synthesiser creation in SuperCollider

.cc - week six.

This week I have created a synthesiser using SuperCollider. I found some code on a forum which helped me make it into a poly synth, but I now have lost the link to this site >.>;

Anyway, here's the code:

synth_def(1).rtf

// Get List of Sources
MIDIClient.sources;

(
// Initialise
MIDIClient.init;

// Connect to Source (0 in this case)
MIDIIn.connectByUID(inport: 0, uid: MIDIClient.sources.at(0).uid);
)

(

var poly;

poly = Array.newClear(128); //array to hold the synth instances

SynthDef("SoundWallKeys", {

arg freq = 440,
rate = 0.4,
gate = 0.0;

// Variables -- declaring
var partials = 20, //number of partials
waveshape,
env,
out;

waveshape =
Mix.fill(
partials, { //each partial's function
SinOsc.ar(
freq: (freq + (freq * 800.0.rand)), //Y axis control pitch
phase: 0,
mul: 0.3 / partials //volume
)
});

//create an envelope
env = EnvGen.kr(Env.adsr(0.001, 0.005, 0.8, 0.5), gate, Latch.kr(gate, gate), doneAction:2);

// Output
out = Out.ar( bus: 0, channelsArray: waveshape * env); //add envelope to waveform

}).send(s);

(

MIDIIn.noteOn = { // note on info to send to synth

arg src, chan, num, vel;

a = Synth("SoundWallKeys"); // a = electroBass

poly.put(num, a); //put note into poly array

[num, vel].postln; //print MIDI-In note and vel

a.set(\freq, num.midicps); //change frequency of 'a'

a.set(\gate, vel/127); //

};

MIDIIn.noteOff = { // note on info to send to synth

arg src, chan, num, vel;
poly[num].set(\gate, 0.0)
};

)

)

synthexample.mp3 (848 kB)

.sources.

Haines, Christian 10.04.08, "Synthesiser Definitions (1)," Lecture of EMU, Adelaide University.

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compression

.aa - week six.

This week I have had a play with some drum loops in a compressor. What I like about putting drum loops through compression is it gives you a nice handle on the duration of the small samples. In two examples below you can hear how the snare, for example, has changed from a very short and 'punchy' sound, to a much longer event.

beat1.2.before.mp3 | beat1.2.mp3


Here's another compressed beat.

beat2.mp3


I also ran some spoken-word vocal recording's through compression, and as expected the compressor makes the audio sound like its come from the radio.

77before.mp3 | 77after.mp3

.sources.

Grice, David 08.04.08, “Outside the square (Part 3),” Lecture of EMU, Adelaide University.

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The Art of Sounds (Pierre Henry)

.forum - week five.

"The Art of Sounds" is an interesting film which delves into the life and mind of French composer, musique concrète pioneer - Pierre Henry. What does it reveal? A chauvinistic, humorous old wizard (he reminds me of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings) of the mixing desk. Above all the man is clearly obsessed with sound.

In the opening scene (my favourite) Henry walks around with a spaced pair of microphones, stalking sounds as it were. After telling a passing by jogger that his footsteps are "beautiful," Henry walks into a tunnel. From here the soundtrack gradually changes from the sounds of Henry's innocent field recordings into one of his pieces. However, on screen Henry continues to explore this tunnel for these sounds (his music). All in all, Henry comes across as a extremely serious but still light-hearted man.

"Musique concrète is the art of deciding, the art of choice. One sound is taken rather than another, and that is where composing begins."

- Pierre Henry, in Pierre Henry: The Art of Sounds.

.sources.

Whittington, Stephen 03.04.08, "Music Technology - Week 5," Forum of EMU, Adelaide University.

---

all the same, all different

.cc - week five.

This week I have used a whole range of new Unit Generators. Building on the Mouse X/Y controls, I have started using the keyboard as an input into SuperCollider.

sound_gen_II.rtf


/* example 5.
using mix.fill unit generator to create a multi-unit generator
Y axis = pitch
X axis = panning

try altering the variables for different results
*/

(

var rate = 0.4, //rate of sound wall generation
partials = 25, //number of harmonics
baseNote = 50; //base note (MIDI Note)

x = {
Mix.fill(
partials, { //each partial's function
SinOsc.ar(
freq: MouseY.kr(minval: baseNote, maxval: baseNote + 100).round(10.0) + 800.0.rand, //Y axis control pitch
phase: 0,
mul: EnvGen.kr(Env.adsr( //envelope
attackTime: 0.01,
decayTime: 0.02,
sustainLevel: 0.2,
releaseTime: 0.1,
peakLevel: 0.9/partials,
curve: -4.0,
bias: 0.0
),
LFNoise0.kr(freq: rate) //trigger
)
)
});
};

{Pan2.ar(in: x, //panning
pos: MouseX.kr(minval: -1.0, maxval: 1.0),
level: 1.0
)}.scope(2, 0, 2).play;

)




.sources.

Haines, Christian 03.04.08, "Sound Generation (2)," Lecture of EMU, Adelaide University.

---

AutoTune

.aa - week five.

This week I had a play with...



Antares Auto-Tune is a plug-in used primarily to tune monophonic audio samples into particular scales. It is a particularly impressive tool (just ask the cast of Neighbours); it even caters for microtonal tunings. I tend to use it sparingly - I find the drawback of this plug-in its oversimplified interface which tends to give most music it touches a characteristically "Auto-Tune" sound.

It provides this neat feature of adding vibrato to the pitch, with a user defined attack time. In my opinion this only works effectively only on instrumental audio, however when used in vocal samples it adds the same colour that most plug-ins at to vocals - it inhumanises the sound (see: Panic! At the Disco). The sound of the human voice is something that a producer must treat very subtly with plug-ins, unless an inhuman effect is desired. If used subtly, Auto-Tuning system in isolation (without vibrato and the other features) works amazingly well on vocals. Further than that, the 'Graphic Mode' provides is a fairly clumsy interface for such an expensive plug-in. Nevertheless, writing in your own melodic lines really is not what you buy Auto-Tune for... instead click a few buttons and let it automatically tune out some minor errors.

nude.before.mp3 | nude.after.mp3

.sources.

Grice, David 01.04.08, “Outside the square (Part 2),” Lecture of EMU, Adelaide University.

---

nude you/ll go to hell

KlangWand

.cc - week four.

This week I thoroughly enjoyed getting into the synthesis side of SuperCollider, I wish I had had access to Unit Generators like "Dust" for longer. I can see SC is going to be source of much sample creation. For the two noises I created this week I basically pinched bits and pieces from the SC Help files and David Cottle's book "Computer Music." I took he and Christian's advice of re-writing the code, and identifying the different objects, variables and so on. Then I played with them and rewrote the code so that it would do essentially the same thing but using different codes I knew.


sound generation.rtf


(
({
var fundemental,
partials,
out;

fundemental = 100; //fundemental frequency
partials = 50; //amount of partials to be added
out = 0.0; //0.0 set as out variable

partials.do({ //run this function once for each partial
var zero = 0;
var klangWand;

klangWand = 1000.150.rand; //set sound wall random value: 150 - 1000

out = FSinOsc.ar(
freq: klangWand,
iphase: 0,
mul: max(0,
LFNoise1.kr(
freq: 6 + [4.0.rand2, 4.0.rand2],
mul: 0.02,
add: (SinOsc.kr(freq: 1/120,phase: 0.5pi, mul: 0.03, add: 0.01))
)
),
add: out
) * 0.9 //master amplitude control
});
out
}.play)
)



.sources.

Haines, Christian 27.03.08, "Sound Generation," Lecture of EMU, Adelaide University.

---

And here's a story about (...being free)

.forum - week four.

This week Ben Probert demoed his Max/MSP application Granular Genesis. I have played with it before, however it was great to hear Ben go through the programs functionality in a more formal environment. A couple of this Granular Synthesis programs extra features – self-referential recording and the ‘reverser’ – are pretty intriguing extensions on Granular Synthesis model that I am used to. The presentation itself was entertaining, with Ben visible only through a web cam display.

Matt Mazzone presented some dance tracks, like “Good Looking” and “Rain.” While it does not intrinsically interest me, in a musical sense, I respect his development as a composer and technologist. The construction of his samples and their arrangement is clearly well practiced.

Luke Digance took us through his “ILLUSTratingastORY” fringe event, for which he made a six channel sound installation with band Entactogen. I was impressed by his work here, reminded me of bands like Sigor Rós and Godspeed! You Black Emperor.

.sources.
Whittington, Stephen 27.03.08, "Music Technology - Week 4," Forum of EMU, Adelaide University.

---