looking for help with harmonic, rhythmic, and interactive refinement

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a Max/MSP–Jitter project that converts video input into generative audio — the idea is to treat light, motion, and color as control data for musical parameters. Each of the four screen quadrants drives a different voice, and I’m using BEAP modules for tone generation and quantization. The patch creates evolving soundscapes based on live or recorded video, with dynamic modulation mapped to pixel brightness, motion, and region contrast. The patch can be changed to presentation mode for ease of viewing. It has been a while since I have explored the MAX/MSP program due to a medical situation, so I am not up to speed at the moment.

Here’s what I have working so far:

Quadrant-based video analysis controlling pitch, amplitude, and rhythm

BEAP quantizers and oscillators for tonal control

Parameter smoothing and randomness for subtle motion in sound

Modulation linking video energy (brightness, motion) to musical density

The patch can be changed to presentation mode

And here’s what I’d love help refining or expanding:

Chordal instrument layer:

I’d like one of the voices (or a new one) to play chords instead of independent melodies — ideally reacting to harmonic context or luminance clusters. Suggestions for generating or voicing chords dynamically (e.g., BEAP polyphonic modules, poly~, or external chord generators) would be great.

Rhythmic variation:

I want to introduce rhythmic diversity — whole notes, half notes, dotted values, and syncopated combinations — instead of the mostly uniform rhythmic grid I’m using now. I’m open to methods like timing tables, dynamic metro subdivision, or probabilistic rhythm selection.

Visual feedback:

I’d also like to show real-time overlays or indicators on the video to visualize which quadrant or pitch range is active — something like color-coded bounding boxes or moving highlights.

Webcam integration:

I’d like to make it easy to use a live webcam feed instead of a prerecorded video — so the patch becomes an instrument for movement, where one could literally create music by dancing or performing in front of the camera.

This project grows out of my broader creative theme of fractals as the underlying architecture of both nature and perception — patterns that repeat with infinite variation across scale and time. In the same way that visual fractals reveal structure within apparent chaos, music too can unfold as an auditory fractal: rhythm, melody, and harmony iterating with subtle differences, echoing life’s own recursive patterns. Why not let those same principles of structure and transformation become the basis for producing sound itself?

Any thoughts on design, structure, or Max-specific best practices are most welcome. Thanks in advance for sharing your time and insight — and for all the inspiration this community provides.

Several examples of output based on where I am so far can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@fractegrity

— Terry (aka Fractegrity)