Category: development

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Remote radio – server

How to run the server side (base station) of the remote shortwave radio system.

(Under construction) The patches have not been uploaded to github yet.

Assuming that the radio and antenna system are operating. We are using an internet connected MacBook Pro running OSx 10.9.5, with a MOTU 828 MK3 audio interface.

VPN

Install and set up LogMein Hamachi. It is free, for a limited number of computers.  Set up a Hamachi server on both the server and client. It should look something like this:

 

VOIP

We are using Soundjack VOIP. It is also free. Use the following parameters on the server side.

Local Settings:
  • mic: audio interface channel that is connected to radio audio output
  • headphone: doesn’t matter
  • volume: 0
  • audio block samples: 512
  • channels: 2
  • network packet samples 512
  • quality: high
  • userlist: manual

Screen Shot 2016-04-05 at 12.38.03 AM

User list:

UDP/IP: enter hamachi IP of client.

When Soundjack is set up on the client. Press the green start button on the right side of the user list window on the server.

If all goes well, you should hear the radio on the client. Note: The input meter under local settings should be registering audio from your radio. If not, there is a problem with the audio interface.

Max Server

The Max/MSP server exchanges CAT commands via the server serial port to the radio. The command data is exchanged with a Max patch on the client using OSC (over UDP).

Screen Shot 2016-04-05 at 12.46.02 AM

patch:

eagle-cat8.maxpat

instructions:
  • select the radio serial port from the menu (for example: usbmodem 14531)
  • initialize port settings
  • set toggle to poll the serial port

At this point you should be able to try the example commands, for instance to get the version or set frequency. If the commands are not working, it indicates a problem with the serial connection to the radio.

Next, check the IP address of the udpsend object. It should be the hamachi IP of the client.

 

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Remote controlled shortwave radio system

Under construction…

The first in a series describing a system for internet remote control of a shortwave radio station. Its not something new. There are commercial products that provide remote operation of amateur radio transceivers. The purpose of this project is to make it possible to use shortwave radio sounds in musical performance, without the need of an antenna system.

Features:

  • Max/MSP for USB serial control of radio, OSC remote interface, user interface, Midi device handling, and an SQLITE database of preset frequencies.
  • Low latency, good quality audio using Soundjack by Alex Carot.
  • Hardware control of radio using Midi controllers (CDJ-101 and Launchpad)
  • Bi-directional OSC and VOIP using Logmein Hamachi VPN
  • Additional hardware control of AC power and antenna selection using Arduino and a WeMo switch.
  • TouchOSC Ipad audio mixer control using MOTU Cuemix
  • TeamViewer remote desktop software for logging into to base station compuer
  • Optional radio user interface control with Ipod TouchOSC, Griffin Powermate dial, and Korg Nano-kontrol.
  • Optional VOIP backup using Mumble.

System diagram

base station:

remote-radio-sys1

remote control:

remote-radio-sys2

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jitter in javascript

Why would you write Jitter code inside a js object?

  • Math expressions
  • File IO
  • Borrowed code
  • You’re just that way

There are three Jitter javascript tutorials (built in to Max) 45-47

Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 12.55.44 AM

The Max javascript documentation is generally far flung. A helpful reference by Tim Schenk https://reactivemusic.net/?p=17445

Here’s an example to get started with. It downsamples a movie and changes the background color. Something I often dream about.

Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 12.35.31 AM

Download

https://github.com/tkzic/max-projects

Folder: jitter-js

  • patch: downsamp-thing.maxpat
  • javascript source: downsamp.js
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Writing Jitter external objects

Not as easy as it looks.

Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 12.48.55 AM

Getting started

First, think of a way to get the same results without writing an external. For example, borrow other code, use javascript, gen, Processing, or MSPaint.

Apparently that didn’t work out. Well I can only get you so far.

Assuming that you have already done the following

Learn how to write non-Jitter externals:

Edit the examples

Currently the Jitter examples in the SDK are in the folders: examples/matrix and examples/gl. We’ll pretend we didn’t see GL.

Here’s a sensible approach on Mac OS.

  • Duplicate the example folder: jit.clip and rename the duplicate to something like jit.cliptz
  • Inside jit.cliptz open the Xcode project
  • Rename the Xcode project while in Xcode by single-clicking on the project name and editing it.
  • Now feel free to alter the code in any way. Look in jit.clip.c

In jit.clip.c, find the functions starting with

void jit_clip_vector_char(long n, t_jit_clip_vecdata *vecdata, t_jit_op_info *in, t_jit_op_info *out)

These are functions that processing the matrix vectors for char, long, and float matrixes respectively. We’ll work with the char function.

Change the code so that the pixel values are inverted as well as clipped by subtracting pixel values from 255.

Change two lines of code, marked here by the comment: // invert

	if ((is==1)&&(os==1)) {
		++n;--op;--ip;
		while (--n) {
			tmp =  *++ip;
			*++op = 255 - tmp>max?max:tmp<min?min:tmp; // invert
		}		
	} else {
		while (n--) {
			tmp =  *ip;
			*op = 255 - tmp>max?max:tmp<min?min:tmp; // invert
			ip+=is;op+=os;
		}
	}

 

  •  Clean and build the project.
  • The .mxo file will be under the Products folder. <Ctrl> click to show in finder
  • Copy the .mxo file into the same folder as your Max patch
  • What Max patch? This one:

Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 12.38.14 AM

The window on the left is inverted because its getting that way in the object we just hacked.

That’s all

I didn’t really explain anything. Sometimes going through the motions is a start. If I had to do this for a living I would find the example that is most like a desired result and hack away.

Download

https://github.com/tkzic/max-projects

folder: jitter-dev

files:

  • test-object.maxpat
  • jit.cliptz.mxo (external) you will make your own version of this in Xcode