Networked Electronic Music Tools (NMET) is a collection of software tools that enable electronic musicians and DJs in separated locations to co-produce events performing synchronously across the Internet. NMET stream bidirectionally and synchronously uncompressed audio, MIDI, and analog control signals, including clocks (both UDP and TCP peer-to-peer supported). The novelty is the application-specific techniques to cope semi-automatically with the absolute and relative network latency. The tools can be highly customized to accommodate different use-cases, and work with any software/hardware system (DAW, digital/analog sequencers, DJ tools, etc). Example applications includes:
- playing in sync with analog modular synthesizers over the Internet
- playing in sync over the Internet with sequenced digital musical instruments and drum machines
- back to back DJ set over the Internet with dynamic latency adjustment
- integrating hardware synthesizers placed remotely in DAW projects
In (1.) and (2.) we use the master-slave approach, hence on in of the two ends human players are also allowed (other than sequencers). The audio is in sync at both ends, hence audience is allowed in both locations. In COVID19-times, this may be the only way to play together (webcast the result of this distributed electronic band over existing channels). In post COVID19-time we can reduce environmental impact (less travel) and/or increase the revenues (or reduce costs) having the same band/artists playing in two physical venue at the same time. Video streaming is out of the scope and less critical. It can be streamed across performers and to audience using existing third-party systems. Minor misalignment between audio and video are not detrimental in this context for both audience and performers, visual cues are less critical.
