FREE Data Jam workshop
16-17 October - Goldsmiths, University of London

BOOKING: Beatrice, cu701mf-at-gold.ac.uk
PREREQUISITES: basic understanding of computers and digital art
TEACHERS: Graham Harwood, Claude Heiland-Allen, Aymeric Mansoux

“synaesthesia happy hour” is a 2 days workshop that will introduce you to data mapping and basic synaesthetic tricks to get you started making real-time audiovisual experiments. In this crash course we will focus on how a single source of information (for example data from a sensor, or a log file) can be used to both generate sounds and visual. After the workshop you will never see numbers the same! (your mileage may vary)

The workshop is targeted to beginners only, for artists and students who are curious about data mapping and want to get introduced to Pure Data (http://puredata.info/). We will run the software from the pure:dyne GNU/Linux distribution (http://puredyne.goto10.org).

We will be covering the following type of data mapping:

                  {  pitch
                  |          > - harmony, frequencies etc
                  {  rhythm
           sfx --{          > - envelopes
         /        {  volume
        /         |           > - funky lfo modulation
       /     ^    {  timbre
      /      |
number       | synaesthesia
      \      |
       \     v    {  texture
        \         |           > - texture feedback fun
         \        {  movement
           gfx --{           > - animation
                  {  shape
                  |            > - repetition/minimal/accents
                  {  colour

Pd (aka Pure Data) is a real-time graphical programming environment for audio, video, and graphical processing. It is the third major branch of the family of patcher programming languages known as Max (Max/FTS, ISPW Max, Max/MSP, jMax, etc.) originally developed by Miller Puckette and company at IRCAM. The core of Pd is written and maintained by Miller Puckette and includes the work of many developers, making the whole package very much a community effort.

Pd was created to explore ideas of how to further refine the Max paradigm with the core ideas of allowing data to be treated in a more open-ended way and opening it up to applications outside of audio and MIDI, such as graphics and video.

pure:dyne is an essential tool created to provide a complete, Free/Libre/open source (FLOSS) custom and ready-made GNU/Linux computer environment for media artists. The pure:dyne CD/DVD, or the pure:dyne USB key can be inserted and run on a computer without the need to install anything, with an aim to make it simple to use on many types of hardware. It contains FLOSS programs for recording and manipulating sound, making live visuals and creating interactive media in installation, and more.

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This workshop is part of the pure:dyne for everyone project, a national project designed to make pure:dyne more accessible through special events with partnering media arts centres across the country. pure:dyne for everyone is possible with the support of the Creative Partnerships programme of Arts Council England.