Come play with me

  "Come play with me" is a piece for an electronic soloist and Orchestra. The electronic soloist is an electroacoustic totem, made up of 7 speakers (7 d&B "E8", for exemple), mounted on a special aluminium black structure (about 2meters of height) and progressively oriented from right to left, from the bottom one (n7) to the top one (n1), in order to cover an angle of maximum 140/160 degrees. The totem is placed in the middle of the scene, at about 1.2 meters from the Conductor (in order not to confuse him too much with the electronic sounds). The aluminium structure was made at IRCAM and has 4 little wheels that allow the totem to be moved on the scene, according to the needs of the show. The subwoofer for the totem is placed on the structure, right behind the totem aluminium structure.

The piece uses Antescofo anticipatory score following software, to trigger the cues and handle the spatialization of the soundfiles over the totem of loudspeakers. The "StroppaLibs" are a collection of patches and scores, available at "https://forge-2.ircam.fr/laurenzi/stroppalibs".

Audio setup

The piece does not present any microphone input, as no instrument of the orchestra is amplified. The only contribution of amplified sound is represented by the totem, which is fed by seven separate channels coming from the computer. Specifically, each channel (from 1 to 7) is to be addressed to a specific loudspeaker: channel number 1 is represented by the loudspeaker placed higher up in the structure, number 2 from the higher second and gradually descending. A mix of all seven channels coming from the computer must be sent to an auxiliary bus directed to the subwoofer, placed near, or directly on, the base of the structure.

A calibration of the loudspeakers (equalization and relative volumes of each speaker) must then be done, also based on the specific requirements of each concert hall: different acoustics. Stage height and audience position can infact lead to different settings to be adapted from time to time.

As for the technical material, any sound card with 7 discrete outputs and any console with 7 inputs and at least one auxiliary bus will be fine for the success of the concert.

Loudspeaker setup

Midi setup

The cues in the score are triggered by a midi master keyboard placed on the scene, in order to follow the conductor. It doesn't necessary have to be a full 88 keyboard. Two octaves keyoboard is enough.

Software installation

• Download and Install Max8, Spat 4 and Antescofo packages.
• Put the Folder "PATCH" into the "files prefernces" paths.
• Set the Sample Rate in the audioStatus panel to 48Khz.
• I/O Vector Size and Signal vector size can be set respectively to 512 and 256 samples.
• Check Scheduler in Overdrive "ON", and Audio Interrupt "OFF"
• Set the correct audiocard driver in the Status Panel.

Quit Max, then relaunch it.

Open the patch "COMEPLAY-7ch_LUZERN-2025_v03.maxpat".

Patch presentation

A Mira system is used to control volume faders in the patch. The sound engineer has not much left to do then...

A reverb is someteimes used in the piece, to push a bit far away some of the electronic sounds, above all in the case we are in an absorbant concert hall. In general the level of the reverb must be very low, in order to not confuse sound trajectories too much. It has then to be controlled by hand, and only put up a bit when there are long sequences with different moving files, like in the cadenza or in the endings of the pieces, or to smoothen a bit the clarinets of the second movement, which may sound a bit harsh if the hall is absorbant.

System calibration and tests

• Using Max Audiotester, set a noise burst, cycling through the speakers, and check the correct assignment of signals to the correct speakers : n1 (top) to n7 (bottom).
• still using the audiotester, check the balance between all the speakers, in order to have the same power perception in all the speakers. Normally you have to end up with a C curve in the faders by which we have a reference neutral 0 dB on the extreme speakers, -4.5dB on the center speaker, and various grading of difference between these two values in the other speakers, with a simmetrical shape. For ex (n1 to n7) : 0, -2, -3.25, -4.5, -3.25, -2, 0. The top speaker can have a bit more than 0, since it's the most far from the audience, and has a leading role.
• On the concert patch, press RESET, and start triggering cues manually, in order to verify the relationship between the computer audio output and the console output. Set the computer a litte less, like -4db, to have some headroom, and set more gain on the console master fader, for ex. +4db.
• On the "Midi Keyboard" panel, set the suivi mode on "trig", and set the correct midi port for the midi keyboard. Then set the keyboard onstage in order to communicate and send midi data to the patch. Check that pressed midi keys correctly trigger the cues in the patch.

• On the UDP panel, set "Master" for the main computer and "Slave" for the spare computer. Set the spare computer IP adress on the textedit field and set the same Port number on both computers.

• There is a click audio signal in the patch, to be followed by the conductor, only for the second movement. On the antescofo panel, set the second movement and let it run, then ask the conductor if the level of the click is enough. Ask also when he is rehearsing with the orchestra, in case the level of the instruments is masking the audio click. To set the click level on the patch, open the antescofo score of the piece, and set "1Click-rfader" gain-db to the desired level in dB. Then save the score.

Initialization routine

On the antescofo panel, reload the score. Or press RESET button.

Choose the appropriate levels on the Ipad with the Mira controller.

You're ready to start the pièce.

Performance notes

During the piece, the electronic soloist has to maintain a "concertante" dialog with orchstra, so the volume of the sound files must be high enough to be heard, but also a big fork in dynamics should be pursued.

For exemple, the beginning of the pièce [COME], with the totem intro solo which recalls Beethoven IVth Concert, has to be very soft and delicate, while growing during the movement to compete with the orchestra.

In the second movement [PLAY] a very special attention must be paid in order for the electronic sounds not to be too loud and overwhelming the orchestra. A little bit of reverb can be added to smoothen them out in case the acoustic of the hall allows for that.

The third movement [WITH] is really soft and sweet, and the totem has to sing alongside the instruments, very quietly and secretly.

During the fourth movement [RUN], the electronics leads the orchestra, holding a very strict rhytmic pulse. It's very important that the conductor hears well the audio click, in order to glue to the tempo. The totem sound has to be very present, but also fused with the orchestra.

In the Fifth movement [GUN] there is an imitation attitude between the orchestra and the solo electronic totem. This latter has to rival with the orchestra in order to be powerful enough, but not overwhelming it.

The sixth movement [STRIKE], is a concertante based on bell sounds and impacts, between the orchestra and the Totem. This latter shoud rival and beat sometimes the orchestra, is possible.

The seventh movement [SCRATCH] is completely written around the soounds of the strings, and is very delicate, yet the totem has to be present enough, but not screaming.

The seventh movement leads progressively to the end, a solo cadenza by the Totem, to be performed with a very soft blue light only pointed at the totem, while the rest is in the dark. This last cadenza has to be controlled by hand, in order to make it a very electroacustic solo, varying a bit the dynamics. Cut the blue light at the end with a slow fade out of 3 sec while the music is ending.