[namethemachine] was commissioned by Bassnectar to develop the Ultimate Nerd Server: a system to run video content in sync with his improvised Ableton performance. [namethemachine] principals Matt Davis and Peter Sistrom reached out to me to help them design some of the underlying data structures for creating cues, build a cue editor, and make realtime visuals and effects.

The result is that holy grail of AV performance: the performer can improvise—tempo-warping, jumping around the tracks, live editing the set—and the video stays in perfect sync.

Cue Editor

The editor allows videos to be aligned to audio with visualized waveforms. It facilitates the creation of cues with multiple videos and real-time modules with different LED mappings, plus lighting cues. It supports searching the cue database by cue name, song, name, or date; merging collections of cues; and previewing the screen layout.

Filters and Realtime Scenes

I developed custom effects and filters to help punctuate the show: glitching, shattering, and distorting Bassnectar’s high-energy content. Generative and realtime elements driven directly by the audio and music tempo added extra responsive elements.

The Ultimate Nerd Server debuted at the Fox Theater, Oakland on September 19th, 2013 as the first show of Bassnectar’s Immersive Music Tour.