| ArKaos VJ: The Spectrum Effect
More than any other effect, the Spectrum effect really lets you
visualize your music. This effect is located in the fourth tab of
the effects window, and is shaped like a waveform.
If you drop this effect on a key, the sound coming from the sound
input will be drawn continuously on the screen—similar to
an oscilloscope.
This effect draw lines and shapes on top of an existing image,
so if you don’t have a background, the entire screen will
very quickly become cluttered. To create a background, press a key
containing either an image or movie before triggering the Spectrum
effect. Alternately, you can use the Fade to Black or Larsen effects
to create a background color.
As with most ArKaos VJ effects, the Spectrum effect has many configurable
options. To access the effect property dialog, double click on the
effect icon after dropping it onto a key. The dialog will appear
as follows:
Effect
This drop down menu determines the type of shape that will be drawn.
Select “Waveform” to get standard oscilloscope drawing
or “Polar” to get a round polar plot.
Source
This drop down menu selects what is drawn. You can choose between
the audio input, the spectral plot of the input, or the phase of
the beat detection oscillators.
Use Color
This item lets you pick four colors. When drawing the shapes, the
effect will smoothly transition from one color to the other at the
speed you specify.
Use Picture
If you select this option, the wave will not be drawn as such but
will rather be used as a mask to show parts of the visual assigned
to the key.
Repetitions
This lets you select how many times the drawing should repeat. Repetitions
are organized according to a polygonal shape.
Rotation/Scale/Translation
The last section gives you the ability to modify the drawing’s
position and size. You have the option of fixing their value, linking
them to a MIDI controller or using the beat matching oscillators
to act as controller.
TIPS:
> Use a filter or a motion blur to thicken the shape.
> Use several waveforms with different colors and different scaling/position
for a more dramatic effect.
> The waveform can be used as a source for generating moving
patterns. By combining one waveform with several effects (such as
filters, feedback effect and particles) and the automation mode,
you may end up with exciting automatic patches that don’t
use any visuals. |
