Dave Linnenbank: Music/Media Technologist

Technical Writing These examples demonstrate mastery of music technology topics, teaching and communication.

Reaktor Introduction - An introduction to working from scratch in Native Instruments' Reaktor that also explains synthesis fundamentals to newcomers. Includes an appendix (page 54 onward) showing a patch in Reaktor recreated in several other platforms. [View PDF]

Room Instructions - A document explaining the normalling procedure of a particular computer workstation at Berklee College of Music. Includes some rationale because of the odd nature of the setup. [View PDF]

Video Basics - A primer of digital video concepts and terminology for audio people. [View PDF]

Logic Synth Deconstruct - A recreation of four simple, integrated synths in Apple's Logic with Clavia's Nord Modular G2 platform. Was a core curriculum addition that I developed for Music Synthesis at Berklee to get early students to connect the modular world they learn in with the integrated world more common to production. The PDF was one contribution of mine to a Teacher's Guide, co-written with Tom Rhea. [View PDF]

Logic Quick Start - A quick start guide to using software synthesizers in Apple's Logic. Made to assist the Logic Synth Deconstruct, above. [View PDF]

Sound Programming These examples demonstrate a variety of sound programming and sound design skills.

Max For Live Development - Max For Live is a collaboration that incorporates Cycling '74's MaxMSP technology into Ableton Live. I have done extensive development in this environment.

Max Fuel series - I develop these bundles for puremagnetik.com. Max Fuel, the First has been available since 2010, and Max Fuel, the Second is currently in development. I wrote the copy for this marketing page and made the video. [View Webpage] [View Interview]

Conductor Control System - I made a system for Billy Jay Stein of Strange Cranium that allows a musical theater conductor to easily control, adapt and rearrange prerecorded audio. The system was originally developed for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and is used nightly to control audio playback in this show and others. Can't say much more. A semi write-up follows. [View Webpage]

Plug-In Programming - The following are plug-ins that were made with MaxMSP and its Pluggo technology. Each has a sound clip and then a processed version of the same clip, along with a description of the plug-in....

Multiband Distortion [Hear Original Audio] [Hear Processed Audio] [View Description]

Delay Matrix [Hear Original Audio] [Hear Processed Audio] [View Description]

Filter Dropout [Hear Original Audio] [Hear Processed Audio] [View Description]

Synthesis Sound Design - The following patches were all created from scratch with Clavia's Nord Modular (G1). Each has a brief, raw sound recording and a brief description and picture of the patch....

Happy Square [Hear Audio] [View Patch]

Bad Bass [Hear Audio - dry] [Hear Audio - with phaser] [View Patch]

Flat Tire Wurly [Hear Audio] [View Patch]

Sunset [Hear Audio] [View Patch]

Passing Vessels [Hear Audio] [View Patch]

Assorted Programming While I am not a real computer programmer, these examples demonstrate some of the skills I have acquired as necessary.

Diesel Confession Booth - Using a combination of MaxMSP, Jitter, AppleScript and shell scripting, I did the interactive programming for this installation piece at the 5th Avenue Diesel store in New York. Created for Fashion Night Out and running for several months afterward, the piece invited customers to enter the booth, interface through a touch screen, and record a video of their "stupid" confession. The videos were then cycled into rotation on 20+ televisions in the storefront, and also automatically converted, uploaded to Diesel's server, and emailed to the customer. The following are some documentation, pictures and media coverage. [Visit Website 1] [Visit Website 2] [Watch Video]

JavaScript Programming - Beyond web programming, I have used JavaScript extensively in MaxMSP, Adobe programs and other environments. On a subway advertisement a while back, a technology company posted a challenge: Write out all the numbers from 1 to 999,999,999 as words, and then determine the 51 billionth letter. This is a JavaScript solution. [View Webpage]

Workflow Solutions - This is an Adobe Flash script I made for Clambake Animation. When multiple files are open in Flash, this script extracts each files name and location, creates a folder in that same location with the same base name, and exports each Flash session as an image sequence. [View Script]

Utilities - To navigate my computer, I use a program called LaunchBar by Objective Development. I have written several AppleScripts and shell scripts that utilize LaunchBar to make regular tasks simpler. One script determines how long the computer has been powered on, formats the answer in regular English, and displays that result on the screen. Here is a screenshot and the guts of the function, written in Perl. [View Image] [View Script]

Web Programming - In addition to this portfolio, I have written all of the code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) for rhymeswithart.com by hand. [Visit Website]

Video Some various video pieces and live performance systems I have made.

Seed - A video piece I made for a composition by Fabio Fonda. The entire source material was a still image. [Watch Video] [View Image]

Around Me - A video piece I made for a song by Fernanda Ulibarri. I basically used Cycling 74's Jitter to make a performable iTunes Visualizer. [Watch Video]

Live Performance Systems - Here are output examples of two video performance systems I made using Jitter. The two video clips are examples of feedback and scaling (with sound by an improvisatory ensemble). The webpage randomly overlays stills made by one of the systems (hit reload on that page). [Watch Video 1] [Watch Video 2] [View Webpage]

Generative Systems - These five images are stills from a generative video system made in Jitter that obeys certain architectural rules with an amount of interaction. [View Image 1] [View Image 2] [View Image 3] [View Image 4] [View Image 5]

Senator Linnenbank - Script written by Travis Johns and myself. I also did sound, music, and an approximation of acting. [Watch Video]

Get Out! Of The Closet! - The pilot of a web series by Travis Johns. I mixed the audio, did some music arrangements and worked on the story lines. [Watch Video 1] [Watch Video 2]

It's For Her - A short film by Travis Johns. I mixed the audio and contributed to the story. [Watch Video]

Pieces Some composed musical works.

Turm - A cue for full orchestra. I also orchestrated and conducted this. [Hear Audio] [View Score]

Sketches - A two-movement piece for solo piano. I performed this as well. [Hear Audio] [View Movement 1] [View Movement 2]

Bansa - An electroacoustic piece for bass clarinet. Bass Clarinet performed by Neil Leonard; electronics programmed and performed by me. [Hear Audio] [View Score]

Partly Cloudy - Opening cue for a short film by Travis Johns. Links to two resolutions of the film and the music alone. [Watch Film] [Hear Audio]

Jeru - A cue for flute, violin, piano, and electronics. [Hear Audio]

Uncooth Logo Themes - Four logo themes for Uncooth Entertainment; one tasteful, three '80s themed....

NY Version [Hear Audio]

'80s Atari Version [Hear Audio]

'80s Loveboat Version [Hear Audio]

'80s Hero Version [Hear Audio]

Songs Excerpts from a few songs of mine.

Bramble - Acoustic guitar, a Logic synth, some drums, a droning Reaktor patch, and lyrics. Laptop/country. [Hear Audio]

Trep - One guitar track, a few Nord sounds, and drums programmed on the fly by MaxMSP. [Hear Audio]

Grane - Vocals, a few piano samples, and otherwise freshly programmed soft synths. [Hear Audio]