As a composer of music, I often wanted the ability to add some visual components synced to my music, especially for live shows, but did not know where to start. That's the beauty of Arkaos VJ, they have managed to pack an amazing amount of power into their software. The program gives you the ability to create your own imagery from video clips and still images, sync and play them back along with your music. To take it one step further, you can actually use a MIDI keyboard to trigger clips live to your music, on the fly! Let's take a closer look at this unique product's features.

Installation

The box contains the applcation CD-ROM and the Manual. The CD-ROM contains both Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and Mac (System 9.2.2 or 10.1.5 and up) versions of the application. For Windows installations, the manual does note if you plan to continuously run the application for an extended period of time, it does require an operating system with very efficient memory management, such as Windows 2000. An additional note under the Mac system requirements states: Arkaos does not recommend using a 68k Macintosh with an after-market PowerPC card accelerator, since the performance may still be limited by other unaccelerated components.

I installed Arkaos on my PIII 550Mhz./128mb. ram/Win98se without any trouble. Installation was quite straightforward and didn't encounter any bugs or other problems. After you have completed the installation step, the program can be launched from the Arkaos icon placed on your desktop. Double clicking the icon will prompt you with registration options for the program:If you have received purchase key from online shop or CD.

• Buy a serial number on our secured on-line shop.
• Use a designated serial number If you have received purchase key from online shop or CD.
• Enter a serial number you received with the product.
• Continue using the product on a trial basis.

The trial basis period lasts 20 days, at which point, the program will continue to be fully functional, but there will always be a banner with the text www.arkaos.net visible on the screen when the visuals are displayed in full screen mode.

Living On Video

ArKaos VJ ships with a number of pre-made demo files, which may be used to learn more about the product�s capabilities. These files were a great help in giving me a valuable jumpstart on using the program. You are of course free to create your own Visualizations.

The basic architecture of the program is as follows: The main document you work in is referred to as a Synth. A Synth contains all of the Visuals used in a given performance. A Synth also stores one or more Patches containing the keyboard assignments for Visuals and Effects.

The process of assigning Visuals and Effects to keys is quite intuitive. Simply select the image or clip you want and drag and drop it on the destination key, that�s all there is to it. You can also assign Effects in the same manner. Adding your own Visuals can be accomplished by selecting the Import command under the File menu. Supported file types, as stated in the manual include:

Static picture file formats

• PICT: A standard picture format for the Macintosh
• BMP: A standard picture format for the Windows platform
• JPEG: A compressed picture format popularized by the Web

Movie file formats

• MOV: Quicktime movies
• AVI: Video for Windows movies
• SWF: Flash Animations

ArKaos VJ allows the assignment of a Visual and an Effect to the same key or to different keys. In this way, you can have the same clip play back using different effects. Additonal effects can be added thanks to Arkaos implementing a plug-in type architecture.

The manual recommends a screen resolution of 640 x 480. You may be able to run the program at higher resolutions depending on your system specs and graphics throughput. It also goes on to recommend the 16-bit setting which equates to �thousands of colors� because the effects operate best at that depth. You may have to experiment with the different settings to optimize the application to your setup.

The Effects

There are 4 categories of visual Effects that are included with Arkaos VJ 2.2, and each contains a great and varied selection. The major categories are: 3D Effects, Video Effects, Transition Effects, and Artistic Effects. A brief description of some of the effects that caught my attention follows. This is not to say the others were not good.

Under the 3D effects, you will find the Aspheroids. This effect turns the image you select into a number of swirling and bouncing orbs (planets). There are options to control the number of orbs, the animation style, the orbital speed and the revolution speed. The revolution speed lets you decide how fast the planets will revolve around their own axes. You can also specify a MIDI Controller number here to vary the effect depending on your controller activity. Tunnel 3D was another effect that caught my attention. This Effect transforms the image into a tunnel, giving the viewer a feeling of moving through it. This Effect offers the following options: Scrolling- the speed of �movement� through the tunnel, Resolution- the level of detail displayed, Tunnel Directions- controls the direction of the destination. This Effect may also be manipulated using a MIDI controller.

In total, there are close to 60 Effects to choose from, many having numerous options to customize the Effect to your liking. With the plug-in architecture Arkaos has implemented, there will surely be more added to this in the future. Demos of the effects are all available for your perusal at the ArKaos site.

Show Me, Show Me�

Perhaps the single most powerful aspect of the ArKaos VJ is its flexibility. You can manually trigger Visuals and Effects in a live performance with a MIDI Keyboard or the computer�s keyboard.

Then there is the option of having ArKaos VJ synchronize to either incoming audio via the Beat Detection algorithm or to MIDI clock and automatically triggering your visuals along with the music. You also have the option to record your performance in the built-in Event Recorder. With this option, you may execute your performance live, or use your MIDI sequencer to create your performance, then Capture the performance into ArKaos VJ.

According to the manual, to capture your performance, you may need to install a third-party application that enables multiple MIDI programs to use the same MIDI device simultaneously, by providing �virtual MIDI-ports�. There are various such programs available as free-ware, such as Hubi�s LoopBack Device.

If you have not seen the program at all, or if you are having trouble visualizing what an end result may look like. The ArKaos website has some great examples in streaming quick time demos. Go to the site and click on the Streaming Demos button on the side navigation panel.

The Manual

I was pretty impressed by the quality of the manual, which is printed, 148 pages, and full of vital information geared towards helping you get the most out of the program. There�s a short tutorial, which steps you through opening a demo Synth and familiarizing yourself with it. There is also a section that includes a description of all the effects that are included with the program and they�re associated editable parameters. You�ll want to keep the manual around as it proved to be an invaluable resource for me.

Conclusion

I could see myself getting into Arkaos VJ big time. As a DJ, I�ve slightly envied live bands for their stage presence and interactive nature. And now that I�m getting into producing and doing live shows with original music, I�m looking forward to creating some visuals that�ll help me add another level to my shows. With video projectors getting cheaper and better, all I can say is, this looks promising...and with the release of VJ3 on the horizon, even more visual effects and controls are sure to expand the flexibility of the program.

I must admit, I didn�t fully realize the potential of Arkaos VJ when I first got my hands on it. However, after installing the application and looking under the hood, I was impressed. Being able to synchronize Visuals to your music is great in itself, but having the option to make a performance out of it adds a whole new dimension. Artists as well as DJ�s will benefit immensely by adding Visuals to their performances. And the best part of it, having this kind of power was previously unheard of at this price point. It will be quite interesting to see how artists, DJ�s and other performers realize the full potential of this powerful tool.