as   it   loops   without   overwriting   those   already   contained   within   it. 

The second method of generating a new clip can be used to record a clip of        indeterminate length, although it differs slightly between single­ and multi­user modes. To do        so in single mode begin by disabling "fix length". So long as the track in which clips are        stored for the selected instrument/part in the Ableton Live Set is armed, touching any empty        clip slot will now begin recording a new clip at the next clip trigger quantization step, without        having to first enable record on the GUI. Triggering on the GUI the newly generated clip for a        second time will stop the recording process according to the clip trigger quantization value        and loop back to the start of the clip, automatically beginning playback. Disabling record on        the GUI before the clip has been triggered for a second time will not stop the process of        recording. 

In multi mode the process is broadly the same, although it is necessary to activate        record on the GUI in addition to disabling "fix length" before triggering an empty clip slot.        Also, in this instance, triggering the newly generated clip for a second time will still cause it        to loop back to the start and begin playback, but it will not disable recording. This instead will        need to be done via the "rec" button on the GUI, which, if disabled before the new clip has        been triggered for a second time, will either crop or extend the clip to the nearest step as        defined by the clip trigger quantization value. This difference in operational protocols for        single and multi mode is simply by virtue of the differing ways in which it is necessary to        handle recording in the two modes, and so long as the visual feedback provided via the GUI is        used to monitor the current status of the system there should be no confusion surrounding the        differences   between   the   two. 

Once populated by a clip, triggering a clip slot on the GUI changes the status of that        clip from inactive to active and vice versa in accordance with the clip trigger quantization        value. The currently active clip will appear blue on the GUI, while all others appear grey. In       

order to ensure all clips respond as expected the default launch mode in the Ableton Live        preferences must be set to "toggle"; something which should have been done during the initial        setup and configuration of the system in line with the instructions provided. The row of        buttons positioned directly below the 12 clip slots on the GUI are used to delete the clips        inside   the   corresponding   clip   slots. 

To the right of the 12 clip slots is a yellow button labeled "metro", which controls the        metronome in the Ableton Live Set. Below the "metro" button is a vertical +/­ slider, which        controls the tempo. To the right of the "metro" button and tempo slider is the record        quantization selection strip; the options for which are "off", 1/4, 1/8 and 1\16. Below this and        to the right of the loop length selection strip can be found the clip trigger quantization        selection   strip;   the   options   for   which   are   "off",   1/4   and   1   bar. 

Positioned centrally and occupying the majority of the main control/performance        interface page is the grid­based playing surface, which is locked in the key/signature scale        denoted by the key signature/scale selection matrix, with root­notes being coloured blue. Note        that chromatic scales contain more notes overall and therefore less root­notes are displayed at        once. When a diatonic key signature/scale is selected any standard triad within that scale can        be played using the same hand shape anywhere on the grid. To do this think of making a        triangle between the index finger, middle finger and ring finger. The index finger and ring        fingers should occupy the same horizontal row of "pads"/notes but be separated by a single        "pad"/note. The middle finger can then be used to play the "pad"/note directly above the one        which   separates   the   index   and   ring   fingers,   thus   completing   the   triangle. 

To the left of the playing surface are two vertical sliders labeled "vel" and "8ve",        which are responsible for controlling the output velocity of all notes on the playing surface        and the octave range of the notes currently displayed. In single mode the octave and velocity        settings are both global, as is the key signature/scale. In multi mode all three are part­specific.        Metronome,   tempo,   clip   trigger   quantization   and   record   quantization   values   are   always   global.  While multi mode enables up to 16 individual users to control a specific        instrument/part within the musical output of the system via dedicated individual GUIs, single        mode allows for up to 16 different instruments/parts to be controlled from a single GUI ­        providing the track in which clips are stored for any given part is selected inside Ableton        Live. If using a mouse to change between instruments/tracks ensure to click on any clip slot        within that track after selecting it to avoid issues with generating "fix length" clips. No such       

action is required if switching between tracks using a MIDI controller. The visual feedback        provided   via   the   GUI   will   update   in   accordance   with   the   currently   selected   track. 

Figure   15.     ScreenPlay    GUI   key   selection   matrix   

The key signature/scale selection matrix is located on the final page of the GUI, and        can be accessed by touching the corresponding tab at the top of the GUI display above the        timebar. The available scales are: Major, Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian,        Aeolian,   Locrian,   Chromatic.   The   default   setting   when   first   initiating   the   system   is   C   Major. 

The generative/transformative algorithm control page can be accessed by touching the        second tab at the top of the display (above the timebar). Positioned at the top and centrally are        4 buttons labeled "free gen", "gen rec", "gen play" and "next", all of which are used to control        the Markovian generative algorithm. Activating "gen rec" when a clip is playing will collect        all the note information contained within that clip during a single entire play through, after        which the clip is automatically disabled and generated playback from the algorithm begins        immediately. The "gen rec" button will turn off and the "gen play" button will turn on to        indicate as such, while the timebar will also change from green to blue to indicate that all        clips are currently inactive. Triggering a clip while "gen play" is enabled will switch the        playback source at the next clip trigger quantization step and vice versa, updating the GUI        accordingly. 

Enabling "free gen" before "gen rec" allows for notes to be freely played and recorded        into the system to act as the source material for the Markovian generative algorithm, rather        than being collected from an active clip. "Gen rec" must then be manually disabled by the        user before activating "gen play". Touching the "next" button restarts the generation of        musical   material   in   the   event   that   it   reaches   a   point   from   where   it   cannot   continue. 

The four horizontal sliders and colour­corresponding buttons at either side of the        controls for the Markovian generative algorithm are responsible for controlling the topical        opposition transformations; each of which has a varying effect on the musical output of the        system depending on the position of the slider in relation to the two extremes of the topical        opposition. The "stability­destruction", "open­close" and "light­dark" oppositional        transformations impact the texture/timbre of the musical output, while the "joy­lament"        transformation   affects   the   melodic   and   rhythmic   contour   of   a   clip. 

Although the "joy­lament" transformation can be applied to polyphonic/harmonic        material it is designed primarily to work with monophonic melodic material, and adhering to        these guidelines will help yield better, more musically coherent results. For the transformation        to work on polyphonic/harmonic material all notes inside the clip must be quantized. Note        also that any transformations should be carried out in the same key signature/scale as the        target clip ­ or in a chromatic scale for more experimental transformations ­ to ensure a        successful   result. 

The colour­coded buttons at the top of the GUI each enable/disable the corresponding        topical opposition transformation. The "stability­destruction", "open­close" and "light­dark"        sliders can all be moved freely while the transformation is enabled in order to modify the       

sound. Moving the "joy­lament" slider after the transformation has been triggered        dynamically changes the probabilities used to calculate the results of the transformation so as        to   accurately   represent   the   position   of   the   slider   at   any   given   moment.