4 ms·

For those interested in online/soft synths, sequencers and samplers (pretty deep rabbit hole)look up past discussions of Max for Live, ChucK, SuperCollider, Imp

by gtani 10y ago

For those interested in online/soft synths, sequencers and samplers (pretty deep rabbit hole)look up past discussions of Max for Live, ChucK, SuperCollider, Impromptu, CSound. Max Live is part of Ableton Suite license for around $700, I think others are open source/license. Also the clojure overtone and haskell tidal live coding libs. I think there were also threads about writing your own VST/AU plugins. Snoman's "Dance Music Manual" and Shepard "Refining Sound" are good books to start with (I'm old school about synths and sequencer, i think it's best to start with a knobby hardware synth, microbrute, ms2000, Minilogue, bass station II, sh201, mopho and understand how it's designed to work and how it glitches/fails gracefully) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9178933 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9178933 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9518601 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9518601 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9573471 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9573471 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9640218 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9640218 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9635037 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9635037 (that particular K-S synth isn't online anymore but somebody else put up a demo) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10177716 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10177716 (supercollier, alda et al) Big fan of Terry Riley, Lamont Young, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt also.

rev_null 10y ago
If you're feeling adventurous, there is also noisefunge. As far as I know, it's the only obfuscated language for music livecoding. (Disclaimer: I wrote it) https://github.com/revnull/noisefunge https://github.com/revnull/noisefunge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7kg6IL07E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7kg6IL07E
- eggy 10y ago
  Wow, rev_null, very cool. I only watched the YouTube videos, but I like the 'aliveness' of the cursors visualized in each process in the top panel. I've been following and dabbling with livecoding ever since I found Fluxus many, many years ago [1]. My current fave is Extempore [2]. I find that the examples that sound good to me from any of the livecoding environments make a lot of use of samples. A lot of these environments are capable of low-level DSP stuff, but they don't seem to lend themselves well to livecoding from the signal level. As far as I can tell, a function or library of instruments is developed in the 'studio' and then performed live. Tidal was more a pattern maker, manipulator that seemed to lend itself well to livecoding due to the terse syntax [3]. I program in J (not livecoding), but a fellow named John Earnest made a 'graphical sandbox for k', and then added audio too [4]. I think it is going to be something like ike from John Earnest, Tidal, or your, noise funge, if I don't write my own, that finally gets me playing and making music! Cool work. [1] http://www.pawfal.org/fluxus/ http://www.pawfal.org/fluxus/ [2] http://extempore.moso.com.au/ http://extempore.moso.com.au/ [3] http://toplap.org/tidal/ http://toplap.org/tidal/ [4] http://archive.vector.org.uk/art10501610 http://archive.vector.org.uk/art10501610
eggy 10y ago
I tried Impromptu many years ago, but I am now using Extempore, which is sort of its successor by Andrew Sorensen [1]. You can livecode audio and visuals with it. It has two languages within it to use: xtlang, a low-level, expressive language that is as fast as C compiled by an LLVM backend, and a Scheme-based language for higher-level magic within Extempore. Great project, super helpful developers! [Edit] I wanted to include mention of the cross-platform, all-in-one executable, GRACE (Graphical Realtime Algorithmic Composition Environment) that may be easier to start with. It has built-in tutorials, and is based on Common Music, Common Lisp Music, and has lots of functionality. The single Windows executable has all of that wrapped inside of it. I used it before Extempore, so now I am using the examples in GRACE and trying to copy them in Extempore to learn Extempore, since they both have language similarities - Scheme/Lisp. Extempore is now easier to use on any platform, since binaries are available; you no longer need to build it yourself. [1] http://extempore.moso.com.au/ http://extempore.moso.com.au/ [2] http://commonmusic.sourceforge.net/ http://commonmusic.sourceforge.net/
runarberg 10y ago
Do you have any advice for me, who want to gradually get into modular analog physical synthesizers, but doesn't want to spend to much money just yet?
- gtani 10y ago
  There's some free VST's that are supposed to be good, and reaper, which isn't really free, but the trial period is at your discretion. Before you start with a DAW, read lots of reviews, watch youtube walkthrus and ask around what your friends use, learning a DAW is a significant chunk of time. Some free AU's may work with garage band also: https://ask.audio/articles/8-awesome-free-audio-plug-in-synths-for-mac-musicians https://ask.audio/articles/8-awesome-free-audio-plug-in-synt... http://blog.landr.com/the-7-best-free-synth-vst-plugins/ http://blog.landr.com/the-7-best-free-synth-vst-plugins/ http://www.extremraym.com/en/reaper-5-review/ http://www.extremraym.com/en/reaper-5-review/
- JoeDaDude 10y ago
  Depending on what you mean by too much money, consider that most of the classic analog synths exist as software nowadays. Look for software Moog and Oberheim modulars. I know there is at least one Korg synth published for the Nindendo DS. On the iOS front, you can pick up one of several analog synths for reasonable price, one of them is even free (though you will have to get some in-app purchases later: [1]). [1] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modular-synthesizer/id599439196?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modular-synthesizer/id599439...

by gtani 10y ago

rev_null 10y ago

If you're feeling adventurous, there is also noisefunge. As far as I know, it's the only obfuscated language for music livecoding. (Disclaimer: I wrote it) https://github.com/revnull/noisefunge https://github.com/revnull/noisefunge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7kg6IL07E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7kg6IL07E

eggy 10y ago
Wow, rev_null, very cool. I only watched the YouTube videos, but I like the 'aliveness' of the cursors visualized in each process in the top panel. I've been following and dabbling with livecoding ever since I found Fluxus many, many years ago [1]. My current fave is Extempore [2]. I find that the examples that sound good to me from any of the livecoding environments make a lot of use of samples. A lot of these environments are capable of low-level DSP stuff, but they don't seem to lend themselves well to livecoding from the signal level. As far as I can tell, a function or library of instruments is developed in the 'studio' and then performed live. Tidal was more a pattern maker, manipulator that seemed to lend itself well to livecoding due to the terse syntax [3]. I program in J (not livecoding), but a fellow named John Earnest made a 'graphical sandbox for k', and then added audio too [4]. I think it is going to be something like ike from John Earnest, Tidal, or your, noise funge, if I don't write my own, that finally gets me playing and making music! Cool work. [1] http://www.pawfal.org/fluxus/ http://www.pawfal.org/fluxus/ [2] http://extempore.moso.com.au/ http://extempore.moso.com.au/ [3] http://toplap.org/tidal/ http://toplap.org/tidal/ [4] http://archive.vector.org.uk/art10501610 http://archive.vector.org.uk/art10501610

eggy 10y ago

I tried Impromptu many years ago, but I am now using Extempore, which is sort of its successor by Andrew Sorensen [1]. You can livecode audio and visuals with it. It has two languages within it to use: xtlang, a low-level, expressive language that is as fast as C compiled by an LLVM backend, and a Scheme-based language for higher-level magic within Extempore. Great project, super helpful developers! [Edit] I wanted to include mention of the cross-platform, all-in-one executable, GRACE (Graphical Realtime Algorithmic Composition Environment) that may be easier to start with. It has built-in tutorials, and is based on Common Music, Common Lisp Music, and has lots of functionality. The single Windows executable has all of that wrapped inside of it. I used it before Extempore, so now I am using the examples in GRACE and trying to copy them in Extempore to learn Extempore, since they both have language similarities - Scheme/Lisp. Extempore is now easier to use on any platform, since binaries are available; you no longer need to build it yourself. [1] http://extempore.moso.com.au/ http://extempore.moso.com.au/ [2] http://commonmusic.sourceforge.net/ http://commonmusic.sourceforge.net/

runarberg 10y ago

Do you have any advice for me, who want to gradually get into modular analog physical synthesizers, but doesn't want to spend to much money just yet?

gtani 10y ago
There's some free VST's that are supposed to be good, and reaper, which isn't really free, but the trial period is at your discretion. Before you start with a DAW, read lots of reviews, watch youtube walkthrus and ask around what your friends use, learning a DAW is a significant chunk of time. Some free AU's may work with garage band also: https://ask.audio/articles/8-awesome-free-audio-plug-in-synths-for-mac-musicians https://ask.audio/articles/8-awesome-free-audio-plug-in-synt... http://blog.landr.com/the-7-best-free-synth-vst-plugins/ http://blog.landr.com/the-7-best-free-synth-vst-plugins/ http://www.extremraym.com/en/reaper-5-review/ http://www.extremraym.com/en/reaper-5-review/
JoeDaDude 10y ago
Depending on what you mean by too much money, consider that most of the classic analog synths exist as software nowadays. Look for software Moog and Oberheim modulars. I know there is at least one Korg synth published for the Nindendo DS. On the iOS front, you can pick up one of several analog synths for reasonable price, one of them is even free (though you will have to get some in-app purchases later: [1]). [1] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modular-synthesizer/id599439196?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modular-synthesizer/id599439...