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I feel like the world needs a more "serious" way to make music with code. Not just an experimental art project, but something that could replace Bitwig or other

I feel like the world needs a more "serious" way to make music with code. Not just an experimental art project, but something that could replace Bitwig or other major DAWs.

notagoodidea 4y ago
SuperCollider is still around and really mature, Sonic Pi and Overtone are build on top of it. CSound and Faust are more than mature also. https://supercollider.github.io/ https://supercollider.github.io/ https://sonic-pi.net/ https://sonic-pi.net/ https://overtone.github.io/ https://overtone.github.io/ https://csound.com/ https://csound.com/ https://faust.grame.fr/ https://faust.grame.fr/
- iainctduncan 4y ago
  Csound is nothing if not mature! lol. I still love it though, warts and all.
iainctduncan 4y ago
There are many very "serious" ones, but they won't replace DAWs because the audience for a programming language tool for computer music looks is very different. A few off the top of my head that are used and/or made by serious computer music people: Common Music, Nyquist, Euterpea, Open Music, Common Lisp Music, Snd, Csound, SuperCollider, Chuck, Perry Cook's STK, and my own Scheme for Max and Scheme for Pd. My own Scheme for Max is (modesty aside) interesting because it takes one of the serious code tool lineages and enables running it in a DAW. It allows you to port Common Music algorithmic composition code into Ableton Live through Scheme for Max. You get the ability to work in and sync up with Live, but if you want it, all the potential complexity and power of Scheme and Common Music. https://github.com/iainctduncan/scheme-for-max https://github.com/iainctduncan/scheme-for-max
- bkirkbri 4y ago
  Recently I’ve been reimplementing some sequencing patches using Scheme for Max and I can say it’s really a joy to use so far. Thank you Iain for making and releasing it. And documenting it! As someone that loves what Max and Max for Live can do, but prefers a more traditional programming language when implementing complex logic, it really is exactly what I’ve been hoping for. And it’s a Lisp!
  - iainctduncan 4y ago
    Hey, thanks! Did you use the docs on making sequencers? I'm actually working on a whole bunch of new stuff to release for s4m over the next few months (work got paused for a buy/sell/move/renovate ... oof). I could totally do with some more beta testers if you're interested. If you are doing sequencing code in M4L you will definitely like the new stuff. You can reach me at my user name @ giant-email-service-that-starts-with-g. I will also get a forum up soon so users can share code and stories better. iain
Megranium 4y ago
One of the key aspects of the live coding scene was, and still is to a certain degree, to provide a contrast to this kind of perfectionism. To allow people to experiment, and allow or even encourage them to fail, live on stage, rather than playing it safe. It recently has changed a little with the advancement of more stable and mature live coding systems (there's plenty, really ... even my own is pretty stable by now) and more formats addressing a more general audience. Personally, though, I'll forever cheer harder for a person hacking together a sampler in plain C in 9 minutes than a "stable" performance. I'd find it sad to see the live coding scene totally going down the Apple road, from a vibrant, proudly amateurish scene to one that is "professionalized", stable, but profoundly bland.

I feel like the world needs a more "serious" way to make music with code. Not just an experimental art project, but something that could replace Bitwig or other major DAWs.

notagoodidea 4y ago

SuperCollider is still around and really mature, Sonic Pi and Overtone are build on top of it. CSound and Faust are more than mature also. https://supercollider.github.io/ https://supercollider.github.io/ https://sonic-pi.net/ https://sonic-pi.net/ https://overtone.github.io/ https://overtone.github.io/ https://csound.com/ https://csound.com/ https://faust.grame.fr/ https://faust.grame.fr/

iainctduncan 4y ago
Csound is nothing if not mature! lol. I still love it though, warts and all.

iainctduncan 4y ago

There are many very "serious" ones, but they won't replace DAWs because the audience for a programming language tool for computer music looks is very different. A few off the top of my head that are used and/or made by serious computer music people: Common Music, Nyquist, Euterpea, Open Music, Common Lisp Music, Snd, Csound, SuperCollider, Chuck, Perry Cook's STK, and my own Scheme for Max and Scheme for Pd. My own Scheme for Max is (modesty aside) interesting because it takes one of the serious code tool lineages and enables running it in a DAW. It allows you to port Common Music algorithmic composition code into Ableton Live through Scheme for Max. You get the ability to work in and sync up with Live, but if you want it, all the potential complexity and power of Scheme and Common Music. https://github.com/iainctduncan/scheme-for-max https://github.com/iainctduncan/scheme-for-max

bkirkbri 4y ago
Recently I’ve been reimplementing some sequencing patches using Scheme for Max and I can say it’s really a joy to use so far. Thank you Iain for making and releasing it. And documenting it! As someone that loves what Max and Max for Live can do, but prefers a more traditional programming language when implementing complex logic, it really is exactly what I’ve been hoping for. And it’s a Lisp!
- iainctduncan 4y ago
  Hey, thanks! Did you use the docs on making sequencers? I'm actually working on a whole bunch of new stuff to release for s4m over the next few months (work got paused for a buy/sell/move/renovate ... oof). I could totally do with some more beta testers if you're interested. If you are doing sequencing code in M4L you will definitely like the new stuff. You can reach me at my user name @ giant-email-service-that-starts-with-g. I will also get a forum up soon so users can share code and stories better. iain

Megranium 4y ago

One of the key aspects of the live coding scene was, and still is to a certain degree, to provide a contrast to this kind of perfectionism. To allow people to experiment, and allow or even encourage them to fail, live on stage, rather than playing it safe. It recently has changed a little with the advancement of more stable and mature live coding systems (there's plenty, really ... even my own is pretty stable by now) and more formats addressing a more general audience. Personally, though, I'll forever cheer harder for a person hacking together a sampler in plain C in 9 minutes than a "stable" performance. I'd find it sad to see the live coding scene totally going down the Apple road, from a vibrant, proudly amateurish scene to one that is "professionalized", stable, but profoundly bland.