March 4th -2009 22:00@Live! Hilary Jeffery (trombone, UK) + Richard Scott (buchla lightning, wiimotes, analog synth, UK) + One Man Nation (laptop beat mashing, Singapore)

Theaterkapelle – Boxhagener Str. 99, Berlin – Friedrichshain

check OMN and Richards Scott in action : http://vimeo.com/1676628, and Hilary Jeffery: myspace. com/auxhil, www. hiljef. com

as promised it looks essentailly the same as Lightning II – not even the little data cards have been updated – strange!

Can anyone confirm they’ve actually had one delivered?

Richard

04.12.08
“ir” (trio)

Dr. Richard Scott – Buchla Lightning & Nintendo Wiimote infrared midi
controllers, analog synthesizer, sampler
Adam Linson – double bass
Gustavo Aguilar – drums, percussion

9:00

COMA
Leipziger Strasse 36 /

Charlottenstrasse 24

D – 10117 Berlin

Tel.: +49 (0)30 20648886

Tel.: +49 (0)30 20649143

mail: info@coma-berlin.com

There are a number of computer based applications which can translate the Wii data into something useful. The most comprehensive is STEIM’s JunXion which more or less automatically recognises the Wiimote’s and can translate it into midi data – its Apple OSX only

Apparently the Wiimote controllers have revived Nintendo’s flagging fortunes. I wouldn’t know because haven’t played an video game since pong and space invaders in 198whatever and I was never great at those. But I played one of the Wii music games in current development which basically involves dancing rabbits and quite sarcastic badly sung cover versions of pop songs. You get to trigger drum, bass, guitar, horn or vocal parts and try to keep them in time with the track while reading a rudimentary score which scrolls down the screen remorselessly. Its entirely about doing the right thing at the right time and really uncreative – its really a game, you get points for confirming to the system. I’m too far gone for such a thing but I did get the chance to “perform” the vocal line for Born to be Wild, its been a long time since I did that…

As I say the game I played is in development so maybe the implementation is not finished but I must say I wasn’t impressed with the feel of the thing. It felt clunky and not particularly accurate. The link between the graphics, movement and sound didn’t feel particularly direct either. From my experience with JunXion and LiSa the wii is potentially a much more sensitive and capable tool. Maybe better will come but at least some of the current Nintendo implementation is barely scratching the surface of what is possible with the wiimote.