Songs Coming Soon

Creative Computing has finally reached first place on the Blog, leaving all the other contenders in its wake. Forum comes a sad (or not so sad) last. Does this mean there will be some super SuperCollider code posted? I hope so, because then it means my major project may finally be back on track. Meanwhile, the class itself continued along the lines of bussing. In particular bussing multiple effects and controlling them using Synth.after and Synth.before. Instead of loading SynthDefs onto the server, it is a good idea to store them onto the server. In fact, this is a rule for sequencing with PBinds. We also touched on envelopes and the ideas behind dur and legato.

Audio Arts was mainly a discussion about marketing our own music and getting it to record companies. Consequently, there was not much new theory deposited to us. I would have liked to have played my new recordings for David to give general feedback for the class, but I had not listened to them since very early monday morning when the recordings were finished. I wanted to listen to them first. This scenario reminds me of high school woodwork where 1 or 2 kids would always get their work used as demonstration for everyone else. Thus, getting a significant amount of their work done superbly by the teacher. Anyway, I think my recording session went well. My first song lends itself to some creative mixing if I have enough time. These will be due in less than 2 weeks time, so expect some postings on my blog soon.

Lots of music and minimal explanations is what I encountered in the workshop. One song played was 'Snarling Wrath of Angry Gods' by Gutbucket. Was this played because it was "heavy rock with a snarling baritone sax?" Apparently the "opposite" of this is Bach's "profound" 'Ricecar' from Bach's musicial offering. A couple of the other pieces were interesting, but had fairly limited commentaries. I would like to know exactly why David Harris is playing each piece? Bring back Luke Harrald. He played some fantastic pieces of music and gave good descriptions (even if they were easily findable online).

I think that my focus disappeared during the first hour of forum and kind of wanted a discussion as opposed to more music presented in the second hour. Vinny's work was great, but I was not really up for it. It was an open session, but probably not a good time with everyone probably more focused on trying to get assignments done, rather than preparing a short presentation. I think a discussion-based presentation may work well early next semester, when everyone is (hopefully) refreshed. I was pondering whether David Harris would eventually have to start repeating music. Will he have to create a 3-year cycle of songs so that students who progress through the degree won't hear the same music played by him twice?

Considering there are catchup classes for everything except for the Forum presentation, will this be my last blog for the semester? or will we have to do another one and eat up more of swot and assignment period time? Doing 5 courses and having a huge amount of work to do, it is incredibly frustrating. However, a positive out of this scenario is that the lecturers are making up classes that were missed. It is probably just as frustrating for them.

My Code Example:

(
  //Global Variables
~thisPath = (PathName.new(Document.current.path)).pathOnly;// ~ tilda means global variable

  //Buffer sounds
  b = Buffer.read(s,~thisPath++"glass_cymbal.wav");
)
(    //Mod Synth
  SynthDef    (
  \ModSynth,

  {
      //Arguments
      arg     freq            =    1000,    //argument that can be sequenced
          modBus        =    30;
       
      //Variables
      var    mod;
   
      //Modulator
      mod        =    SinOsc.kr(
              freq:        freq,
              phase:    1,
              mul:        0.5
              );
   
      //Output
      Out.kr(modBus, mod);     
  }
  ).store;


  //Mod Synth2
  SynthDef    (
  \ModSynth2,

  {
      //Arguments
      arg    modBus        =    31;
       
      //Variables
      var    mod;
   
      //Modulator
      mod        =    LFSaw.ar(
                      freq:        LFSaw.kr(4, 0, 200, 400),
                      iphase:    0,
                      mul:        0.5
                      );

      //Output
      Out.kr(modBus, mod);
      }
      ).store;

  //Carrier Synth
  SynthDef    (
  \carrier,

      {
      //Arguments
      arg     carrierFreq    =     880,        //argument that can be sequenced
          iPhase        =    0,
          dur            =    3,        //argument that can be sequenced
          legato        =    2,        //argument that can be sequenced
          modBusIn        =    30,
          modBusIn2    =    31,
          bus            =    21;
       
      //Variables 
      var    carrier,
          env,
          mod,
          mod2;
       
      //Input Busses
      mod        = In.kr(modBusIn, 1);
      mod2    = In.kr(modBusIn2, 1);
       
      //Carrier
      carrier    =    LFTri.ar(
              freq:        carrierFreq,
              iphase:    iPhase,
              mul:        1,
              add:        mod * mod2
              );
           
      //Envelope
      env        =    carrier * EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(
                                  0,
                                  dur*legato),
                              doneAction:2
                              );
      //Output
      Out.ar(bus, env);
      }
          ).store;

  //1st Effect
  SynthDef    (
  \FX1,

      {
      //Arguments
      arg    out            =    0,
          in            =    21,
          delayTime    =    3.5,        //argument that can be sequenced
          bus            =    21;
      //Variables
      var    audio,
          fx1;
       
      //Input Bus
          audio    =     In.ar([in, in], 1);
       
      //Effect
          fx1        =    CombN.ar(audio,
                          maxdelaytime: 5.0,
                          delaytime:    delayTime,
                          decaytime:    5,
                          mul:            1,
                          add:            audio
                          );
                       
      //Output
      Out.ar(bus, fx1);
      }
      ).store;
                               

  //2nd Effect
  SynthDef    (
  \FX2,

      {
      //Arguments
      arg    out            =    0,
          in            =    21,
          filterRq        =    0.8;        //argument that can be sequenced

      //Variables
      var    audio,
          fx2;
   
      //Input Bus
          audio    =    In.ar([in, in], 1);
   
      //Effect
          fx2        =    RLPF.ar(
                      in:    audio,
                      freq:    220,
                      rq:    filterRq
                      );     
   
      //Output
      Out.ar(0, fx2);
      }
      ).store;
)
       
(
  d    =    Synth.after(1,"ModSynth");
  g    =    Synth.after(1, "ModSynth2");
  e    =    Synth.after(1, "FX2");
  f    =    Synth.after(1, "FX1");         
)     
(    Pbind(
  \instrument, "carrier",
  \freq,            Pfunc({rrand(800, 1000)}),
  \dur,         Pfunc({rrand(0.5, 7)}),
  \legato,         Prand(#[0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5], 8),
  \delayTime,     Prand(#[3.5, 0.2, 2.5, 5], 16),
  \filterRq,         Pseq(#[0.4, 0.1, 0.9, 0.6], 4) 
  ).play;
)

REFERENCES:
Grice, David. 2006. Promotion. Tutorial presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 30 May.

Haines, Christian. 2006. SuperCollider (9). Tutorial presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 1 June.

Harris, David. 2006. Listening (9). Workshop presented at the Electronic Music Unit, EMU Space, University of Adelaide, 1 June.

Whittington, Stephen. 2006. General Forum. Presentations presented at the Electronic Music Unit, EMU Space, University of Adelaide, 1 June.


Albums that made this blog possible:
Live plus One by the Descendents,
What Happens in the Space Shuttle stays in the Space Shuttle by Lazaro's Dog.