3 ms·

Can someone explain how I’m what universe this takes 20,000 lines of code?

by Exuma 3y ago

AceJohnny2 3y ago
1982 (pre-ANSI C!), without any audio library or hardware driver to handle things for you, so 20,000 lines of code encompasses the whole audio stack. With that in mind, the 140-char snippet at the end is an unfair comparison, since that leverages a sophisticated and mature audio stack provided by the OS and Supercollider.
mechanicum 3y ago
Q. A couple of people have already asked me about how you wound up with 20,000 lines of code in the original. I expect there was a fair bit of manual mucking about? A. Actually I made a mistake with that 20,000 lines of code statement – that was just off the top of my head. I need to correct that if I can figure out how, but it also depends a bit on what lines of code you count. The original 30-year-old C program is 325 lines, and the “patch” file for the synthesizer was 298 more lines. I guess it just felt like 20,000 lines when I did it. Given that it was written and debugged in 4 days, I can’t claim the programming chops to make 20,000 lines of working code that quickly. But, to synthesize it in real time, in 1983, took 2 years to design and build a 19” rack full of digital hardware and 200,000 lines of system code to run the synthesizer. All that was already done, so I was building on a large foundation of audio processing horsepower, both hardware and software. Consequently, a mere 325 lines of C code and 298 lines of audio patching setup for the 30 voices was enough to invoke the audio horsepower to make the piece. https://cdm.link/2015/04/thx-deep-note-creator-remade-iconic-sound/ https://cdm.link/2015/04/thx-deep-note-creator-remade-iconic...
mike_d 3y ago
A universe where you are not standing on the shoulders of giants. For a little context the deep note was released the same year as TCP/IP and the Commodore 64. Source code was mostly shared by printing it in magazines (multi-page printed publications that would be mailed to your house monthly in exchange for a yearly subscription fee).
- Exuma 3y ago
  I don't disagree with you but a comment above shows the truth, that it was 400 lines and 200,000 lines of synth code he didn't write. Anyway, it is still cool.

Can someone explain how I’m what universe this takes 20,000 lines of code?

by Exuma 3y ago

Can someone explain how I’m what universe this takes 20,000 lines of code?

1982 (pre-ANSI C!), without any audio library or hardware driver to handle things for you, so 20,000 lines of code encompasses the whole audio stack. With that in mind, the 140-char snippet at the end is an unfair comparison, since that leverages a sophisticated and mature audio stack provided by the OS and Supercollider.

mechanicum 3y ago

Q. A couple of people have already asked me about how you wound up with 20,000 lines of code in the original. I expect there was a fair bit of manual mucking about? A. Actually I made a mistake with that 20,000 lines of code statement – that was just off the top of my head. I need to correct that if I can figure out how, but it also depends a bit on what lines of code you count. The original 30-year-old C program is 325 lines, and the “patch” file for the synthesizer was 298 more lines. I guess it just felt like 20,000 lines when I did it. Given that it was written and debugged in 4 days, I can’t claim the programming chops to make 20,000 lines of working code that quickly. But, to synthesize it in real time, in 1983, took 2 years to design and build a 19” rack full of digital hardware and 200,000 lines of system code to run the synthesizer. All that was already done, so I was building on a large foundation of audio processing horsepower, both hardware and software. Consequently, a mere 325 lines of C code and 298 lines of audio patching setup for the 30 voices was enough to invoke the audio horsepower to make the piece. https://cdm.link/2015/04/thx-deep-note-creator-remade-iconic-sound/ https://cdm.link/2015/04/thx-deep-note-creator-remade-iconic...

mike_d 3y ago

A universe where you are not standing on the shoulders of giants. For a little context the deep note was released the same year as TCP/IP and the Commodore 64. Source code was mostly shared by printing it in magazines (multi-page printed publications that would be mailed to your house monthly in exchange for a yearly subscription fee).

Exuma 3y ago
I don't disagree with you but a comment above shows the truth, that it was 400 lines and 200,000 lines of synth code he didn't write. Anyway, it is still cool.