Motion Dive Tokyo [Roland VG99/VB99 related]

[aliensporebomb]

Roland Corporation has recently started releasing synthesizers, electronic drums and the VG99/VB99 with a mysterious button I've never heard anyone talk about (at least in the U.S.) called V-link.

I did some digging and it's interesting:

It takes data from your playing via midi to a PC or Mac running special software to create evocative psychedelic imagery based on the notes you are playing.

See video examples:
http://media.roland.com/rja/mov/motiondive/page_01.html
and
http://media.roland.com/rja/mov/motiondive/page_02.html
(two links japanese but you can understand the music/visuals...)

The first video has a keyboardist and v-drummer playing a song with all kinds of crazy stagelighting and digital screens reflecting their performance.

There's a US version of the motion dive tokyo software that has a 15 day trial.

I'm going to just download and play with it because I wonder what my playing would make the graphics do?

There is apparently a hardware interface available too for this to use onstage to enhance performances.

Another company produces software compatible with this system:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/software_union.php

This must be the first time I've heard of a company producing a feature (on all of the latest Roland V-products) used to visually enhance a performance like this since the original PPG 330/340 Waveterm which was a german
wavetable synthesizer that also had the ability to run a lightshow back in 1986 or thereabouts.

Interesting stuff.

Anyone working with this system? Craig, have you heard/seen this?

[aliensporebomb]

I found a flash version of the software you can try!

http://www.roland.com/motiondive/Trial_Flash/index.html

Give it a shot.

[Karma1]

Thanks for the info. I've been intruiged by the V-Link on my VG-99 since I sometimes do multi-media performances with a friend who is a VJ. I've looked a little bit into some of the Edirol hardware that links with it, but I'm maxed on buying new gear for a while, so it's on the back burner. But I'll check out that trial version you posted. My next minor purchase will be Roland US-20 so that I can control my VG and GR33 from my guitar at the same time.

[aliensporebomb]

I think it could be interesting as when I play live it is often just me.

In 2008 I played a gig where a VJ had me on camera and projected on a
screen with similar graphics.

This year, no VJ at the same gig at the same place but it made for a
more interesting visual presentation for a solo artist with lots of tech and
looper devices.

So.....yeah, v-link could make a small band look more interesting.

[elantric]

I cover V-Link here:

http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php/board,39.0.html

[aliensporebomb]

Thanks, Elantric! I'll check that out.