This audiovisualizer represents a gumball machine surrounded by interactive features that respond to audio input. The gumball machine has a ring representing the waveform and the spectrum is visualized across the screen. The spectrum history is stored in a grid of ‘gumballs’ in the background which averages sections of the spectrum on a logarithmic scale and stores these averaged sections in the gumballs whose size corresponds to spikes in the spectrum in the bins represented in each gumball. Inside the gumball machine, gumballs are spawned based on the frequency of the sound. The color of each gumball represents the most active frequency range and corresponds to pitch, thus also denoting the spectrum history in a different way.
For the final design of my gumball machine audiovisualizer, I decided to embrace the candy colored chaos. Once I modeled the gumball machine, I realized that it created a pretty clear aesthetic constraint that meant that this audiovisualizer should be made up of brightly colored, simple round features. The waveform creates a dynamic ring around the circular gumball machine and there are two “bubblegum speakers” on the side that change size based on the volume of the sound input. Implementing the spectrum and spectrum history posed a challenge since I wanted to embrace the simplicity of the aesthetic while still keeping details from the spectrum. For this component I compromised, making a simple representation of the spectrum history and a more complex, detailed representation of the current spectrum. The spectrum itself is represented similarly to the original audiovisualizer that served as the foundation of this project but it’s condensed then mirrored to keep with the symmetry of the gumball audiovisualizer. Lastly, a gumball machine has to produce gumballs, and I wanted this feature to respond to sound as well. I used information from the gumballs in the background storing spectrum history data to find the most recent spectrum history then what part of the spectrum there are frequency spikes. I thought it’d be interesting to store more spectrum history in an unconventional way so the colors of the gumballs filling up the machine change based on the frequency of the sound. I only used the lower end of the spectrum for the color of the balls and also had them based on a logarithmic scale so that there would be a somewhat equal likelihood of each color gumball being produced.
The narrative leans into the duality of this audiovisualizer: it is both extremely simple and extremely chaotic. Everything is candy-colored and round, yet it visually represents sound in many different ways and they all clash and match at the same time. When I look at it I can’t decide whether it’s a child’s dream or a child’s nightmare, is it fun or stressful? Perhaps both? The narrative I created in ChucK to compliment this piece reflects the simple, straightforward and sweet aesthetic of this audiovisualizer with clashing interruptions that represents the chaos of the piece.
I’d say the most challenging part of creating this audiovisualizer is making the aesthetic match this simple, colorful theme and having to implement functionality on top of these constraints. Next time, I’ll try to start with more of a complex or detailed aesthetic theme shape-wise but stick to one simple color theme as I believe this could help become the foundation for a cleaner aesthetic that still has the flexibility to fit what I need to implement into it.
A big thanks to Kunwoo Kim for helping me with the spectrum history as well as giving advice on the aesthetic goals for this audiovisualizer!
My audiovisualizer is a child’s vision of a magical gumball machine. Surrounding the circular container for the gumball is the waveform in a circle that scales outwards to represent the values. On the sides, there are two circles that frame the gumball machine that get bigger according to volume and are meant to resemble someone chewing bubblegum and blowing bubbles. The song used in the example, appropriately, is called “Bubblegum K.K.” from the game Animal Crossing. I plan on the spectrum history being represented by the appearance of different colored gumballs appearing in the machine and I want the narrative to end with the two pink bubblegum on the side to keep expanding and take over the scene then pop!