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What are AudioCubes?
The AudioCubes are an electronic musical instrument. They are a combination of hardware and software. The hardware consists of a collection of wireless intelligent objects, which detect each other’s position and orientation.
They can also detect distance to other objects, such as your hands. The sensor information can be passed to software on your computer via MIDI, which can then generate sound, trigger patterns, control effects, …
You can use the cubes to design sounds, you can use them in music production, and also out of the studio, for live performances, DJing or VJing.
They have built in full colour lighting, which can be synchronized to sound or music from your favourite music software using MIDI, or it can be set to static colours, enhancing your live performance visually and at the same time giving you an overview of which part of your live setup controls what.
Much of what the AudioCubes can do can be completely configured by yourself, because every musician uses technology differently in his or her setup.
Do the AudioCubes come with software?
Yes, they come with a collection of software such as MIDIBridge, Deckabridge and VSTWrapper, which lets you integrate them easily in your existing setup.
They also come with small but powerful applications making sound without additional software required, such as LoopShaper, which is essentially a specialized VST host capable of connecting to the AudioCubes hardware and automatically assigning parameters, letting you play with your plugins without MIDI mapping everything first.
We’re always working on new software, so you should check the website and the beta software forum regularly (see support section).
What software platforms do AudioCubes work with?
The AudioCubes can work with anything that supports MIDI, through the MIDIBridge application. You can use them with your external synths, or with your software. They can also work with your VST plugins through VSTWrapper or LoopShaper. The VSTWrapper software can work with popular DAWs such as Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, Image-Line FL Studio, XT Software EnergyXT2, ….
The MIDIBridge software comes with examples for Ableton Live and Propellerheads Reason. There is also a Remote Codec for Reason available to save you time with custom MIDI mapping.
What hardware does AudioCubes work with?
Any hardware that is MIDI compatible. If you want to connect the cubes to some external piece of gear, you should connect a MIDI interface to your computer, connect the gear to the MIDI interface, and then select the right MIDI ports in MIDIBridge. You can set MIDI port, note trigger and controller assignments all from within MIDIBridge and save it as a preset.
Do the AudioCubes make sound themselves?
Not at this time. The jacks on the AudioCubes are there for future software expansions.
How many AudioCubes can I use with my setup?
There is no minimum or maximum for the number of cubes you can use. You can use one cube just to play with your VST effects using your hands, or you can use 100 cubes to create a huge live setup.
If you want to do a live setup where you control both music parts in your setup and sound effects, you most likely need 4 cubes. You can then use 2 cubes to control triggers and sections of the music, and you can use 2 more for effects, for example.
If I buy one box of AudioCubes, can I split the cubes with my friends or use them in different applications?
Sure, you can buy a box of cubes and split the cubes with your friends, all the cubes are the same in the box, they have equal features and functionality, and the software is freely available for download. The cubes work with both Mac and PC and there are no drivers necessary.
What is the technology behind AudioCubes?
Each AudioCube consists of a small, powerful digital signal processing computer, custom built for the applications of AudioCubes. The computer has access to a collection of optical sensors and emitters, and can generate and process signals wirelessly, allowing it to communicate with other AudioCubes nearby. Every AudioCube has an USB connector and an internal rechargeable battery that lasts at least 3 hours. The battery does not need to be replaced, and is recharged over USB.
Can I make my own software for AudioCubes?
Yes. We have software development kits for the AudioCubes. One for Max/MSP, and another one for the JUCE C++ kit by Raw Material Software. These kits let you build applications in Max/MSP or in C++ that work with the AudioCubes, and communicate directly with them. If you don’t want to use C++ we also have a C development kit, which should make it possible to use AudioCubes from other programming languages, such as Java, Python, Ruby, etc.
Can I make software that runs on the AudioCubes hardware directly?
Not at the moment. The AudioCubes have a fairly complex operating system internally, which makes it hard to add software components from outside developers.
Where are AudioCubes made?
AudioCubes are made in Belgium, Europe.
Can I create my own software for AudioCubes using Max/MSP or PD?
We have a Max/MSP external based on the flext toolkit by Thomas Grill. The external also works in PD, which is great. You can get the latest version of the external from http://www.percussa.com/downloads/
Can I use the cubes’ distance sensing over both short and long ranges?
Yes, for short ranges you can use your hands with the cubes, and for longer ranges you can use any infrared light source, such as another cube.
Can I control the colours of the cubes from my music software? Can I make any colour?
Yes, you can do so by sending MIDI CC messages from your MIDI compatible instrument or software to the AudioCubes MIDIBridge. Refer to the getting started and reference manuals at http://manuals.percussa.com/ to learn more. Each colour has 16 levels which means you can make up to 4096 colours.
Can I control the colour of the cubes using my hands?
Yes, you can turn this on per cube face in AudioCubes MIDIBridge. You can link any cube face to any of the three primary colours (red, green, blue). So you could set up the left side of the cube to add more green and the right side to add more blue as you approach the cube with your hands / fingers.
Is the AudioCubes software stable for live use?
Yes, AudioCubes were designed to be used live on stage and work with popular live performance software such as Ableton Live. AudioCubes are used by well known artists all over the world. You can read some artist interviews here: http://www.percussa.com/artists/
How long does it take to charge the cubes? do I need a charger? how do I charge the cubes?
It takes about 3 hours for a full charge. After that the cubes last about 3 hours non stop. You don’t need any external chargers, just a USB cable. Connect the cubes via USB to a hub or your computer.
If you use a hub, use a 4-port hub with a power adapter capable of 2 Amperes for best performance. If you charge the cubes from your computer, it’s best to keep your computer plugged into a wall socket.
Can I play notes and control sound parameters at the same time using AudioCubes?
Yes, you can use any of the faces of an AudioCube to trigger a note and control a sound parameter, at the same time, via MIDI.
Does AudioCubes work on Mac, Windows, Linux?
We support Mac and Windows operating systems. Linux is not supported at the moment.
Are there multiple applications available for AudioCubes?
Yes, we offer several different applications for AudioCubes, to use them for sound design, live performance, music making, etc. Check them out here: http://www.percussa.com/applications/
Can I use AudioCubes with my VST effects or instruments?
Yes, you can do so by using MIDIBridge with your VST host, and sending the MIDI to the VST effect or instrument, or you can use the AudioCubes VST wrapper which can be used to quickly connect an AudioCube with a VST instrument or effect without having to do any MIDI mapping.
The wrapper plugin is loaded in your VST host, and then you load your favourite effect or instrument inside this wrapper plugin. An added advantage is that the cube sensor data can be recorded in your host as automation.
Can AudioCubes sync to MIDI Clock?
Yes, the colours of the AudioCubes can be synced to a MIDI Clock in the MIDIBridge software.
Can I use the AudioCubes with Native Instruments Reaktor?
Yes, you can send MIDI to Reaktor using MIDIBridge, or you can use our OSC Server, which is capable of sending more advanced data about the AudioCubes, such as the network topology, to Reaktor via the OSC protocol.
Can I use AudioCubes with Image-Line FL Studio?
Yes. We even have presets and sounds ready to use with FL Studio and AudioCubes.
Can I use AudioCubes with Image-Line Deckadance DJ Software?
Yes. We even have the freely available Deckabridge application, made to use AudioCubes with Deckadance.
Can I use AudioCubes with Native Instruments Traktor?
Yes. This is possible using our free MIDIBridge software for AudioCubes.
Can I use AudioCubes with my MIDI compatible instrument/software?
Yes. You can use our free MIDIBridge software for AudioCubes.
Is AudioCubes software compatible with the latest version of Windows / Mac OSX?
Yes, we keep the software updated to be compatible with the latest version. The minimum requirement is Windows XP or Mac OSX 10.4.
Does AudioCubes work with Propellerheads Reason?
Yes. You can use our free MIDIBridge software for AudioCubes.
Can AudioCubes send OSC messages?
You can send OSC messages using our OSC server for AudioCubes.
Can I make AudioCubes follow the beat of my drum machine?
Yes, you can send a MIDI clock signal from your drum machine to MIDIBridge software, and tell MIDIBridge to follow your MIDI clock.
Do AudioCubes come with ready to use sound files or presets?
Yes, we include sound packs and presets that make it easy to use AudioCubes with software such as Ableton Live right out of the box.
What is the latency on the AudioCubes sensor data?
The AudioCubes data updates at at 1kHz sample rate so latency is on the order of a few milliseconds.
Does AudioCubes work with Quartz Composer?
Yes, you can send OSC data to Quartz composer using the freely available OSC server for AudioCubes.
Do I need to buy any additional software to use AudioCubes?
No. You can use our freely available MODULOR software with freely available VST instruments or you can use a freeware VST host and plugins with our MIDIBridge software. See http://kvraudio.com/ for free VST instruments and hosts.
How many sound parameters can I control with one AudioCube?
You can control up to 4 parameters simultaneously using the four sensors of an AudioCube.
Are the AudioCubes wireless? Do I have to keep them connected via USB?
The AudioCubes work wirelessly but you have to have one AudioCube connected via USB to act as a “base station”.
How many cubes can I use simultaneously?
You can use up to 16 AudioCubes per USB port.
Can the cubes be used as dice for random proceedures?
sure – you can make a max/msp patch that reads the location and orientation of the cubes on your table and then generates MIDI notes, which you could send to any software or hardware musical instrument that supports MIDI.
if you don’t want to deal with max/msp you can probably do something generative in ableton live using MIDI effects, which are built into ableton live. you can get a free demo of Live from Ableton’s website if you don’t have Live yet.