Ressources.ircam

1. General description

Dialogue de l’ombre double is a work for clarinet solo and tapes. It alternates between strophes played by the solo clarinet and transitions playing a recorded clarinet. During the strophes, the clarinet’s sound is sent to a resonance effect that simulates the resonance of a piano’s strings. Either a real piano or a digital emulation (in patch MaxMSP) can be used.

There are two versions of this work : version aux Chiffres Arabes and version aux Chiffres Romains. Alain Damiens’s recording (2010) is used for version Chiffres Romains. Alain Billard’s recording (2011) is used for version Chiffres Arabes. Other recordings may be used (see section 8 of this documentation “when using a new recordings”). When using the simul to test the resonator, the recording used are the one made by Alain Damien’s during his performance of 2010.

Ideally, each performer should record his own version of the tape parts.

2. Audio setup

• 1 audio input for the clarinet
• 7 Speakers : 6 speakers in surround fashion + 1 speaker in backstage

3. Loudspeaker setup

Figure 1.a and Figure 1.b are extracted from the original Technical instructions (see file BoulezTechnicalDocs.pdf in Scores). Two setups can be used. One with the clarinetist being at the center surrounded by the audience and the other with the clarinetist being in front of the audience.

4. Software installation

Download the patch Max from this documentation. In Max file preferences add the patch’s root directory.

5. Patch Presentation

5.1 Overview

The patch is based on 4 Main sections :
• DSP-MIX is where the sound are played, mixed and spatialized, and where the resonance effects is applied.
• Transport&Score holds the antescofo~ object and manages transport. All the events and control data is triggered by antescofo
• MidiControls is where the midi controller assignations are done.
• Simul lets you play some simulation files for the strophes (all the routing is done internally)

5.2 DSP Status

DSP Status: The tests have been made using this configuration.

• Sample Rate: 48 KHz Mandatory
• IO Vector Size: 128
• Signal Vector Size: 128
• Scheduler in overdrive: on
• Audio interrupt: off

5.3 Controller configuration

During the strophes the electronic performer shall control the amount of resonance as noted in score ChiffresRomains_Régie_updated (resp. ChiffresArabes_Régie_updated). After discussions with Andrew’s Gerzso the fader indicated in the score is the input of the resonator effect and not the output as it’s been previously done. However, the piano resonance being very long, the output fader can also be used to shorten the resonance.

Controls are mapped as follow but can be changed in [p MidiControls] :

• 1 Clarinet In
• 2 Resonator Direct Out
• 3 Resonator Reverb Out
• 8 Tape Master

It’s also posssible to trigger next events with a midi controller (ctlin 64 in this version)

5.4 Dsp parameters

The Mix parameters belong to 3 categories :
• Manual : these controls are to be mixed live during performance (cf midi controls)
• automated (speakers) : these parameters perform the live spatialisation according to the score and are controlled by the antescofo scores and process
• presets : these are settings that should be tuned in rehearsals and stored as presets. If necessary, feel free to assign midi controllers to some of them.

Performance parameters

In the right side of the [p DSP-Mix] patch, you can set up Automation Settings :
they are parameters relative to the execution of the score, retrieved by antescofo in order to adjust certain level when progressing in the score.
These parameters are :

• levels for the different dynamics
• rotation speed for the rotation effect.
• in the [p rotate] subsection you can see and modify the speakers configuration if your setup is really different than a circle. If you do so, be sure to update also the DOD_lib.asco file (@global $angle := -30 ; deg // angle du SP1)

• Set your parameters.
• Store in preset n°1.
• Write preset to disk (overwrite file /data/presets/dsp.json)
• When needed, the score will automatically pull these parameters

Resonance

During the strophes a piano resonance effect is be applied to the clarinet’s sound. The resonance is reverberated with a spat reverb on the 6 speakers. The resonance can either be digital or acoustic using a real piano. If using a digital resonance you can choose between using resonators~ (the legacy solution ) or using a convolution with an IR (slighly more realistic). The original IR file DOD_piano-soundboard_3.aif was shorten (using a fade) in order to preserve the patch efficiency and to shorten the decay time of the resonance.

• Select the type of resonators (Digital or Acoustic)
• Select the input and output level of the resonator.
• Select the amount of resonator and convolution you wish to use
• Select the amount of dry signal (on speaker 1, 2) and the amount of reververation (surround).
• Store in preset n°1.
• Write preset to disk (overwrite file /data/presets/dsp.json)

It’s possible to test the resonator parameters using a recording of the stophes. Go to patch Simul in order to test the strophes.
An eq of the signal is possible to tune the resonance according to the acoustic situation.

6. Initialization routine

1. Select the patch’s root directory in Max preferences
2. Open the patch DOD_2024.maxpat
3. Launch DSP
4. Select the Score that you wish to play in section Score (ChiffresRomains or ChiffresArabes)
5. Press right arrow to trigger first section (sigle initial).

7. Transport

Please refer to score ChiffresRomains_Régie_udpated and ChiffresArabes_Régie_updated to follow the score. All cues are identical to the original cues except for cue 4 in Transition III-IV (i.e transition 1-2 for ChiffresArabes).

Different methods can be used to trigger the automation.

Marker triggering

By selecting activate auto triggering, when a tape is launched, it automatically reads the markers to trigger the nexevent. Only first cue of each transition has to be launched manually.

Using cues

If activate tape triggering is disable, the cues can be launched manually by using the right arrow or the right midi controller.

Manual execution

A fully manual execution is also possible (refere to section controller setup). A manual execution is well suited for Transition I-II (Transition 2 à 3 for Chiffres Arabes version) and Sigle Final.

8. When using new recordings

The original recording instructions can be found in file BoulezTechnicalDoc.pdf in Scores download of this documentation. When a new recording is used, markers should be added to the audio files and certain parameters of the score have to be adjusted.

8.1 Importing markers

For each section open the audio file in reaper. Place a marker for each cue in the score except for cue number one. You shall refer to Score ChiffresRomains_Régie_updated and ChiffresArabes_Régie_updated. The markers shall be named (Q2, Q3 …).

Go to File->Render. In the output section select wav and choose export (Markers only). Render the audio file with markers and replace the tape placed in the directory /tapes/ChiffresArabes or /tapes/ChiffresRomains.

The reaper sessions used to make the current files with markers can be found by downloading Markers in this documentation.

8.2 Adapt the score parameters

Certain parameters of the electronic score have to be adjusted to the performer’s execution. For instance, certain ramp times have to be adjusted. Those parameters ca be found in file /data/Parameters/DOD_Params_Romains.asco (for version Chiffres Romains) or /data/Parameters/DOD_Params_Arabes.asco (for version Chiffres Arabes).

; %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
; Recording Parameters
; %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

; Those parameters shall be adjusted in the score when using a new recording.
; They are ramp times that depend on the performer execution when recording.
; See Score ChiffresRomains_Régie_updated.

; TII_III parameters

@global $TII_III_R1 := 19500; Duration of region R1 (from Q1 to Q2).
@global $TII_III_R2 := 36374; Duration of region R2 (from Q2 to Q3)
@global $TII_III_R3 := 35912; Duration of region R3 (from Q4 to Q5)
@global $TII_III_R4 := 20856; Duration of region R4 (from Q5)

; TIII_IV parameters

@global $TIII_IV_R1 := 35000 ; Duration of region R1 (from Q2 to Q3)
@global $TIII_IV_R2 := 1284 ; Duration of region R2 (time to reach speaker number 1)

; SF parameters
@global $SF_R1 := 5117 ; Duration of region R1 (from Q2 to Q3)
@global $SF_R2 := 6163 ; Duration of region R2 (from Q4 to Q5)
@global $SF_R3 := 6830 ; Duration of region R3 (from Q6 to Q7)
@global $SF_R4 := 6050 ; Duration of region R4 (from Q8 to Q9)
@global $SF_R5 := 6939 ; Duration of region R5 (from Q10 to Q11)
@global $SF_R6 := 5693 ; Duration of region R6 (from Q12 to Q13)
@global $SF_R7 := 7451 ; Duration of region R7 (from Q14 to Q15)
@global $SF_R8 := 8307 ; Duration of region R8 (from Q16 to Q17)
@global $SF_R9 := 6952 ; Duration of region R9 (from Q18 to Q19)

; %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
; /Recording Parameters
; %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%