Software to play "drumlike" video live with USB/MIDI surface control W/O AUDIO

[lolhold]

Hello,
first of all I'm a musician and never played videos (at least in live).
I joined a band (Deschannel, abstract hiphop) which needed video for their gigs.
I started editing some videos with Vegas (many tracks) and now Im looking for the most efficient way to play them on stage with the Trigger Finger MAudio.
Roughly, there will be no digital sync with the music and I'd like to follow the rythm (Im a drummer) with different sequences (short ones, 5 frames max, with long "background" sequences).
I tried that with Vegas but the assignments are too limited, at least for what I have in mind. The bigger trouble with Vegas is that Im submitted to the time line, and I can't trigger sequence in real time (just Mute or Solo along the timeline).
Basically, I would need a Live devoted to video, it would allow me to play my MAudio like a drum kit actually... I tried Live6 but it only assigns audio parameters...
Thanks for your interest
Im looking forward for your answers
Laurent
PS: my first show is in April

[Hambone]

Hi! Just about any VJ application will do what you're looking for. It's a very simple request. As a drummer, you're probably not going to like the delay, or latency, from the time you hit a Trigger Finger pad until the graphic hits the screens. But you learn to play slightly ahead of the beat.

Somewhere here there's a link to a review of most VJ apps. Hopefully somebody will pop along in a second and tell you what it is. I can't find it.

[lolhold]

Yeah, I guess but as I explained Vegas did not and I tried only this one, I don't know the other softs, they are too many and Im not really aware technical specifications.
My dream is being able to trigger One-shot sequences mixed with looped ones (background).
I'll try any soft you'll propose to me, if it works... Im free...
Thanks

[Hambone]

As a musician (actually, I'm not a musician, but a drummer!), I like the Arkaos VJ synthesizer/piano keyboard approach to VJ software. It works especially well if you're using a sequencer with it.

The demo is free, and it's both PC and Mac compatible. www.arkaos.net

There are cheaper, probably even free, apps that will do what you want, though.

[lolhold]

I understand this is a quite easy to resolve problem, thas why Im optimistic...

[lolhold]

In fact, I quickly checked some softs on sites, and quite always their interface was pretty repulsive (Resolum, VisualJockey...).
Thanks for your advice non-musician drummer; I'm gonna test Arkaos...
Laurent

[Hambone]

If you don't like repulsive interfaces, prepare yourself for Arkaos before you look at it! (apart from the piano-key bit, which I like)

I'm expecting great things from Arkaos VJ 4... if it ever appears...

[lolhold]

My Arkaos download just finished... A quick installation and I'll let you know what I think of it...
PS: if it works OK I'll quick forget about the interface...

[lolhold]

Arkaos just installed.
That seems perfect, it openned on a demo sequence, one click and my pad worked instantly...
Ill use it deeper tomorrow, need some sleep, it's 6:35AM home...
Thanks again

[PilotX]

you should look at vjamm if you find latency annoying as hambone has said, it has the lowest and most reliable latency of any vjsoft.
I would also look at vvvv if you want to do something complex and don't like the look of visualjockey.. both of these programs will let you do pretty much whatever you want, vvvv has a community of users who built interfaces to use, so you might find something setup already there.

if you are a drummer and looking to trigger very short clips, then I would think that latency will be an issue for you, and would really advise you check out vjamm and vvvv as well as arkaos before you settle on a choice or buy anytihng.