garageCube

[dvdan]

Boris, Yves,

Great work. Wonderful. I propose the following additions for your future releases (which I hope I will be able to d/l as free upgrades!);

1) additional video inputs

If a machine has multiple quicktime sources (one firewire and one PCI for instance) why not let us use them? a 1-input mixer isn't much of a mixer. 2-inputs would turn modul8 into a true standalone mixer with amazing power, and I suspect the current PowerMac's could keep up.

2) additional audio inputs

The audio input is my favorite part of Modul8. With 8 layers it would be great to have more than one audio input so multi-channel audio control would be possible. Start with separate let and right stereo inputs!

3) A feedback layer, "patch the output back to the input".

This would simply be a layer which takes the master output and allows you to manipulate it as another layer and feed it back in to the mix.

4) more capable luma key.

The current luma key assigns transparency gradually according to luminance. Conventional luma keys have a threshold above or below which the image is keyed. I would like to have this capability because the existing luma key ends up washing out too much of the image that I want to keep.

5) Color LUT rotation

Rather than bringing the colors up and down, could we also shift them? it might be nice to have different audio levels create different colors!


for any of you history buffs, I am performing tomorrow nite in NYC with Bill Etra (@ROTHKO) and will be using Modul8 to process the output of a ca. 1972 Rutt-Etra scan converter. This was the first video manipulation device to allow Z-axis modulation as far as I know. It takes audio input as well. It can't do the Matrix tho, which is where Modul8 comes in!


Should make for an interesting show. I will post more feedback as I use Modul8 more.

Best,
DVDAN

[yves@garagecube]

for any of you history buffs, I am performing tomorrow nite in NYC with Bill Etra (@ROTHKO) and will be using Modul8 to process the output of a ca. 1972 Rutt-Etra scan converter.

The Rutt-Etra scan converter looks pretty cool. How does it generate the Z values ? Is it based on the light intensity ?

Yves.

[dvdan]

for any of you history buffs, I am performing tomorrow nite in NYC with Bill Etra (@ROTHKO) and will be using Modul8 to process the output of a ca. 1972 Rutt-Etra scan converter.

The Rutt-Etra scan converter looks pretty cool. How does it generate the Z values ? Is it based on the light intensity ?

Yves.

How does this sound; I will ask Bill Etra to answer that question tomorrow. In the meantime, could you address the feasability of implementing the suggestions I just made?

[yves@garagecube]

In the meantime, could you address the feasability of implementing the suggestions I just made?

Well, #1 is possible but requires a pretty fast machine with a lot of bandwidth.

The point #2 is the easier one to implement and will be done when I'll revise the sound input system. I plan to improve sound input integration with better analysis algorithms (like frequency, etc).

#3 would be pretty cool but is more complicated than it looks like. It requires a pre-render of the full composition that then should be recomposed with the final output. It's feasible but would require that I add some low-level features to the Modul8 engine.

#4 is feasible but would slow down the luma-keys. The luma-keys as they are now are very very fast. Please note that you can also pre-compute the alpha of your video clip. Maybe it would be better to have another transparency filter that is slower but more flexible (where you can choose the RGB color and some tolerance).

#5 is a pretty realistic one.

Now I cannot give you any guarantee of when and if we will implement these features. We are receiving tons of suggestion (with very different visions of where Modul8 should go). So we have to move step by step and implement the most requested/feasible ones first. Some features are also more strategic on the commercial side and it is something that we have to keep in mind when we decide what to implement.

Yves.

[boris]

One trick for the moment, you can use (and adjust) Contrast fx in the same time of your luma key.
The contrast is applied before the luma key and you will be able to have better results.
The same trick works for color key and saturation fx.

Boris.

Boris, Yves,

4) more capable luma key.

The current luma key assigns transparency gradually according to luminance. Conventional luma keys have a threshold above or below which the image is keyed. I would like to have this capability because the existing luma key ends up washing out too much of the image that I want to keep.

[Guest]

>Well, #1 is possible but requires a pretty fast machine with a lot of >bandwidth.

True! however, that's my problem and not yours. For me, a 1-input mixer isn't a mixer at all but rather an effects unit. I bet a G5 with two uncompressed firewire video inputs will have more than enough grunt to run Modul8 with multiple inputs. Please consider this. Just point out in the documentation that getting more than one input to work is not supported and will only work in rare circumstances. In the future this will be trivial so may as well build it in now.

>The point #2 is the easier one to implement and will be done when I'll >revise the sound input system. I plan to improve sound input integration >with better analysis algorithms (like frequency, etc).

Great. Also consider supporting multiple sound input devices (microphone AND line and/or multi-channel soundcards please.

>#3 would be pretty cool but is more complicated than it looks like. It >requires a pre-render of the full composition that then should be >recomposed with the final output. It's feasible but would require that I >add some low-level features to the Modul8 engine.

I suggest looking at taking the final output from the screen like a screen recorder application would. This will also be a good way to permit input from other video apps.

>#4 is feasible but would slow down the luma-keys. The luma-keys as >they are now are very very fast. Please note that you can also pre->compute the alpha of your video clip. Maybe it would be better to have >another transparency filter that is slower but more flexible (where you >can choose the RGB color and some tolerance).

I agree they are fast but the control is very limited. I would love to see you spend some time thinking about this one.

#5 is a pretty realistic one.

>Now I cannot give you any guarantee of when and if we will implement >these features. We are receiving tons of suggestion (with very different >visions of where Modul8 should go). So we have to move step by step >and implement the most requested/feasible ones first. Some features >are also more strategic on the commercial side and it is something that >we have to keep in mind when we decide what to implement.

Perhaps making a list of features and opening it up to the forum to vote on would be useful!

By the way I had a great time working with this software the other nite. I was very pleased and I believe the audience enjoyed the show.

Best,
dvdan

[bill etra]

The Rutt/Etra generates Z axis by boosting the luma of the video signall to controle voltage level (for those of a more technical nature an lm-318 opamp is used to brin voltage up to 10 volts). The audio input module was purposly given apropriat band with so this could be acomplished. Once video is at controle voltage level much more than standard Z axis modulation can be done since among other features the R/E has inputs to phase shift the luma relative to sweep alowing one image to controle the position of a second image . I'll try to generate some photos if anyone is interested. Of course tody you could directly adress the wright and read on a memory frame buffer and acomplish much more sophisticated FX
bill@etra.com