LZX Patch Challenge 3: Flower Power

Category: Forum · Tags: — · Posts: 29

#1 — Genlok · 2021-04-16

Hey there folks. It’s that time again, let’s do a video synthesis patch challenge! LZX is giving away another module so I hope to really see you break out the big guns!

Challenge Theme: FlowersTHE RULES

• You must fill out the Google form below to submit your video!
• Direct hardware video synthesis with LZX modules only. An exception is made for non-video eurorack modules (LFOs, envelopes, logic, etc).
• No camera or image inputs, no outboard gear except final capture device/camera.
• Memory Palace’s image loader may be utilized with ramp/gradient files.
• Video entries can be up to 60 seconds, one entry per person.
• Both digital captures and rescans are acceptable as entries, please do not submit anything above 1080p.
• Entry videos may contain audio, however all audio will be muted for judging. Audio will be added back in for public viewing after voting is completed.
• Entries are not judged on capture quality, but good quality videos are strongly encouraged, especially for rescans (use a tripod!).
• Entries will be accepted starting now, April 16th, and will end at 5pm CST on Thursday, April 22nd.
• Winners will be chosen via poll on the weekend of April 23rd with the results formally announced the following Monday. You need to be registered on the LZX forum to vote!
• Creator of the video with the most votes will win their choice of an LZX Doorway or Video Logic.
• All LZX users worldwide may participate and are eligible to win the grand prize. Prizes will be shipped to the winner by LZX Industries.
• As a reminder, the theme of this challenge is FLOWERS and entries should fit into that theme.

I’ve created a Google form for entries, where you will need to enter your information (so I can contact you if you win) and upload your video. You can optionally post your entry to Instagram or YouTube and share it below in the comments, but you must submit it via the form to be a part of the official challenge.

ENTER HERE

Google Docs

https://forms.gle/5vTmtxkBCsQhz2Bs7Please fill out the form below to enter in the LZX patch challenge. None of this information is collected for any reason except for purposes related to the challenge, i.e. so we can mail out your prizes.

Link: LZX Patch Challenge 3: Flower Power

If you experience any troubles uploading or completing the form, just email me. You should receive an email copy of your entry by default. Google sign in required.

I expect to see some wonderfully colorful and vivid patches this go around! Happy patching!

#2 — Genlok · 2021-04-19

5 entries so far! Just 4 days left to enter y’all

#3 — DaydreamDevices · 2021-04-20

Workin on it! Had a sweet orchid last night but kept pushing and couldn’t get back to it haha. Try try again.

#4 — Rik_bS · 2021-04-20

I’m taking this advice from the audio modular world - always take a recording of your noodling, to capture the happy accidents like that

#5 — DaydreamDevices · 2021-04-20

never mattered for me before - but now that it did 100% lesson learned haha. I knew I was flirting with disaster, should have recorded before trying to push on definitely. Hopefully stripping back the bells and whistles will put me back there tonight.

#6 — souka · 2021-04-20

Went through the same issue. “I’m just gonna test if this idea works” kind of moment and manipulated way too much of the patch and couldn’t get back to where it was.

My difficulty right now is deciding what clip to use! I guess I’ll have to stop recording new ones

#7 — Genlok · 2021-04-22

Hey y’all! Just a reminder that entries will close on Thursday (TOMORROW!) at 5pm central time! You’ve got less than 24 hours to get that entry in

#8 — Genlok · 2021-04-22

Just a little more than 5 hours to go! We’ve got 17 entries now

#9 — saiteron · 2021-04-22

just got my entry in! been patching all morning… didn’t know if i was gonna make it

#10 — souka · 2021-04-22

So many entries! I’m very happy to have contributed in some way to this wonderful community this time

can’t wait to see everyone’s work.

#11 — Genlok · 2021-04-22

45 minutes and I’m closing entries!

#12 — Genlok · 2021-04-22

That’s all folks! Stay tuned for voting!

#13 — wednesdayayay · 2021-04-22

I just finished up getting everything plugged back in and working from moving spaces at the deadline

oh well next one for us!

looking forward to seeing the entries

#14 — Dr_Rek · 2021-04-23

Dang just found out about this via lzx summery email a couple minutes ago. Maybe next time.

#15 — souka · 2021-04-23

There is a new post for the video and voting.

Hi all! We had a great set of entries for this challenge. Please watch the video and then cast your vote! >>   >>     [[LZX Patch Challenge 3: Flowers]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6LTQgnvHU0)>   >>>> Note: this video is unlisted, please avoid sharing it. A public video will be uploaded to the LZX channel next week. > Entry time list: > 00:03 Entry #1: Emiliano Zzoli “An Alien Flower in the Meadow” > 00:26 Entry #2: Matthew Rempes “Chroma Seed” > 01:31 Entry #3: Gabriel Freed “A Chrysanthemum Grows in Brooklyn” > 02:32 Entry # 4: Luka Graj “Disco …>

#16 — Genlok · 2021-04-26

Voting is over and the winner is… @rempesm! Congrats, Matt!

#17 — jevergreen · 2021-04-26

Thanks @genlok and @Z0NK0UT for organizing another fun challenge!

This is was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done with the Memory Palace, so I took a moment the other day to write it up and would like to share. The core of patch is rather simple, the pedal was just a skewed/rotating shape from the gradient out of Navigator + Shapechanger, with the Memory Palace in paint mode. I kept the center of rotation for the flower fixed in the middle of the video field (pre MP) so it wouldn’t clip the edges, then I used the Escher Sketch to control the X-Y placement inside the Memory Palace.

It get’s a little more in depth with one of the trigger buttons on the ES also patched to gate a fader that would show/hide the rotating flower, which I found was faster and easier to perform than using the MP to freeze/unfreeze the frame (so in effect it was always drawing). Also, a vertically scrolling oscillator was used to make the pedals wiggle sideways—to add variety to each—first using the mesh in Memory Palace, but then I switched that to the x-position on Navigator for better resolution because it didn’t mess up the anchor placement. Some other controls on the MP are used to modulate the luma key, scale, aspect, and color. The only eurorack module was a 4-step sequencer (pressure points/brains) that rotated through the colors with each ES trigger. Finely attenuated ‘noise’ from the scrolling oscillator also got mixed into the hue for a tiny bit of chance color variation with each pedal, and an LFO was patched to the delay to make alter their spacing slightly different.

The Memory Palace RGB out is going through the Polar Fringe on the way to channel A of the Visual Cortex, while there is a scrolling mix of ramps, waves, and feedback from the chroma key going through the Mapper on the way to channel B. The luma out on the MP is going to a Doorway (probably not totally necessary in hindsight, but that’s how it got patched up) to key the flowers against the background. When ‘scene 1’ fades into ‘scene 2’, it’s just channel B coming from the Mapper, but since the flowers are the source for the chroma key—which is also going to the mapper—then they are still there in the mix, and all the different colors allow the chroma key to pull out individual flowers or groups for a moment, which is pretty cool.

The whole thing was managable enough that I could fiddle with the joystick on the Polar Fringe, while still adding new flowers with the Escher Sketch, and occasionally change a few things on the MP. Except for getting it all in under a minute—that’s like no time at all! Still, I’m super happy with this patch overall, I learned a ton making it, and I’m certainly going to use it (or something similar) again in a longer form.

Cheers!

#18 — joem · 2021-04-27

My entry (Entry #13: Field of Roses) wasn’t too complicated so I can’t imagine anyone would care for detailed patch notes, but I do want to mention a few points that I found interesting:

• I ended up figuring out how to do some simple compositing in the process since I wanted the stems under (or masked out by) the flower. I inverted the flower “layer” with a Bridge and then used that to multiply the stem “layer” with a Cadet Multiplier.

• One VCO was a Cadet VCO, but the other was a Dixie II+ (I really need/want to get more video VCOs!). Using the Dixie was fortuitous though, because using the sine output gave a nice curve to the the flowers and I used the saw output to VC the hard key of the Cadet VCO in order to make the stems!

Lots of fun! I learned a lot!

#19 — Rik_bS · 2021-04-27

I really enjoyed the simplicity of that, though they looked more like tulips to me

#20 — Jesse · 2021-04-27

Really phenomenal patch @jevergreen - loved it. You had my vote

Thx for sharing the patch notes too, I was wondering how you pulled it off. The ES trigger makes alot of sense - I was wondering what your scheme was.

Anyways super cool patch & great work.

Everyone else great patching too, congrats @rempesm on your big win

#21 — jevergreen · 2021-04-27

Thanks, @Jesse I appreciate the complement! I really liked the watery feedback you had going on!

#22 — Z0NK0UT · 2021-04-27

The patch challenge is now public.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws9P6ezDhz0Thanks to all who entered and voted for another enlightening patch challenge. The artistry never fails to astound and inspire. Congrats to Matt Rempes, the reigning LZX patch challenge champ!

#23 — souka · 2021-04-27

you had my vote, I deeply enjoyed the simplicity!

#24 — Fuzzy_Pause · 2021-04-27

A little late responding but it was super cool seeing everyone’s entries! Some awesome stuff in there. (special shout out to @esnho 's super satisfying wiggly solid colors

)It was really rewarding trying to make something figurative with my modest(ish) setup. I’m working on a little patch notes video for this one, but like everything else it’ll take a minute, though I’ll be sure to share it when I’m done.

#25 — souka · 2021-04-29

Here is the patch schematic (made with patchbook) for entry #8 meditações sobre flores.

The video actually turned out different than what was showcased in the compilation video. I recorded with the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle USB which has issues capturing in progressive formats. Nonetheless I encoded it properly and got the expected progressive result which displayed accordingly on my computer. Maybe my player was compensating in some way. I liked the compilation result nonetheless. For reference, here is how I see it played: https://youtu.be/7dkW0C2qedI

#26 — Fuzzy_Pause · 2021-06-12

Just like with most things I try to get done for myself these days, this took way longer than I wanted it too…

SO. For those still interested, here is the patch breakdown for my entry, in the style of my video synth notebook videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h-Slh2vCxM

#27 — joem · 2021-06-13

What a great video! I love that it uses mostly (or exclusively?) Cadets and Castles. It’s nice to see such a clear patch explanation.

#28 — Fuzzy_Pause · 2021-06-13

Thanks! Yeah, there are a few visible signals modules and a NLC triple sloth in there too, but it’s all diy stuff.

#29 — Z0NK0UT · 2021-06-14

Very pleasing to watch, especially with the entrancing music. Amazing video and great flower patch.