Changing parameters at cue points

[TEHK]

Let's say I have a 2 hour DJ set like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVM5y1WqQH4

and then that I also have a list of the cuepoints in a text file like:

Code: Select all

00:00:00  1 Yass - That's What I Am
00:04:10  2 Simon Adams - My Friends
00:08:32  3 Mirko & Meex - Make It Right
00:13:25  4 Turntables Night Fever - Get Ya Fellin
00:17:18  5 Ritmo Du Vela - Jazz Room
00:22:36  6 Raffaele Ciavolino - Slapping
00:27:01  7 Mirko & Meex - Moonlight
00:32:12  8 Paco Caniza - The Way You Treat Me
00:37:08  9 Eloi, Hotmood - Slash Jazz__Hotmood mix
00:41:39 10 Mirko & Meex - Gossip
00:45:42 11 Dexter Troy - Fonky Beat
00:50:25 12 Agent Stereo - Check the Technique
00:55:01 13 Jazzamplers - First Lady
00:59:48 14 Fabulous Joker - Street Groovin
01:05:15 15 Mirko & Meex - Heat
01:09:36 16 Simon Adams, Stefano Mango - Soul Panda
01:14:11 17 Cardillo DJ - You Cant Know
01:19:07 18 DJ Linus - Ferryflight
01:23:17 19 Mirko & Meex - Cats
01:27:46 20 Ruben Rosschild - All About
01:34:39 21 Cassimm - Hella Mary
01:38:07 22 Angelo Ferreri - Dont Hesitate
01:43:23 23 Chemars - Havin Fun
01:47:31 24 Marco Corona - Be Free__Lost Kontrol mix
01:53:06 25 Angelo Ferreri, Alessandro Calabrese - Over And Over
01:56:46 26 Jo Paciello - Summer Breeze

Is there a way to automate a parameter like changing the Hue/color of something by using cuepoints/values like:

Code: Select all

00:00:00 0.0
00:04:10 0.1
00:08:32 0.2
00:13:25 0.3
00:17:18 0.4
00:22:36 0.5
00:27:01 0.6
00:32:12 0.7
00:37:08 0.8
00:41:39 0.9
00:45:42 1.0
00:50:25 0.9
00:55:01 0.8
00:59:48 0.7
01:05:15 0.6
01:09:36 0.5
01:14:11 0.4
01:19:07 0.3
01:23:17 0.2
01:27:46 0.1
01:34:39 0.0
01:38:07 0.1
01:43:23 0.2
01:47:31 0.3
01:53:06 0.4
01:56:46 0.5

Not sure I've seen how to do this before...

[Magic]

What DJ software are you using? Generally you would send either MIDI or OSC messages from your DJ software to Magic.

[TEHK]

Mixing on CDJ's, recording to AIFF, and manually creating the cue points for YT.

[TEHK]

But, let's say I was instead making the mix in DJ Studio ... would that make a difference?

[Magic]

Ok. So this is not for live DJing then?

[TEHK]

I don't do visuals at my shows yet... not that advanced.

I just want to make somewhat better YT videos with some automation / progression.

[Sadler]

Given you have all the timing you could try the technique outlined in this post.

[SelfDrivingCarp]

In the past I've used Magic to render a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yILJ2mXod3o) with track titles that change as the track transitions. I created a primary scene that had the visuals that were consistent throughout the whole video, e.g. background animations. I put images for all the track titles in a folder, added an image node for each and wired them into an InputSelector node. I mapped the Input # field to Internals -> Playlist Entry #.

I created a scene for my first track, using that primary scene through a Scenes node. I duplicated that scene, once per track and put them in order in Magic's Playlist. I used a spreadsheet to calculate the durations based on my timestamps and set them I did Export Movie using the Playlist option.


I maintain an open source project (https://autonomouskoi.org/) that's primarily oriented at DJs who stream on Twitch. One of its features is to communicate with DJ hardware/software and send notifications to other components with new track data when the track changes. One of these components can send a message to Twitch chat, another can render the track data visually as an OBS overlay. The system logs your session, attaching a timestamp to each track.

I have an unpublished module for the software that sends OSC messages; I use this to drive scene changes or one-shot animations during my own streams using Magic.

I basically have the pieces of a software solution to your problem but not currently put together in a way that's useful to you. Rekordbox support is thoroughly tested; Pro DJ Link support is an untested proof of concept at best. Assuming it sent the messages you wanted at the appropriate times, Magic doesn't render to a video file in real time so the messages wouldn't arrive when Magic would need them to. I have used this setup to make videos for YouTube but that was mixing real time and and using OBS to record the output via Spout.

[Magic]

Pretty much any good music production software should allow you to create (and hopefully export) MIDI files. A super easy thing to do would be to create a MIDI file that has a note (or other type of MIDI event) starting at each of the times you specify in your list. Each one can have its volume (velocity) set to the number you want to control the hue (remember that MIDI goes from 0-127). Then you can import that MIDI file into Magic and use it as a control track. Magic divides it back into the range of 0-1 with 1 being 127, .5 being 64, etc. Make sense?

[TEHK]

I've never tried the playlist feature in Magic to be honest, so SelfDrivingCarp might be on to something... but as the number of transitions goes up so does the number of layers, which could be burdensome.

I think the MIDI approach would be the best approach for what I am after. I guess I could even use my velocity controlled NI Komplete midi piano to perform piano rolls and record them over the time period as the mix is playing... sort of performing/recording the transitions I plan to use in Magic.

I see both of these approaches having merit and definitely appreciate the suggestions. I think I'll give both a try and see which offers the most flexibility in what I am trying to accomplish.

Thank you both!

[TEHK]

Oh man, totally missed Sadler's suggesting of doing the switch/case statement. I honestly had no idea you could get that complicated with logic programming in the expression editor! That might actually be the easiest thing to try first!