The Paradise Light Synthesizer is a computer based hardware/software system used to generate controlled patterns of colored light, specifically tuned to the frequencies of the chakras and utilizing Sacred Geometry, to synergize with certain music to cleanse, open and activate the chakras.
The first pass, prototyped on an Amiga 3000, demonstrates the following:
interact with algorithms which render abstract graphics
select and trigger a Video Toaster wipe or effect
select and display digital (color cycling) art
In the mid 1990's I was experimenting with these basic modes to see what worked. Using this system and some downstream video effects I made this:
This clip shows the result of Iasos' "Golden Harp", a custom arpeggiated midi harp, and Dr. Paradise's Light Synthesizer, which turned that midi stream into visible graphics. It was a completely impromptu jam session but still serves as an excellent example of the potential of Visual Music...
(credits)
So far, I have tested it a few times, once with a musician friend who used his MIDI keyboard to play certain tones, which simultaneously passed thru the Light Synthesizer and triggered a certain image which was displayed in a color scheme matching the tone, and also passed into a "sound bed" system which projected the audio signal into a waterbed type of thing in a way that made the vibrations resonate *inside* your body!
I have also tested it with a techno-trance band in San Francisco to investigate the multitrack capabilities. And also with a concert pianist, to make a connection with the more classical flavors of music.
Update: Wed Aug 28, 1996
For quite a while now I've had a completely different system running as an alternate control system inside theDVEous system I worked on at Abekas/Accom. (This is not an official project, just something I've been putting together after hours...). Basically it's a "Digital Simulation of an Analog Video Synthesizer" based on fully adjustable software oscillators which I can "patch" into *any* parameter in the entire system. For example for any of up to 8 independant video planes, I can control XYZ location, XYZ rotation, a wide variety of warp effects, etc, etc... This is more a Light Effects Mixer, but since it does lighting and texturing effects, it can in fact be used in a bare-bones configuration (no live video inputs) to generate pure, colored, structured light...
Update: Thu Nov 20, 1997
I have architected and prototyped (on the amiga) the software design for a realtime system (a realtime architecture is different from something that just runs in realtime), integrating the oscillator concept from my DVEous work, and more...
Update Tue Apr 6, 1999
This project has become "official", and is now released as OrbitalFX, dveous version 6.x software. Of course Accom doesn't intend for it to be used as a Light Synth, it's used as a general purpose broadcast effects control system.
These experiments leave me ready to evolve and integrate both components into a common software architecture, which I am already designing. This will combine both the original Light Synthesizer, and the Light Mixer into the foundation for a virtual reality based system.
Update: June 2000
I'm at SGI now. I finally have the graphics horsepower to apply the previous work into a real system.
Update: April 2002
My time at SGI paid off. Ironically, it took being laid off to have the time to apply the knowledge I gained there. Anyway, the first prototype of the OpenGL accelerated (realtime 3d) system is operational. It has full midi support, texture mapping, alpha blending, z-depth, 3d symmetry, 3d trails, and much more. And it runs (screams) on my OpenGL accelerated laptop. I debuted the system in January 2002 at an event in Brasil, and recently connected with an awesome Israeli born Trance musician to make a demo with his midi creations.
Update: October 2003
Continuing intensive development on the OpenGL based system. See a more recent clip on the main page.
Stay tuned....
