Pluging in a different track

Well as it turns out plugging in a difffent track, isn't as easy as i first anticipated. I still have to create two new new null objects from the new track postitions (convert audio to keyframes) but after that its a simple case of copying and pasteing the same expressions into the new null objects and applying whatever parameters fit the new waveforms.



As an exmaple i've tested my visuals out on a classical track by vivaldi: I've changed the background to white and the particle generator to black to see if an idea i've been playing around with would work. More on that later, i'm busy noting down some visuals on paper (le gasp!)

tj -x-

Animation to Music Test using after effects

I was struggling on deciding on which program would be best for the job, my intial chocice was flash, but sadly i only have basic knowledge of that program and google wasn't giving me anything to work with. Then i thought that what i'm creating it basically a windows media visualisation and there are plenty of tutorial on how to create them.

Custom media player visualisations tutorials

Now i could follow these tutorials but it would a) mean learning somehting completely new that only applies to a niche part of design and b) wouldn't really give me the control i wanted over the animation. Also in order ot export it to a format viewable on TV it would have to be screen grabbed and the audio applied over it, which is a very unprofessional and ad-hoc way of doing things.

Thankfuly I do have quiet a good knowledge of after effects and whilst on Andrew Kramers site video co-pilot i discovered a tutorial on creating exactly what i wanted to do within aftereffects

vidoecopilot

I follwed the turtorial basically to the word with only minor changes. But in doing so i've an understanding on how to make two expressions work together to create parameters to animated visuals, keyframed to the postition of the waveform. This theory can be used to power any function in after effects that has a numerial vaule, which is evrything come to think of it, i just need to adjust the multiplier in the first expression (Treble = effect("Both Channels")("Slider");
value+[0, Treble]) and the set the corrisponding parameters in the second (linear(value,10,100,0,600)) to control how the visual reacts.



Im order to make the pink and and the blue move indepentdantly i split the audio chanels into bass and treble so the blue is the treble and the pink is the bass.

The track is Eastern Jam by chase and status (and is only a 60 second sample) and has very prominant beats. The next step is to see if this works with another song plugged into the composition, somehting completely diffrent, a punk track, a pop song or maybe somehting classical.

tj -x-