Pioneer’s SVM-1000: A 4-Channel Audiovisual Revolution

Let’s talk about audiovisual technology today! As we told you before, the audiovisual art form achieves unity by digitally syncing audio and visual aspects, with the groundbreaking Timber video clip by Coldcut with Hexstatic being one of the first of its kind - released just ten years ago in 1998! Until now, for a proper stage performance, the audiovisual required more than one person to integrate both. However, Pioneer’s brand new SVM-1000 audio and video mixer (out by the end of this month) can do the impossible for pros with its 4-channel synchronised mixer! It’s also boasting a realm of AV effect functions, an LCD touch panel and more. Undoubtedly, this long awaited release has the potential of broadening the appeal of the scene to many. To explore the audiovisual future, PingMag asked video artist Koichiro Tsujikawa, renowned for his Cornelius’ music clips, to put this shiny new equipment through the works for you. You’ll be delighted!

Written by Chiemi
Translated by Natsumi Yamane

First of all, let us explain a little bit about audiovisual again.
DJs used to play only music at clubs. From mid-nineties however, more and more artists in the UK and America began to use visuals to enhance the music they played. They were called VJs, for Video Jockeys. While DJs were improving their technique to mix music seamlessly and dynamically, VJs focused on creating visual expressions which were integrated with the music, in sync with the DJs’ rhythms. It hasn’t been that long that the medium, with equal importance on audio and visual, began to be called “audiovisual.”

However, the next problem was how to best synchronise the sound and the visuals at live performances. Should the VJs follow the mood of the DJs and sync the visuals telepathically at the perfect timing? Or should you make plans in advance of what to play at which timing? Then why not mix music DVDs right from the start! That was the idea behind DVJ, an equipment released in 2004. Although the selection of visual materials is limited, mixing two DVDs like records would at least allow users to synchronise audio and visuals perfectly. However, the all-important visual mixers were usually only capable of 2-channel mixing, so using more than three channels of visuals with only one mixer proved difficult. Separate mixers for audio and visuals were necessary, and at least two people were required to stage audiovisual performances….

For our preview of the new “SVM-1000,” PingMag asked video artist Koichiro Tsujikawa to accompany us. He apparently doesn’t go clubbing at all but perhaps because of his involvement in many music videos, he seemed quite interested in audiovisual medium. After a brief introduction from Pioneer’s project leader of “SVM-1000,” we asked Koichiro to actually try out the equipment using his own works.

Video artist, Koichiro Tsujikawa.

“EYES” by Cornelius, one of Koichiro’s representative works. Directed by Koichiro Tsujikawa.

Firstly, one of “SVM-1000’s” main features is its 4-channel synchronised mixer. It literally allows you to mix four channels simultaneously: For example, you can use two channels each for sound and video, and mix it all by yourself. That is to say, the feature opens up a great potential for both VJs and DJs to realise audiovisual performances in many more ways…!

If you select the “WIPE” effect while using the crossfader to switch between channel 1 and 2, the image transits gradually from left to right. VISUALS © PIXmix

And if you select “LUMINANCE” while using the crossfader to switch over, the images overlap as they make the transition. VISUALS © PIXmix

Another notable feature is its function to add up to thirty patterns of AV effects, with the three main types of effects being: “Beat Effect” that automatically detects the tempo and affects both audio and video in time with the beat, using twelve patterns of effects such as “FILTER” and “PHASER;” “Touch Effect” loaded with twelve patterns, that enables users to affect the visuals directly as they touch the image on the 11-inch LCD panel; and six patterns of “Text Effects” that display text messages in sync with the beat. With these effect functions, you can create numerous variations from a single video material.

In addition, the “SVM-1000” offers many more functions including sixty patterns (!) of “Visualiser Effects” for users who do not have their original visual materials, as well as a “JPEG VIEWER” function that lets you import JPEG images from external memory sources such as SD cards or USB memory.

Of course, it’s not easy to master all four channels from the start, so we decided to experiment with changes in an image using thirty patterns of “SVM-1000’s” AV effects. According to Koichiro, videos with even the slightest effects will make it harder for us to see exactly how things have changed, so we made a point to avoid music videos and began experimenting with the short film Kimagure Robot directed by Koichiro. Incidentally, this film is a visual adaptation of a short story by Japanese Science Fiction novelist Shinichi Hoshi about a home convenience robot that in time starts to behave strangely, eventually showing whims and fancies like humans….

So what would this beautiful monochrome live action video look like with the effects? We experimented as we talked to Koichiro….

Added with the effects, the visuals from “Kimagure Robot” look quite novel and fresh compared to much ordinary VJ material.

Koichiro: Yes, such functions like KAOSS PAD would be really fun as a visual toy if it’s connected to TVs at home.

Now that you have tried out the mixer, how does it feel?

Videos are not as abstract as music, so it’s harder to add effects or mix them together. But it affects one colour group to go with another effect on the base line, so I get the feeling that it’s actually taking the visual materials apart.

Are you interested in making visual works for audiovisual performances?

It’s only my personal view, but at club events, it’s not that people trade visuals for money so you can take as much samples of old videos and so on as you like. So rather than thinking rigidly about making visuals, perhaps it’s more fun to construct something: For example, by linking and mixing materials from rental video shops or recorded footage to the video visuals. Maybe it could get boring if you use it in an unobtrusive manner – a certain amount of aggression might enhance its underground feel. If you look at YouTube, the mash-up videos posted there are really interesting, and their appeal lies in this sampling element, where you mix all sorts of videos together. So I think this is the kind of equipment that would bring out the same sort of chemical reaction.

The touch screen display and…

…what you actually get as image output.

Although many artists abroad are involved both in audiovisual performance and film making, it’s still not that common in Japan. How did you find it compared to your usual routine?

The thing about audiovisual is its live aspect. We usually work to a schedule, drawing storyboards and filming in a set period of time, but the live feeling of touching the streaming visuals in realtime and getting responses from the audience sound really exciting. The sensation of fusing not only your own work but other people’s videos, or even TV programmes, to create something new is really inspiring.

Koichiro Tsujikawa listens intently to the staff’s explanation. Watch him actually playing the “SVM-1000” here.

A table crammed with equipment…. Nice.

There must be many people willing to challenge the audiovisual performance – what is your opinion on the visual side of it?

For instance, the sense of speed you get from scratching with audio and visual is quite different as scratching with the visual often ends up looking rather dull. That’s the essential difference between audio and visuals. So, the way you approach it might become an important factor. Video is never simple. The actions within are chaotic and that is why it’s always hard to mix or to add effects. After experiencing it today, I thought it’d be amazing if you would coordinate your performance with a clear understanding of that.

I see! Many thanks to Koichiro and everyone at Pioneer today! See more Koichiro Tsujikawa’s work on Cornelius’s new DVD “SENSURROUND,” coming out this March. And this super new 4-channel audio and video mixer, SVM-1000, will be on the shelves by the end of February.

14 Comments

1. Nice piece of kit - but all these filters and effects just look rubbish. The problem I have with most VJ offerings is that it feels like someone’s going wild in the Photoshop filter department.

   I would rather see VJ’s spend more time creating original content that is unique.

   Posted by: Dom on February 8th, 2008 at 7:53 pm

2. I have to second Dom’s opinion. I could see this being very cheesy, very quickly. Which is the problem with a lot of VJing at clubs. Its all effect and no content. No understanding of the form of visuals, no appreciation for video and film history, interesting forms, montage or irony. I wonder how using this tool in real time with such a small screen would affect output as well. Flash and effects seem easier to spot on the little screens than content. Video artists have been mixing video and clips for a very long time to create non-narrative streams. I think in capable hands this will be very interesting, but the vast majority will be horrible.

   Posted by: Christopher on February 9th, 2008 at 1:01 am

3. i agree with both comments, this is only a gadget… the effets are only eye candies. and the “danger” with this is many DJs will think they can do the work of a VJ only by playing a video after an another and adding special effets. this is not VJing at all.

   VJing is realy like playing music live and yes i think it is abstract like music ! the idea of VJing is to create an ambiance with anything that is visual and goes perfectly with the music, the rythm, the music ambiance. VJing is not just using loops of movies or real life images, many visual can be abstract, so yes mixing video can be abstract like mixing music…

   I love pingmag articles but i feel that this article would have been a lot better if many VJs would have give their opinion and also explain how they work to create their visuals…

   Posted by: francis.t on February 9th, 2008 at 8:52 am

4. I agree francis

   Posted by: okinawa guide on February 9th, 2008 at 10:47 pm

5. Most of the vj’s i’ve been watching all did exactly the same: bombarding you with an overload of thresholded and flickering non-descript rubbish. Guaranteed to give you an eye-sore but never something that really says something usefull or original. Indeed photoshop filter fetish to the max.

   Posted by: vos (kitsune) on February 10th, 2008 at 5:24 am

6. Yes Im most def with Dom…
   Check out a bit of my VJ`ing….

   Enjoy
   http://blip.tv/file/652489

   Posted by: SHANTELL MARTIN on February 10th, 2008 at 8:32 pm

7. shantell : i love what you are doing!
   totaly different from our style but wow, it’s awsome. this is realy what we can live LIVE vjing.

   do you have a demo on dvd of your work? would love to see your work.

   drop me an email : francist@tind.org

   +

   Posted by: francis.t on February 11th, 2008 at 12:50 am

8. [...] Pioneer’s SVM-1000: A 4-Channel Audiovisual Revolution [...]

   Posted by: alceste’s blog » Blog Archive » About a dream tool for VJs/DJs on February 11th, 2008 at 5:55 am

9. Multimedia Designer

   Posted by: Jose Vega on February 11th, 2008 at 9:58 am

10. Awesome post, I’ve been looking into VDJing to suppliment my DJing, looks like the paycheque is gonna get smaller again!

    Posted by: timeforacatnap on February 12th, 2008 at 4:20 am

11. [...] Pioneer’s SVM-1000 looks to be a seriously cool piece for kit for the budding DJ/VJ hybrid. It’s a pretty niche [...]

    Posted by: the adventures of teapot the cat » Pioneer SVM-1000 on February 12th, 2008 at 9:22 am

12. this is cool
    and if i can achieve same effects use some kind of software like processing?

    Posted by: rex on February 20th, 2008 at 4:52 pm

13. [...] more infos @ http://www.pioneer.de/  via http://pingmag.jp/ [...]

    Posted by: »Blog Archiv » Pioneer’s new SVM-1000 on February 28th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

14. [...] via via http://pingmag.jp/ [...]

    Posted by: »Blog Archiv » Corey Arnold Photography on February 28th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

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