Most of this stream is composed from two applications– a radio receiver and a music synthesizer/sampler. The receiver is a modified open-source WiFi “sniffer”, designed to monitor a channel of 2.4GHz WiFi. It detects and tabulates network packets by their associated MAC addresses to send messages by OSC (Open Sound Control) to the music synthesizer/sampler to trigger sound production.
The synthesizer/sampler software was developed from SuperCollider to translate the tabulated WiFi activity of my neighborhood into triggers of samplers, synthesizers and live-coded SuperCollider synthesizers.
Sound is generated from a set of 20 sampled instruments or from a 20-note set of a diatonic mode to be converted to MIDI and OSC for play on other instruments. In practice, several instances of the synthesizer software usually play the same triggers simultaneously on multiple hardware.
The client application may also function independently of WiFi triggers as a standalone, highly configurable pattern sequencer. In this case it can also be synced with the WiFi-triggered instances and Ableton to create an increasingly coherent sound from a many sources. The dense sound of this stream is less of an aesthetic choice by the author than it is a real-time test of the expanded capability of this system in several configurations.
The current focus of development has been on visualization to aid improvisation and performance. A new GUI provides real-time feedback of network conditions and sound distribution. Significantly, a new pattern sequencer provides synchronized accompaniment to network triggers. Current, local weather data or real-time analysis of network triggers may also influence tempo generation. Cooler temperatures and slower wind velocities could result in slower tempos. Faster tempos could result from busier network conditions.
WiFi Player (2024/10)
Sequencer (2024/10)
Future development will include incorporation of a new in-situ sampling technique and integrate its application into live video broadcast. To wit, an immediate goal is to produce live video from a moving vehicle through a variety of network environments incorporating dynamic sampling of live or historic sound related to the place.
Listening: The purpose of this web site is to stream a live, rolling test of iterations of the software in combination with various hardware and network configurations. During weekday commuting hours– 0600 – 1000 US EST and 1600 – 1800 US EST, a recognizable change of activity is usually evident. The cell phone WiFi detected from users of a local, busy roadway and a commuter train often disrupt an otherwise steady background pattern of the neighborhood networks. The simplest neighborhood patterns may be heard after 0000 ET.
Updates (i.e. live, human interaction) of this system are usually made on weekday evenings and Sundays at 2000 US ET.