This post is about a patch I’ve been working on which started out as an emulation of a hardware instrument called memory palace which is based on older video instruments and new technology. My patch was born out of a want to explore its inner workings and to take it further. I’ve been working with video synthesis for a long time and touchdesigner has been a wonderful playground to for similar experiments.
Let me introduce you to VVeb
There are two modes of operation
Warp and Paint
Within those modes the same set of controls can all be used but will result in different outcomes.
Warp and Paint modes are made by swapping the order of the core modules.
The core modules are keyer, spatial & color processors, buffer feedback
Warp mode is more like classic video mixer feedback
Paint mode is more like painting/looping an image onto the screen
Some of the controls have built in motion processors for automation
In this video I go over the basics of how to use VVeb.
note this video is using an older version of VVeb where the interface was still based on direct in patch controls. Now the whole patch has been packed up and given custom controls
Some ways I’ve taken the inspiration and made it my own
- In paint mode moving the delay slider beyond 0 will start to make “loops”. Using the freeze button and repositioning allows for you to draw multiple “loops” on the screen at once. This is by far my favorite feature of the synth. Example of “loops”
- Variable mirroring allows you to set the angle of two mirrors instead of just having H&V mirrors. These controls also have motion automation. This opens up so many more possibilities in both modes.
- Full color matte mode when you make a key instead of having the original image showing through it is a full color matte. This allows for further color possibilities and was inspired directly by a couple fairlight CVI presets.
- I added Sample&Hold (S&H) and random to the motion automation sections. You can variably S&H the main control input, the built in motion control LFO, or the random. The random value can also be slewed or not just like the main control and motion LFO.
- Mesh displacement and temporal displacement engines started and they will get full added in when I’m happy with their performance. You can see mesh displacement in the beginning of the compilation video temporal displacement is shown once.
- Within a version of the temporal displacement engine I built is also an actual looper that I think would be a welcome addition to this patch. In the second and third videos of this series the looper is in action with feedback to make something new. I have been working on the temporal displacement engine since before I started VVeb.
This compilation is more paint mode than warp mode.
things that have come out during testing/fixing this week. some of the modes in this video are not present in the current patch.
MIDI control makes this patch really sing!
Next up
- Remaking a RaspberryPi video painter synth called Scrawl I made a couple years back in TD.
- A bunch of finished patches in this video synth style that I’ll be posting on my GitHub
GitHub - wednesdayayay/Touch-designer: Some of the various Touch designer…
Some of the various Touch designer patches I’m working on - GitHub - wednesdayayay/Touch-designer: Some of the various Touch designer patches I’m working on
VVeb is posted the GitHub above
I have some work to do on both of the displacement engines still but the patch is very useable without them. They are included in the patch but don’t currently have custom controls.
