NPAPWS 2018

NPAPWS 2018

Place: Miami, New World Symphony
Date: 2018-04-24 to 2018-04-26
Programme: https://npapws.org/npapw18-programme/

The following sections are based on Otto J Wittner's notes from the workshop.

Panel discussion on itc's impact on music eduation ++

Many opportunities… (bla bla)
Network performaings arts at the stage now as motion pictures were in the beginning
- I.e. currently mostly recreating live conserts/performances like cinema just filmed theater performances
- New unique productions will probably emerge over time
Should we and can we compete with the real thing, i.e. live performances ?
- No, but online / virtual version should inspire the audience to visit live venues
(Panel focus in general towards classical music.)
- (They seem to forget/ignore all other genre of music…)
- Question from audience raised this issue. Plan member admit all music should be listened to

Panel on international collaborations

( EaPConnect summary )
Music collaboration tools rigged in “public” space at Tempere univ. linked to UK
- Applied Nimbra hw boxes (120 KNOK for a pair !)
- A lot of activities emerged over the link
- Ref 196? experiment named “whole in space” (online link across US)
- Students are uncomfortable the first two-three sessions, but then start chatting over the link
( Claudio reports how music collab. tech. seem to disappear when it works properly )
- Misc success stories where scepticle musicians (incl. professional conductor) are convinced when after trying music coll. tech.

Recording Audio Across distance

Slide (ref picture taken on phone) showing latencies across orchestra and across US Internet topology
Live clapping experiment showing have musicians deaccelerate when delaly is introduced and no visual reference is available.
Popular music
- Microtiming is important, groove, fast percussion
- In studio: Click tracks, visual cues (no conductor)
- Latency issue are very different from classical (orchestra) music
Collaboration between Berkely (and all its international campuses) and Napier in Edinburgh
Example with el-guitar teaching session with 810ms rt delay
Example of work composed assuming 3sec latency
Example showing successful cross atlantic studio session with ~90ms return delay
Delay test performed with studio musicians
- Ref Chris Chafe's clapping experiments from 2004'ish
- Three musicians were given gradually increasing delay toward the other two musicians
- Deaccelleration begins at 35ms. A disaster av 60ms.
- Fast paced melody, some acceleration when delay is ̃~0ms, deacceleration starts around 35ms
- Drummer admit to “give up and just go with it” at 35ms
Lola-cue-track and recordings at each end
- MUST run ProTools (or just the same DAW?) on both ends to enable “reproduction” off-line later

LOLA, Ultragrid and MVTP updates

LOLA
- Utilizes multiple cores in the hw
- Possible to downscale sessions to 20Mbps
- Attention needed to not configure sessions to require more resources than hw and network can provide
- Long list of requested features
- Analogue SD cameras will not be supported in coming versions
- Web site https://lola.conts.it
- Multiple camera support coming (in version 2.0 ?)
- Ambisonic experiments ongoing
- Replay on-the-fly in 2.0
- Smaller units
  - Startech USB3 eth dongle
  - External USB audio interface (e.g. fireface) with 64 sample option
  - Gaming laptop, e.g. Dell, with Nvidia graphics card (with cuda support)
- Launch event in september 2018, hence ready during summer

Ultragrid
- Now up to 8k video
- Frame based video capture. Support for misc capture cards.
- Next release
  - 120 fps support. Bitflow capture card support
  - Intel GPU video acceleration support
  - Full Spout support
  - New GUI (at last.)
- End-to-end minimum delay ~30ms
  - 120 fps uncompressed, bitflow capture card, JAI Spark camera, 120hz display
  - Difficult with respect to light conditions
- Normal conditions give end-to-end ~40ms
  - uncompressed 60hz 4k video
- All-equipment-in-one-box option developed, base don laptop and external capture cards
- GUI
  - Minimum setup: Camera selection, display selection (and/or preview), Video and audio compression, destination
- Community update
  - UG applied for voice master classes
  - UG and LOLA has been applied together in event (Near in the distance 3)
  - UG applied for live concert distribution i US from theater to schools and libraries
    - Limited link capacity
    - Old hw

MVTP video transmission units
- Smaller unit: 2x full HD (1080p60), Larger supportes 4xHD
- 2 ch audio per video stream, 24 bit 48khz (?)
- Add < 1ms latency due to compression and transmission
  - Compression ratio 5:1 or 10:1 with film industry quality
- Dream Chip Technology cameras: HD and 4k 6hz versions
  - Only 0.1ms delay from sensor to sdi output !
  - … not including shutter time, i.e. 1/fps
- SDI cameras are superior to USB cameras w.r.t. image quality
  - Low delay SDI cameras exist !!

On the Fringe

Common difficulties for “normal” internet users: Capacity limitation, NAT/firewalls, …
Tools that work
- JamKazam
  - From 2014, standard audio intercase
  - Without latency (?), no feedback issues (?)
  - Sw with network monitoring, audio monitoring, ++
  - Multi web cam support
  - Chat and backtalk channel
  - Fees for lessons and JamTracks, otherwise free to use
  - Demo: 130k incoming audio (!) A lot of packet-loss
  - Legal issues? On session initiation you choose which copyright license should apply
  - In general well developed piece of sw, especially to be freely downloadable
  - Codec ? Now codec, raw audio (Really? At 130kbps ?)
- Artsmesh
  - Build on Jack API and ffmpeg
  - Need to be bought via the crypto currency Ethereum
  - $100 dollar for purchase

What about wireless?

5G networks will make architecture merge with the Internet
- Due to screen + camera technology and high bandwidth
- … or via virtual reality head-sets
More sensors will be applied, e.g.
- Sensor in bow for violins
- Haptic gloves
- 3D audio
“Connected cultures” project
- Vision: Include artists from where they are ⇒ wireless technology essential
5G are suppose to provide ultra-low latency… (probably only close to what wired nets provide)
- Illustration showing 5G cell example with also indoor cells
- Experiments with 4G shows 200ms end-to-end latency (Pipeline: web-cam … 4G… some display)
- 4G is suppose to introduce around 40ms delay. 5G are to improve upon this.
3D sound
- Use surround speaker system rather than some headset
- (A lot of details about 5 channel 3d audio experiments)
- Capturing and representing audio reflections of higher degree is important
Q&A
- How will 5G handle interference and other radio wave challenges? Similar to 4G, but also apply beam forming to focus radio coverage to smaller areas

Producing and staging network performances

Ian Biscoe, Renate Kreil, Maria Isabel Gandia
Project including Cuba and Havanna in a networked perfomance
- Hardly no Internet networks available
- A lot of enthusiasm required
- Language challenges
- Good partners / helpers important
  - E.g. an american with Cuban friends in the sw business
- Local solutions: E.g. green screen based on curtains fixed with tape to wall
- Elector acoustics based on vintage computer hw (e.g. commodore 64)
Project shown at NPAPWS 2017 in Copenhagen

Net arts coordination center - https://www.netart.cc
- Recommend to set up a web site as the first step in a networked performance projects
  - For advertising first, and for documentation later
- So far always aim for new challenges, e.g. new scales (no of sites / participants) og tool combinations
- Time frame for larger project is around two years
- Recording of show shown combining LOLA and Ultragrid
  - 3 remote participants (projected in background), dancer on stage
- 20 technicians at one end of production (Wienna side)
- 80 people in total all places together

Univ Catalonia
- Check your Internet connection before planning performance
- In person meetings are valuable
- Interaction and cooperation with people from other cultures (with other languages) is necessary
  - Be open and patient
- Funding: E.g. EaPConnect, city council
- Artists: Students enjoy participating
- Network “hacks” may be required
- When applying green screens ALL colors need to be transmitted, i.e. both R, G and B connectors must be in place

Ian brings
- either his own bus with all that he needs or…
- A suitcase with converters and connectors as well as capture cards and graphics cards (?)
- Borrow computers, projectors and camera
Ian integrates available systems by writing minor patches
What about reliability? Do you have backup plans?
- Too expensive unfortunately
- Tape down connectors

Table of Contents

NPAPWS 2018

Panel discussion on itc's impact on music eduation ++

Panel on international collaborations

Recording Audio Across distance

LOLA, Ultragrid and MVTP updates

On the Fringe

What about wireless?

Producing and staging network performances