2008 is an exciting year to be a visualist. One of the reasons for this excitement is the long-awaited commercial release of the Vixid VJX16-4 video mixer. We think that this mixer - with its 16 inputs, 4 layer compositing, flexible routing options and myriad internal effects and control options - is immensely important for the future of visualism. Not only because it’s a new type of “Video Mixer”, but because it is designed thoughtfully, in a way which gives both great technical capability and artistic flexibility.

With great power comes increased complexity, so Vixid have teamed up with CDM to create a site designed to provide information on how to get started with the VJX, advanced tips and tricks, step by step tutorials, and information from other artists who are pushing the frontiers of visual performance and production.

“Pushing the frontiers” is an apt description for how far evolved the VJX is from a “traditional” video mixer. We were able to spend some time with a unit in December 2007, and shot a video covering some of its functions.

This small taste of the VJX convinced us to invite Vixid to be the first video-centric company to be a part of our pilot Noisepages program. Our intention is that - as a Noisepages sponsor - Vixid can invest in creating real content, which will remain available as a lasting resource to assist current or future users. Vixid is a small company, with a developing user base, but we believe that what they’re doing will have lasting effects. So we’re creating this site as a place to help existing VJX owners understand this tool better, to discover new ideas and techniques, and for future Vixid owners to learn more about why we think this tool is essential to what we think the future of VJing and live video production will be.

We’re also very interested in what other people are doing with their VJXs. If you have anything you’d like to share, or things you’d like to hear more about, please get in contact.

Welcome to Vixid.Noisepages.

Most unboxing pictures are rather regimented and ordered - cables and wrapping all laid out neatly. This behaviour belies the actual excitement which - in my case, and I’m sure for others too - is being experienced by the unboxer. So here’s what a VJX16-4 looks like when being unwrapped by an excited visualist:

So now that I have it, and it has been brought home, what next?

This site is being put together in collaboration with Vixid. The idea is that the VJX16-4 is such a deep topic that we would like to spend more time with it and get in deeper than our normal blog-posting habits (and readers) would allow on CreateDigitalMotion or CreateDigitalMusic.

So we have created this site as a hub for those who are might be considering the purchase of a Vixid mixer, or who have made that purchase and might not be quite sure what to do next. We hope to attract like-minded Vixid Lovers, who can help each other increase their skills and improve their performances with this remarkable tool.