• 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.

• 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

• ( 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.

• 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
  • 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 !!

• 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

• 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

• 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