Live Demonstration - Video

Here is how all works...
WAVDJ vm108 + Kaossilator.

This is not a proper life, I did this live with one hand only and wish not help at all.
(The other hand was filming the thing)

In this video, I didn't include the Korg melody, the sound bend from the wheel and I didn't have much flexibility to work as I do with the kaossilator PLUS, this is a very short demonstration. Usually, this track takes 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish and is a progressive thing.
In this case, is a very quick demonstration only, but it works !!

So... off we go then :



Questions ??
Please... do it!

Chapter 7 - Display

LCD Display

This part of the machine is not very useful.
The only information display in the LCD is numbers showing the time the machine is on, and have a (kind of) spiral that show the tempo just moving over and over ,don't stop.
This is what I call a display with un-useful information !!

This other part of the machine is where is suppose to be writ the music blocks ,copy and past into the software, if I was interested to make the music and record the patterns into the program. I do not want to work that way !

This can be useful if I was doing tracks in the software program but I save myself of that nightmare.

My plane is to use the machine to play the music not the software program to make the music ;)

Basic, I can make a patter and record in blocks and then play all together.

This is the main point of this music program, wish is old and not useful at all.

Chapter 3

THE RETURN OF THE BEAST

Mean time, I was waiting for my Birthday present :) I get my hands back to the machine and start to connect everything back to the PC, this time, I didn't connect with my music PC, I connect to my personal PC, a old IBM.

This time was no problems at all  !
I did exactly the same installation of the program and the drive for XP and the program + machine start to work perfect.
So, what the reason I ad so much trouble to get this machine to work on my music PC and on this one was working fine ?
The problem was because the mouse socket was connected with a usb adapter and the pins of the plug from the machine didn't get exactly the same effect and provoke bad function...

Luckily, I found 1 of this Machines for sale on ebay and I get all the images to post here.

Again, the sale of this WAVDJ (machine) was without the software !!

So, here is the plugs I talk about. Many of the PCs on this days do not have this connection, now is all in USB.

All its plug and working fine for now :)

Chapter 1

THE MEETING WITH THE BEAST !

I was looking around in a shop in town when I see this box with a software program and a console to make music. The look of the box was old and I believe they have this for long time in the shop shelfs.
Looking at the box images, I see this is a program to connect to the PC and you can make music with wav files.
Very plastic looking.
The price was fine (15 pounds)

I have many music systems at home + amplifiers, mix cd decks , monitors, sound cads etc...
As I am a DJ/ Music producer, I like everything related with music and I have a temptation for experimentalism and bizarre objects.
I found this a strange music object so I ask about and  they told me, this was a discontinued product.

I get back home and I did some search in the web but I didn't found nothing about this, a part from some people in forums looking for the original software program.
Without the software the (machine) don't work !!

So, next day I get back to the shop and pick one of this machines to see whats happen.
I get a box ,come home, and start to instal the machine in my *music computer.

The program software and machine are from 2001 and no more updates have been made.
The guy from the shop told me, inside of the box was an  XP driver for the program.
I open the box and there was the original program software PLUS a recorded cd with the XP driver.
This software uses a old ActiveX driver and this driver is not available in the web anymore.

I set up everything but first, I did have to pass some challenges:
The cable of the WAVDJ connecting the machine to the PC, is a old mousse socket together with a 6 pin socket for image, my PC is not that old and just have a usb mouse connection, so I have to go out and get an adapter.

After that, was all the sound connections and get the software install.
Work fine at first but have many problems.
The sound some times was coming grumbling, some times didn't get any sound and later didn't want to start the software, coming up with some stupid errors.
Between all this happenings, I did have about 1 week to play around and see what kind of stuff I can do with  this toy.

The Software program aloud me to change all the FX sound files as they are all in wav.
The drums have 72 different loop patterns and they can be all changed and reconstructed beat by beat.
The software aloud me to construct tracks or change the sounds and rhythms independently on each button.
He have connections in and out + mic.
The keyboard instruments can be all changed and is tooo many to count.
Have a scale with 8 octaves in the keyboard
Interesting things for a toy !!

After the problems start, I decide to put the machine back in a box and get the box on the side...
leave it !

Intro

 WAVDJ (The Machine)

Hello .
I start this blog to register a experience I am doing with WAVDJ -VM-108.
This machine (as I like to call it) is discontinued from the market and no much information is found in the web.

This wavdj is a (Oregon Scientific) product and was released in 2001 as a console to make music with WAV files + .sty and .osm files.


It is a really limited machine to work with but on other hand, can be very fun to change things around, alterating sounds and create something different.
You can read more about WAVDJ  here:
Jornal Article

http://amplifiers.annonz.co.uk/amplifiers/wav-dj--74896

 http://www.trademe.co.nz/nz/auction-177550236.htm

http://www.positive1.com/reviews/toys/osci/dj/index.html

If you like to download the manuals , you can make here:
http://safemanuals.com/user-guide-instructions-owner-manual/OREGON%20SCIENTIFIC/WAV%20DJ



Now... Why to get a thing like this to make music ?
I have 2 PCs at home and 1 is just to make music as I work with Ableton music software and I have been around other music programs too !
The problem I found (if is a problem) in this software music programs, is the many options they give, can be good but can be damaging too.
Some times, I get no felling to make a musical track and I start to work automatic, as I get no vibe making music just by putting all the sounds together and click a button to synchronize beats or spend hours searching for a sound or making a sound.
Its good, its professional but some times really take my vibe away !!
Its ok to do music with software, is like playing a game where you have to put the images in the right places but I much like to fell the music and play with the sounds :)
Yes, I can make the same in Ableton but again, all is synchronized.

I am doing this project for fun and I am not looking to make a professional life of this, so I am free to play around as I want and experiment without the conscience of be attach to some music style ...
we all have a shelf , is it ??
DADA DO ;)

Soo,,, here and there, some of  the reasons I set up this machine and why....

1- I can set up specific sounds and know where they are when I press a button,
2- Is lots of  fun = work,
3- I can make something really different,
4- I will not need to click a mousse,
5- I can have just the sounds I made or need in each of the buttons of the machine,
6- I don't need to look at 1000 of  sounds to find a sound to make a track,
7- I can improvise with all the sounds,
8- Any track is a new creation and never the same,
9- Its all in real time ... live,
10- No synchronizers, just my fingers,
11- All the sounds are made individual and put together,
12- I can fade sounds in and out as the machine have a mixer with 6 channels,
13- I can improvise sounds or melody's with the keyboard instruments wile I can make some fx with the FX wheel doing scratch and pitch bend,
14- I can regulate the BPMs in real time,
15- I can jam in a 6 pad drums,
16- PLUS.... I can add 992 sounds to the wav effect buttons panel, that Im using to store samples and sounds. on this wav effects part of the machine, I can have more than 1 hour of a sound or a sample in each button and will keep playing.

This will take me long time to set up but will be a 1 time job.
Main problem (for now) is that , I can not change the drum sounds... I can change the drum loops... but not the sounds of  the drums; to make this ,I will need .sty files or .osm files (still around with this ones... grrrr) If you know something about them, just let me know.

But what I really want to do ?
I want to make a Psychedelic ambient experimental music project with this machine, plus I want to use a Kaossilator to spice the music.
This machine and kaossilator are loop machines, this can create a hypnotic ambient music capable to go into the mind and really give you a psychedelic experience as I have been notice.
For that same reason ,I start this blog.

Am a bit late on this intro and chapters as I start some weeks ago working on this machine but I will update regularly and hope by the end, I can leave you some tracks for your experience.)

02/12/2009