I said I wouldn’t talk about tech, but I should probably get it out of the way. This app might not be the easiest one here to implement. In fact I think we can agree it isn’t. It’s not a straight down the road idea. It’s not just a glorified database.
Whistler is about applying the increasing levels of computing power that are available to us all, in a way that is meaningful at a basic level.
Plugins and software do exist that process audio live in such a manner. Logic for instance has a vocal transformer plugin. Which we’ve used in a band I occasionally stab keys with. Altering the singers vocals in both pitch, timbre & rhythm for amusing or musical effect. In realtime. On a stage in front of a bewildered audience.
So all sorts of audio spectral analysis and fast fourier transforms are the order of the day. I’m aware of this important work, I’ve forced myself through a fair bit of mathematics for computers graphics and programming. But I’ll gladly leave it to people who can masterfully weave these powerful numbers and other magics.
We’re obviously in good hands. Having read the resumes of the developers involved in this endeavour I have no worries about the technological or design side of things.
I believe if Whistler made it to the development stage, we wouldn’t just be making a natty little app to satisfy an organisational urge or add another icon to a dock or menubar.
We would be empowering people with the ability to do something they probably haven’t done before.
A transparent application of a complex technology to enrich peoples lives. And perhaps most importantly, create art & hopefully more than a few smiles on people using it for the first time.
- next time on whistler blog. Let’s define this application in a lot more detail. Full feature list. The sequencer idea. Bring on the blurb. Some hastily drawn concepts! win.
