Music that Catches the Eye
Music that Catches the Eye
Today’s hottest VJs lend visuals to platinum-selling acts with M-Audio controllers
Today’s hottest VJs lend visuals to platinum-selling acts with M-Audio controllers
Today’s live music experiences hardly seem complete without an accompanying visual element. When renowned video performance artists Benton-C Bainbridge, Johnny DeKam and Brian Ziffer grew tired of relying on a mouse to control layers of dynamic video and effects, they turned to M-Audio to get a handle on their live shows.
Bronx-based VJ Benton-C Bainbridge has created visuals for artists like Kanye West and the Beastie Boys at stadiums and clubs the world over. “Whether I’m scrubbing the screens with GRID at Madison Square Garden with Fall Out Boy or tweaking SCOPEMATE’d oscilloscopes to keep pace with Mix Master Mike, my job is to have the choicest image on the screen at the right time—no excuses if the band decides to rewrite the set list midway through the first song,” says Bainbridge. “Using physical controllers like the Evolution series and M-Audio Oxygen8 allows me to keep my eyes on the stage and ears to the ground while I let my fingers do their thing.”
Live video performance innovator Johnny DeKam, currently on tour with Thomas Dolby, has performed with Sasha & John Digweed, Paul Van Dyke, Photek and Eminem. “For the Thomas Dolby Tour, I’m using a pair of Axiom 25 keyboards to play polyphonic video with my own custom software,” says DeKam. “I love the flexibility of the Axiom’s controllers. I use the endless encoders for bus mixing and effects control, and set up the trigger pads to instantly colorize the video in real time, one pad for each color of the spectrum.”
Brian Ziffer—video artist, composer, A/V software/interactive media designer and founder of award-winning audio-visual performance group Naoism—has worked with Johnny DeKam to create video content for Eminem, John Digweed, Thomas Dolby and more. “A Naoism show involves a lot of expressive control and integration,” says Ziffer. “I use a Keystation Pro 88 as my master keyboard, layering multiple video sampler maps and audio triggers using the zones and groups. Using multiple zones, I can access different instruments and trigger video clips from one keyboard—without switching presets, or using the octave up/down buttons. I also use an UC-33e, Trigger Finger, MK-461C and MK-425C.”
Bronx-based VJ Benton-C Bainbridge has created visuals for artists like Kanye West and the Beastie Boys at stadiums and clubs the world over. “Whether I’m scrubbing the screens with GRID at Madison Square Garden with Fall Out Boy or tweaking SCOPEMATE’d oscilloscopes to keep pace with Mix Master Mike, my job is to have the choicest image on the screen at the right time—no excuses if the band decides to rewrite the set list midway through the first song,” says Bainbridge. “Using physical controllers like the Evolution series and M-Audio Oxygen8 allows me to keep my eyes on the stage and ears to the ground while I let my fingers do their thing.”
Live video performance innovator Johnny DeKam, currently on tour with Thomas Dolby, has performed with Sasha & John Digweed, Paul Van Dyke, Photek and Eminem. “For the Thomas Dolby Tour, I’m using a pair of Axiom 25 keyboards to play polyphonic video with my own custom software,” says DeKam. “I love the flexibility of the Axiom’s controllers. I use the endless encoders for bus mixing and effects control, and set up the trigger pads to instantly colorize the video in real time, one pad for each color of the spectrum.”
Brian Ziffer—video artist, composer, A/V software/interactive media designer and founder of award-winning audio-visual performance group Naoism—has worked with Johnny DeKam to create video content for Eminem, John Digweed, Thomas Dolby and more. “A Naoism show involves a lot of expressive control and integration,” says Ziffer. “I use a Keystation Pro 88 as my master keyboard, layering multiple video sampler maps and audio triggers using the zones and groups. Using multiple zones, I can access different instruments and trigger video clips from one keyboard—without switching presets, or using the octave up/down buttons. I also use an UC-33e, Trigger Finger, MK-461C and MK-425C.”
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Brian Ziffer in the studio |
Johnny DeKam performing with Thomas Dolby |
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Benton-C Bainbridge performing with the Beastie Boys |
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