Orbits – my stochastic drum machine is now open source
Ever since RNBO was announced for MaxMSP, I’ve been very excited about all the possibilities that this would open up for Max users. Specifically with regards to creating instruments that people could interact with in the browser.
When I first used the RNBO software, I found the affordances for exporting to the web fairly limited. If you’ve done it, you’ll know that the web export mode from RNBO creates a very simple device with HTML sliders for each parameter in your RNBO patch. Pretty cool, but not that easy to use if you, for example, have parameters that were click buttons or dials in your original patch. Also, the user experience of just sliders vertical sliders down the page isn’t great. You’re not getting any visual feedback and it’s a bit basic.
So I did some experiments and built Orbits. Other than being fun to play with, i’m thinking of it as a progression of the default RNBO web export template. I’ve open sourced it in the hope that people will be able to adapt the code to build some more sophisticated RNBO instruments in the browser. Support for dials, buttons, switches and sliders is built in and there’s a system to map your parameters to the UI devices.
I’m currently working on a project that will make it a lot easier to create instruments in the browser using RNBO patches, even for those without coding experience. But for now, if you have a bit of Javascript experience, this should put you in the right direction to making your own instruments with a bit more pazazz than the default web export template.
If you have any questions, please get in touch. I’d be happy to hear from you.