Modul8 2.6 available now!

The live video performance tool of choice gains new features:

Sound Analysis

Fine tune how compositions react to specific sounds. Isolate frequencies using the Sound Analysis Configuration panel and turn sound into movement.

DMX control

Open yourself up to controlling lighting and other stage production tools, or expand your existing control of the stage into video.

We created several basic modules that you can download from the GarageCUBE online module library to get you started. For stage designers you can use the DMX Layer Fixture module to control Modul8 using a light desk.

If you are completely new to DMX and want to control lighting using a MIDI controller you can use the new Midi2DMX module.

DMX control with Modul8 works exclusively with the ENTTEC DMX USB Pro device and requires the installation the Virtual COM driver.

Up to 4 live video feeds

Incorporate several view points using multiple video cameras and mix them together as you would any other media within Modul8.

Import/export MIDI and key mappings

Start every new project with a familiar feel by quickly incorporating the controls that serve you best, or share your Midi/Key mappings with your friends.

Movie folder

Quickly create a slide show by dragging a folder from desktop that contains images and dropping it into the Modul8 media set. Incorporate new images or edit out ones you don’t want on the fly by simply removing images for the folder.

Blend modes

An essential feature for most compositing tasks, blend modes allow for artistic experimentation with any image based media. Furthermore the implementation of these blend modes is very efficient, requiring very little CPU usage, so your frame rate does not suffer when your creative juices start to flow.

Wacom tablet support
The Painter module responds to pen pressure allowing you to add a natural, lively feel to your video performances.

Additional new features:
• Screenshot of preview and output windows
• MIDI device filtering
• Customizable aspect ratio of the preview panel
• Specify the rendering size of your Quartz Composer patches
• Support for Snow Leopard.


New modules
All of the following modules are available for download from the GarageCUBE online module library.

• Midi2Dmx (dmx) - Allows you to control DMX fixtures using your Midi controller.
• DMX fixture (dmx) - Use Modul8 like a DMX control device.
• DMX color test (dmx) - Test the RGB of a DMX compatible light fixture.
• DMX 8 (dmx) - Simple slider control for 8 DMX channels.
• Perspective Transform - A more precise version of the popular Core Image filter
• EqTest (example) - Demonstrates how to access Sound Analysis data using the module system.

Updated modules:
• BPM (global)
• Bpm Router (layer)
• Bpm Router (master)
• PrintedDirectEvent v2 (tool)


How to get Modul8 2.6
If you are already part of the Modul8 community you can upgrade your current Modul8 license to Modul8 2.6.

To start you can point your web browser to the following address:
http://www.garagecube.com/modul8/yourspace/

Read more detailed information about the upgrade process in our FAQ on the forum.

Too soon for you to jump into 2.6?
If the features of Modul8 2.6 are not attractive to you, we have released Modul8 2.5.9 so that it is compatible with Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

What is ‘yourspace’?
We are developing solutions for you to manage your account with us. For now yourspace allows you to download Modul8 whenever you need to and see how many authorizations of Modul8 you are currently using. In the future we look forward to providing you with more options and incentives to make yourspace part of your Modul8 experience.

Special limited time offer!
To take advantage of the DMX capability in Modul8 2.6 you will need to purchase the ENTTEC DMX USB Pro device from ENTTEC. As of December 1st, If you purchase Modul8 2.6 upgrade you will be able to obtain a coupon code to purchase the ENTTEC DMX USB Pro device for a discount. The coupon is available to you after you purchase the Modul8 2.6 upgrade and can be obtained by logging into 'yourspace.' The coupon lasts 1 month so if you are interested in DMX now is the time to act, and save!

We look forward to seeing the next wave of creations that follows a new release. Remember to join us on vimeo, facebook, twitter or flickr to share your Modul8 experiences with us.

Best wishes,
The Modul8 Team

Modul8 through grabber raster to camcamX to Skype

About a week ago modul8 user Richard Boarse sent an email with his crafty method of broadcasting the modul8 output to Skype using a software called CamcamX.

He has already made a post about it on the forums but I felt the need to have this on the blog for people who are less likely to dive in there.



Modul8 through grabber raster to camcamX to skype:



Camera feed through modul8 to grabber raster  and from leopard i-sight to CamcamX:


QT feed through modul8 to grabber raster and leopard i-sight to camcamX:



QT feed and VCR-DV mixed in modul8- threaded through raster grabber and mixed with leopard i-sight cam in camcamX:


The whole shebang - fully functional Modul8 feed through Skype!


I asked Richard what the motivation was for finding a solution to broadcasting modul8 into Skype.

"I live in Paris, and I'm working on an editing project at the moment,
editing a film for a director who's working in Berlin.
I need to show her the work I've done on the edit everyday, which
means exporting the file, uploading it to an FTP with a timecode, and
then waiting whilst she goes over it to check it."

"The grabber raster workaround means that I don't have to do that,
because I can narrowcast it on skype direct to her, and we can talk
over the edit live - but its clunky."

"This is a real world practical example of why I need to use this kind
of technology today, but there are a few more points which I'd include
on my list of personal reasons."

"Most of my VJ friends live and run events in Tokyo, - I want to play
there remotely from Paris, and this kind of technology helps me to do
it. If I want to broadcast to a circle of acquaintances, or to a channel,
providing a 'feed' from modul8, so that a program like skype or
justin.tv can pick it up, this seems like a simple and effective
solution, without having to build in a separate VJ broadcast peer-to-
peer module."

The key here is immediacy. Personally I could not see myself remote VJ'ing. The energy of the crowd and the rumbling of the sound system. That aside it is interesting to see modul8 is becoming more and more a part of video production where immediacy is necessity that breeds innovation.

More Lemur + Modul8 love.

A not so recent post from VJ Kungfu with a slightly less elaborate approach but nicely described and prescribed. I remember seeing this first time and being really inspired by the possibilities.



A higher quality version is available on the VJ Kungfu website

DMY Berlin Avit May 24th

This is confirmed now! Thanks to Toby and fRED who were so welcoming! fRED made the suggestion that we should make this more of a meeting then a presentation which is kind of a more laid back position for me then the usual 'this is how it works' kind of scenario. The date is definitely the 24th and the times is roughly from 18h00 (6:00pm) on.

For the full on information go to the Avit DMY site.

<< I am going try and crash demo modul8 at the μ:avit scene in Berlin. If I am in the mood I might do a raffle of one license. Definitely will have demo discs and stickers.

Come if you can. If you can't then cancel whatever you were thinking of doing and come anyway. If you are far away somewhere rob our grandmas piggy bank and purchase a ticket. Berlin is really beautiful this time of year and there are lots of parks you can sleep in. Totally worth it.

Will announce more details as they materialize. >>

GarageCUBE at State Of The Image Festival

GarageCUBE will be attending the State Of The Image Festival in Arnhem, Netherlands to do an hour presentation of the software in all it's multi-layer, multi-projection, high frame rate speed glory. On hand will be GarageCUBE co-founder Boris Edelstein at the controls with your humble moderator Ilan Katin chatting up a modul8 centric storm.

If you are in Arnhem on September 7th for the festival or just happen to be doing a gig in Amsterdam at the time come on down and check it out.

For full information about the festival go to http://www.stateoftheimage.com/

Some very fine modul8 demos on YouTube

modul8 user Gary Oldknow from London, UK has posted some very impressive modul8 demos. Not only does he cover the basics in a most befitting manner but also presents it all with a very sensible aesthetic sensibility. Especially enjoy the lighting he chose for demonstrating the midi configuration.

Demo part 1
Demo part 2


Upon further investigation I discovered that Gary has been involved in some very big gigs. Have a look on his website. I can also recommend having a look at his other demos using the kaos Pad Entrancer and the CG8.

Thanks to eric for bringing my attention to this.