Composing with the Vortex
"The Vortex" is a collaborative installation by Studioninedots and Synthetic State, unveiled during Karper K’s opening night. It explores how light can instantaneously transform space—and the experience of those within it—through composition, interaction, and rhythm.
At its core lies the MAINFRAME engine—the same real-time visual system behind MAINFRAME-B—now scaled into a custom, distributed format we call MAINFRAME-N. Built on custom hardware running variants based on MAINFRAME-B, the system is composed of multiple synchronized nodes, all coordinated by a central “Mother” unit responsible for global timing and cohesion.
In this performance, we explore composing with light in a spatial context. A drum machine sends MIDI sequences to trigger patterns across the structure, while TouchOSC is used to perform live parameter modulation—controlling aspects like hue, movement, and decay. Simultaneously, AUM captures the audio signal and extracts real-time envelopes, allowing the system to respond dynamically to the energy and nuance of the sound.
MAINFRAME-N within the Vortex has MIDI-based interaction, but here we’ve extended its capabilities: a dedicated MIDI interface allows for performance input, and an audio interface syncs the entire structure to the music. This unlocks rich audio-reactive behavior—where rhythm, tone, and dynamics become expressive visual forms.
MAINFRAME-N allows for a modular, expandable architecture, where each component remains independently reactive yet contributes to a unified whole. In The Vortex, these elements converge—turning light into a compositional medium and transforming space into a living, breathing instrument. It’s an evolving structure that blurs the boundaries between music, architecture, performance, and presence.
