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My Projection Mapped Setup
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My Projection Mapped Setup

SeriousCyrus 4:38 AM - 30 December, 2014
This is something I've been working on for a while now, I may be flying close to forum rules on posting this, so we'll see.

3 years or so ago I shared an experiment I was doing using projection mapping to display the Serato interface directly onto a turntable and mixer setup. I've since developed that into an OSX application that anyone can use (free to try but license required for full features, let's see if Serato is ok with this post).

This is the app in it's current form, using Serato DJ and Video, all done with the current version available:

youtu.be

I'm a fairly straightforward DJ with no tricks, so I appreciate I'm not the most skilled in that field, I hope you like the music though. I forgot to hit record for the direct audio record, but you can see latency, which is very low.

Currently some copyright issues with that mix, if you can't get it it, here's an unflagged teaser:

youtu.be

The app is called the Reality Augmenter (www.seriouscyrus.com), it's a super high performance screen capture app with syphon to grab output from Serato video, has tools to easily capture any DJ app interface, not just Serato, and supports multiple projectors, and can do stuff like quartz composer overlays.

I had a stand built for the projector which let's me setup in most DJ booths with a little rearrangment. I've started DJing again to show it off, this is how the setup look in my studio:

flic.kr

Designer who built the stands website is www.hugokretz.ch

This is all the kit I take out with me when performing, fits in a large suitcase with the stand over my shoulder:

flic.kr

And setup in a bar dj booth:

flic.kr

The QC file used to do the album art in the video just lives on it's own in the media crate and auto loads everytime, it grabs album art from a single folder, into which I've copied all album artwork from my itunes library, using a combination of dougs applescripts and my own tools, QC file here:

dl.dropboxusercontent.com

The rane sixty mixer is customised with a white skin from 12inchskinz (www.12inchskinz.com). The vinyls are clear ones, with white paper underlaid beneath, the vinyls were very kindly donated by Serato at the the star of the project.

Basically the last year and a half of my life was learning objective-c and openGL to build this thing after I was made redundant from a rather specialised computing field, I needed to reskill and show what I can do.

I'm currently moving into more of a marketing phase as the app functions well enough, new features will come but I'm now working on making pro looking videos and updating the website.

Hope you all like it.
Dj-M.Bezzle 5:36 AM - 30 December, 2014
dope!!!
Papa Midnight 10:07 PM - 1 January, 2015
Very nice.
djattila 7:41 AM - 2 January, 2015
interesting
Davideon 7:01 PM - 2 January, 2015
Very very impressive
 6 8:07 PM - 2 January, 2015
I like it a lot but what is the real world application or advantage to this. In lots of places, you can't see what the DJ is doing.

nm
Davideon 8:12 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
I like it a lot but what is the real world application or advantage to this. In lots of places, you can't see what the DJ is doing.

nm


Is it not more for the dj to see more off screen?
Dj-M.Bezzle 8:23 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
I like it a lot but what is the real world application or advantage to this. In lots of places, you can't see what the DJ is doing.

nm

I think seeing the information on the decks is really useful...but not at the expense of building that ugly guillotine over my decks lol
SeriousCyrus 8:34 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
Quote:
I like it a lot but what is the real world application or advantage to this. In lots of places, you can't see what the DJ is doing.

nm


Is it not more for the dj to see more off screen?


This is why i like to use it, it takes my eyes away from the laptop and back onto my setup, avoiding the "serato face". I watch waveforms and find them very useful for tight beatmatching, as well as having a good overview of the position in the track and what's coming next, especialy when a beat will come back, much like you can with real vinyl. I use loops a lot and having the current loop length visible is very useful, something missing from the sixty two. Album art is a quick reminder of what's on which deck and knowing you have actually managed to put the next track on!

There's still more i want to do, like have eqs flash if anything but zero, show if a filter is on, or an indicator if the fader is open, all possible with custom qc files.

Also, although this setup looks great, it's not strictly the only way to use it, it could be configured to project on to the front of a dj booth for example, and show others what you're doing, much like many dj vids show what's going on with the interface alongside the video of the DJ doing their thing.
SeriousCyrus 8:38 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
Quote:
I like it a lot but what is the real world application or advantage to this. In lots of places, you can't see what the DJ is doing.

nm

I think seeing the information on the decks is really useful...but not at the expense of building that ugly guillotine over my decks lol


I agree, the stand is something that needs work, it's also why i think things like this have never really taken off, similar systems outside of djing relied on propriatory equipment, often less than ideal. I thought that by providing the software relatively cheaply, it might encourage more experimentation with setups.
lvmez 8:39 PM - 2 January, 2015
Looks great. I would project it on a lycra facade in front of me so the crowd could see it.
 6 9:08 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
Looks great. I would project it on a lycra facade in front of me so the crowd could see it.


Yeah. Not so much worry about me swing that information as I rather rely on my ears than the waveform. I think it's great so don't think I'm knocking it off

Good job!

nm
 6 9:09 PM - 2 January, 2015
Swing = seeing

nm
SeriousCyrus 9:19 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
Quote:
Looks great. I would project it on a lycra facade in front of me so the crowd could see it.


Yeah. Not so much worry about me swing that information as I rather rely on my ears than the waveform. I think it's great so don't think I'm knocking it off

Good job!

nm

I
used to be able to mix by ear, but waveforms let you see the future! Mixing unquantised music can become a bit of a video game...
SeriousCyrus 9:44 PM - 2 January, 2015
When my sixty two made my dicers redundant, i changed them to just become nudgers... I play them like tetris sometimes
Dj-M.Bezzle 9:45 PM - 2 January, 2015
I used to mix by ear, then I took an arrow to the knee
SeriousCyrus 9:52 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
I used to mix by ear, then I took an arrow to the knee

Lol, i used to mix by ear, but then i took the blue pill.

Oth, djing nowadays can be an information overload, it's a bit of combination between the two, ear and visual.
Logisticalstyles 9:56 PM - 2 January, 2015
Dope! Very Impressive.
Papa Midnight 10:35 PM - 2 January, 2015
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I like it a lot but what is the real world application or advantage to this. In lots of places, you can't see what the DJ is doing.

nm


Is it not more for the dj to see more off screen?


This is why i like to use it, it takes my eyes away from the laptop and back onto my setup, avoiding the "serato face". I watch waveforms and find them very useful for tight beatmatching, as well as having a good overview of the position in the track and what's coming next, especialy when a beat will come back, much like you can with real vinyl. I use loops a lot and having the current loop length visible is very useful, something missing from the sixty two. Album art is a quick reminder of what's on which deck and knowing you have actually managed to put the next track on!

There's still more i want to do, like have eqs flash if anything but zero, show if a filter is on, or an indicator if the fader is open, all possible with custom qc files.

Also, although this setup looks great, it's not strictly the only way to use it, it could be configured to project on to the front of a dj booth for example, and show others what you're doing, much like many dj vids show what's going on with the interface alongside the video of the DJ doing their thing.

Watching your videos, things look pretty quick to respond, but I have to ask: What kind of latency are you seeing between your actions, and those reflected on the projected interface (if any that is actually notable)?
SeriousCyrus 10:51 PM - 2 January, 2015
Tbh, for me, it's hardly noticeable, but it exists as an artifactact of the software for sure. It's a frame or two behind the actual screen output.

I'm organising a video with some proper turntablists, and they notice it more, but it's hard to say if it's because no one has matched the output to the physical system.

My projector runs at 60 hz, serato should be the same, so there should, in theory be a 1/60s or so lag (+maybe another couple of 1/60th), but other factors may be involved, such as delay between the projector and the laptop, which can vary a lot. I don't really have the equipment to measure it accurately.

I can say it's a huge improvement over my prototypes, and one of the main drivers of the project. I could have published te app much sooner if i concentrated less on performance.
SeriousCyrus 9:24 PM - 6 February, 2015
Enhanced my Sixty Two with extra readouts for the EQs, Filters, FX Depth and x Fader:

youtu.be
DJ_X_Trodinaire 1:11 PM - 8 February, 2015
Quote:
Enhanced my Sixty Two with extra readouts for the EQs, Filters, FX Depth and x Fader:

youtu.be

Very nice!
WarpNote 7:19 AM - 16 March, 2015
Very Nice Cyrus!
Would be cool to have a go at this one.
Biggest hurdle for me would probably be to build the projector mount.
What kind of projector are you running?
I got this one at home myself -> www.necdisplay.com

Although not that technical, I love to mess around with mapping :)
Some work for a band a few weeks back -> notevarp.com
Commercial work, graphics delivered by client, I only did the mapping work -> notevarp.com
Ar project, a few years back -> notevarp.com
Gio Alex 10:02 AM - 16 March, 2015
Quote:
Very Nice Cyrus!
Would be cool to have a go at this one.
Biggest hurdle for me would probably be to build the projector mount.
What kind of projector are you running?
I got this one at home myself -> www.necdisplay.com

Although not that technical, I love to mess around with mapping :)
Some work for a band a few weeks back -> notevarp.com
Commercial work, graphics delivered by client, I only did the mapping work -> notevarp.com
Ar project, a few years back -> notevarp.com


NICE!!!!
SeriousCyrus 11:27 AM - 16 March, 2015
Quote:
Very Nice Cyrus!
Would be cool to have a go at this one.
Biggest hurdle for me would probably be to build the projector mount.
What kind of projector are you running?
I got this one at home myself -> www.necdisplay.com


I've got a benq MW820ST (www.benq.com). Chose it as it had the best short throw ratio in my price range at the time. It was important to get projector as close to the decks as possible. I'm now seeing ultra short throw projectors that are even better now, why might make it so the projector is not obscuring my face!

The mount was indeed one of the biggest problems. I tried lots of things from camera tripods to my own builds from random stuff, but got one built specially as one of my criteria was that it should be possible to setup in a club and still be safe.

Quote:
Although not that technical, I love to mess around with mapping :)


I got into QC as I wanted to figure out cheap ways to do projection mapping, I didn't want to shell out for mad mapper!

I was always fascinated by computer generated visuals, but my career path led me away through GIS, which is more to to with cartography. I originally got my first job in that field as I had picked up some skills in CAD and 3d modelling programs from trying to do 90s rave type visuals.... Didn't get that good, but the skills turned out to be handy for drawing maps.

Quote:
Some work for a band a few weeks back -> notevarp.com
Commercial work, graphics delivered by client, I only did the mapping work -> notevarp.com
Ar project, a few years back -> notevarp.com


Really nice!
WarpNote 12:45 PM - 16 March, 2015
Quote:
I've got a benq MW820ST (www.benq.com).
Seem like a smart choice, mine is little heavier, and probably a more bulky too.
Quote:
I didn't want to shell out for mad mapper!

Yup, I'm no programmer, so I shelled out ;-)
Had the opportunity to learn it from Ilan Katin,
representing garage cube at the time. -> Watchvimeo.com

Thanks for the nice words!
mrnutone 12:19 PM - 29 May, 2015
Amazing work !!!

I have 2 questions though.

- Does it work with scratch live 'cause I won't make the switch to SDJ ?
- Do you plan (or maybe do you already have) a "pioneer setup" version of the app ? Because most of the venues I play are fully and only pioneer gear.

Thanks for sharing with us !
DJJOHNNYM_vSL3 12:53 PM - 29 May, 2015
Nice!
SeriousCyrus 9:42 PM - 30 May, 2015
Quote:
Amazing work !!!

I have 2 questions though.

- Does it work with scratch live 'cause I won't make the switch to SDJ ?
- Do you plan (or maybe do you already have) a "pioneer setup" version of the app ? Because most of the venues I play are fully and only pioneer gear.

Thanks for sharing with us !


Thanks!

It does indeed work with SSL, it works by just ripping the screen, with tools to just grab the areas you need. There's also support for syphon and quartz composer for even more possibilities. It should work with any DJ app. I've found it to work particularly well with ssl as it's less of a hog than SDJ, and the screen updates may be faster.

Not sure what you mean by a pioneer setup, it's quite easy to project over anything, you just need flattish surfaces and a little imagination, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
SeriousCyrus 9:43 PM - 30 May, 2015
Quote:
Nice!


Thanks!
SeriousCyrus 9:54 PM - 30 May, 2015
Didn't post this on this thread yet, more use of some custom QC files (Available from my website) along with some all white skins for 12inchskinz.

youtu.be