A Quick Introduction to SuperCollider | Designing Sound Designing Sound

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23/10/13 23:34A Quick Introduction to SuperCollider | Designing Sound Designing Sound

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A Quick Introduction toSuperColliderPosted by Shaun Farley on Friday, April 26, 2013 4 Co mments

Guest Contribution by Graham Gatheral

Lets be honest: code can be daunting.Lets be honest: code can be daunting. All those words and numbers and operators and

punctuation errors For a start, theres no GUI. How are you supposed to make anything without a

GUI?!

Well, as well see later we can make a GUI-based synth in SuperCollider with just a few dozen lines of

code! But lets put GUIs to one side for now, because SuperColliders real power is in its ability to

produce flexible and complex dynamic systems directly from code, and without too much

trepidation My aim here is to introduce an audio synthesis programming language to an audience

that is, for the most part, more comfortable working with a GUI. So Ill start off with some simple

code examples and then move onto how SuperCollider can use game-code parametric data to drive

synthesis patches in real-time.

If you dont have SuperCollider already, download an installer here:

http://supercollider.sourceforge.net/downloads/

Regarding platforms, Im on Windows 7 but the code will certainly run f ine on a Mac.

WarningWa rn in g: The code examples below were written for demonstration purposes and have not been

fully tested. Please be careful not to expose your ears to loud sounds (particularly when using the

metal impacts tuner) as stable behaviour cannot be guaranteed. This is especially cr itical if using

headphones!

A Quick IntroductionA Quick Introduction

SuperCollider consists of three components:

an object or iented programming language

a language interpreter

a real-time sound synthesis server

When code is executed, it is interpreted and sent to the server, whereupon the sound is generated.

SuperCollider has had an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) since version 3.6, which is

great because now you have everything you need in one place:

Code editor (where you write your code!)

Help browser

Post window (shows the outcome of your code, including any errors)

Document browser [not shown below]

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Lets get started!Lets get started!

Loading the IDE (scide.exe in your install directory) will automatically run the language interpreter,

so we just need to press CTRL+B to boot the serverand were ready to go. Copy and paste the

following example into the Code editor. To execute the line of code, place the cursor on the line and

press CTRL+Enter.

{SinOsc.ar(440, 0 , 0.1)}.play;The playmessage is a quick way to evaluate some code in the example above, were wrapping a

440hz Sine wave oscillator function in a SynthDef(synthesis definition), and then creating and

starting a new instance of it.

To stop SuperCollider at any time use CTRL+. (ctrl + period)

Okay so theres nothing exciting about that sine wave but stay with me! Lets create a cascade of

16 sine waves, each with a random pitch between A220 and A880

{16.do({{SinOsc.ar(Rand(220,880), 0 ,0.05)}.play; 0.1.wait;})}.fork;

Often the best way to learn is to dive in and edit some parameters try the following:

change the number preceding .doto change the number of sine waves

change the two numbers after Randto define the upper and lower pitch values

change the number before .waitto change the interval between each new sine wave

change the oscillator: replace SinOscwith LFTrior LFSaw, for example

Heres a couple more code examples (from the Help browser)

{ SinOsc.ar(SinOsc.ar(XLine.kr(1, 1000, 9), 0, 200, 800), 0, 0.25) }.play;

{ SinOsc.ar(800, SinOsc.ar(XLine.kr(1, 1000, 9), 0, 2pi), 0.25) }.play;

To begin integrating SuperCollider into a game engineTo begin integr ating Super Colli der into a gam e en gine, we need to be able to change synth

parameters in real-time. To do this we can wr ite a SynthDef, declare some arguments(later well be

passing numerical data via argumentsto parameters in the SynthDef) and send it to the server,

ready for use.

The example below will create a new SynthDefwhich Im naming sinewave. Ive created an

argument, given it the name freq and assigned it a default value of 440. Ive also c reated a variable

called output and assigned our sine wave oscillator as its value. Finally, the OutUGen (more on

these later) is writing the output to the left and right channels of our audio hardware. (search the

help browser if you want more info on whats happening here!)

(

SynthDef(\sinewave,{|freq = 440|

varvar output = SinOsc.ar(freq, 0 ,0.1);

Out.ar([0,1], output);

}).send;

)

Execute this block of code by placing the c ursor anywhere between the outermost parentheses and
http://designingsound.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SC_IDE_lrg1.png


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press CTRL+Enter.

Now, to create a Synthusing this SynthDef, we write the following code (xis just a global variable we

can use without first needing to define):

x = Synth(\sinewave);

and we hear our trusty sine wave. Now we can change the frequency of the sine wave by

executing this code to set the value of the freqargument to 220:

x.set(\freq, 220);So we can use SynthDefs(synthesis definitions) to c reate and run Synths, and then pass in

argumentsto change their parameters (known as Class Methods) in real-time. We can do m ore than

pass in argumentsfrom within SuperCollider though: we can take numerical data from other

systems and send it to SuperCollider as bundled OSC messages and this is how we can hook

SuperCollider up to a game engine.

I ve put up some tutorials on how to link UDK to SuperCollider:I ve put up som e tutorials on how to link UDK to SuperCollider:

Beginning with Weapon Fire

Sending Dynamic Data

Sending OSC via Kismet

Its a bit too much to delve into here, but to summarise: on the UDK side we write some code in

UnrealScript that accesses an OSC message send function stored in a custom DLL. The OSC send

function ( see Ross BencinasOSCPack) sends the message over UDP (a network protocol) to an IP

address and port defined in the DLL (in this case 127.0.0 .0 since I have everything running on the

same machine). Then you tell SuperCollider to listen out for the incoming OSC message and give it

some instructions on what to do with the data when it arrives.

This is derived from Rob Hamiltons excellent UDKOSC project.

(DLLBind is a f eature in UnrealScript and its required here because the OSC send functions are

written in C++. If youre working with a licenced version of Unreal you could maybe just integrate

the OSC classes into the source code and open up a direct link between Unreal and SuperCollider).

Now you have a system that can take almost any game code variable (floats, integers, strings etc) at

run time and use it to change SuperCollider synth parameters in real-time. Here are a few examples

of what you could use it for:

Generating one hit sfx for weapon fire, footsteps, metal impacts

Varying the intensity of wind, running water, ambient drones

Changing the dynamics of a generative music piece

The building blocks of SuperCollider are calledThe building blocks of SuperCollider are called UGensUGens(Unit Generators).(Unit Gener ator s). To put it

simply, UGenstake inputs and use them to produce sound. As previously seen, a sine wavetable

oscillator UGen(SinOsc) can be given inputs for frequency, phase offset, output multiplierand add

value to output.

{SinOsc.ar(440, 0 , 0.1, 0)}.play;

The DynKlankUGen is a bank of frequency resonators that we can use to approach physical

modelling. Using DynKlankwith an exciter UGen such as Impulsecan achieve some pretty good

metal impact sounds. Heres a quick example which triggers a SynthDefmade up of two DynKlank

UGens and some filter UGens. (You can view a variation o f this code in the Metal Impacts tuner
http://designingsound.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/UDKtoSCdiagram.pnghttps://ccrma.stanford.edu/wiki/UDKOSChttps://code.google.com/p/oscpack/http://www.gatheral.co.uk/tutorials/udk-supercollider/index.php?/archives/4-Sending-OSC-via-Kismet.htmlhttp://www.gatheral.co.uk/tutorials/udk-supercollider/index.php?/archives/3-Sending-dynamic-data.htmlhttp://www.gatheral.co.uk/tutorials/udk-supercollider/index.php?/archives/2-Weapon-fire.html


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below)

I set up some Kismet that would send a message to SuperCollider every time the sword c ame into

contact with the metal pipe. Hitting different parts of the pipe will result in different impact sounds:

hitting the top, shorter part produces a less resonant sound for example. So the OSC message

contains parametric data to change values of the SynthDef that control the r ing times.

One of the most appealing aspects of using SuperCollider is that you can achieve a lot with very little

code. Heres a GUI interface for a m etal impact tuner that could be used to gather the parameters

required on the UDK side for generating a range of metal impact sounds in SuperCollider. For

example, an audio designer could open the GUI, tweak the frequency, ring time, filtering and reverb

settings until he/she has the required sound, then make a note of the parameters and feed them into

UDK to control a dedicated metal impacts synth in SuperCollider.

And heres a video of the GUI in use:
http://designingsound.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SC_Metal_GUI.png


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You can see how easy it is to make a GUI and control a wide range of metal impact sounds from the

same 40 lines of code:

(

w = Window.new("Metal Impact Tuner", Rect(200, Window.screenBounds.height-700,1055,600

SynthDef(\Rate, {|rate=1, out=5|

~playrate = Impulse.ar(rate, 0, 0.3);

Out.ar(out, ~playrate)

}).send(s);

SynthDef(\Bank1, {|out=2, freqA1=2000, freqA2=2000, freqA3=2000, freqA4=2000, freqA5=20

ringA2=2, ringA3=2, ringA4=2, ringA5=2| ~signal1 = DynKlank.ar(`[[Lag.kr(freqA1+40,1),

Lag.kr(freqA2+40,1), Lag.kr(freqA3+40,1), Lag.kr(freqA4+40,1), Lag.kr(freqA5+40,1)], nil,

[ringA1, ringA2, ringA3, ringA4, ringA5]], In.ar(5), 0.2, 0, 1).dup*0.4;

Out.ar(out, ~signal1)

}).send(s);

SynthDef(\Bank2, {|out=3, freqB1=2000, freqB2=2000, freqB3=2000, freqB4=2000, freqB5=20

ringB2=2, ringB3=2, ringB4=2, ringB5=2| ~signal2 = DynKlank.ar(`[[Lag.kr(freqB1+40,0.3)

Lag.kr(freqB2+40,0.3), Lag.kr(freqB3+40,0.3), Lag.kr(freqB4+40,0.3), Lag.kr(freqB5+40,0.3

nil, [ringB1, ringB2, ringB3, ringB4, ringB5]], In.ar(5), 0.2, 0, 1).dup*0.4;

Out.ar(out, ~signal2)

}).send(s);

SynthDef(\Filter, {|out=4, cutoff=1000|

var output;

~filtered = HPF.ar(SinOsc.ar(Rand(324,352)) * In.ar(2), Lag.kr(cutoff+20,1), 0.8) +

HPF.ar(SinOsc.ar(Rand(466,546)) * In.ar(3), Lag.kr(cutoff+20,1), 1);

~output = Mix.ar(CombL.ar(~filtered, Rand(0.3, 1.8), Array.fill(10,{(0.005).(0.01).rand2 + 0

Out.ar(out, ~output)

}).send(s);

SynthDef(\Output, {|gain=0.2, revsize=5, revtime=3, revdamp=0.5, revdry=1|

var output;

output = Mix.ar(CombL.ar(In.ar(4), Rand(0.3, 1.8), Array.fill(1, 0.07) * 0.06, 0.08));

2.do({output = AllpassN.ar(output, 0.020, [0.020.rand,0.020.rand], 1, mul:0.9) });

~reverb = GVerb.ar(In.ar(4), Lag.kr(revsize,0.3), Lag.kr(revtime,0.7), revdamp, 0.5, 15, re

output = ~reverb.dup*(gain/5);

output = output.clip2(0.75);

output = Limiter.ar(output, 0.9, 0.01);

Out.ar([0,1], output*0.5);

}).send(s);

Synth(\Bank1).autogui(window:w, step:50, vOff: 0, hOff:0, scopeOn:true) ;

Synth(\Rate, addAction:\addToHead).autogui(window:w, step:50, vOff: 0, hOff:830, scopeOn:faSynth(\Bank2, addAction:\addToTail).autogui(window:w, step:50, vOff: 200, hOff:0, scopeOn:fa

Synth(\Filter, addAction:\addToTail).autogui(window:w, step:50, vOff: 400, hOff:0, scopeOn:fal


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Reply

Nishant Pawar

April 28, 2013

Reply

Simon Leary

May 2, 2013

Synth(\Output, addAction:\addToTail).autogui(window:w, step:50, vOff: 400, hOff:360, scopeO

)

The Metal Impact Tuner is a work in progress, if you run the code be aware that the Out values need

to be as they are and c hanging them will break it. Also, the revtime control is a little unpredictable

Apart from that, have fun with it! To run the code youll need to install the autogui Quark (Quarks

are like plugins for SuperCollider). Its fairly straightforward in MacOS, just execute the following

code:

Quarks.install("autogui")

Its more complicated on Windows, but you can find instructions here.

Thanks for reading, please post in the comments if you spot an inaccuracy or something doesnt

work! If you want to find out more, theres a vibrant community of SuperCollider users on the sc-

users mailing list - and many excellent resources online, a few of which are below.

SuperCollider home - http://supercollider.sourceforge.net/

Browse code snippets and submit your own - http://sccode.org/

SuperCollider wiki - http://supercollider.sourceforge.net/wiki

Design sound effects - Designing Sound in SuperCollider

Special thanks toGraham Gatheralfor sharing his expertise through this guest contribution. Guest

contributions are always welcome and are encouraged here on Designing Sound. If you have

something youd like to share with the community, contact shaun [at] designingsound [dot] org.

Tweet 16 2

Category: featured, guest post, slideshow Tags: audio implementation, dsp environments, game audio, graham

gatheral, procedural audio, SuperCollider, synthesis, unreal

4 Comments on A Quick Introduction to SuperCollider

Great article ! ive always wanted to try this but never managed to get past

downloading, having no knowledge of code

this article would help a lot i am sure

Great article Graham. Ive been researching procedural audio for a few years

now, and it never ceases to amaze me. Abstracting the data interface to OSC is

a brilliant idea, the possibilities are endless! Im an Audio Programmer/Sound

Designer at Magenta Software and I would love to implement this with our

game engine.

Where do all the procedural audio heads hang out? Is there a mailing list or

forum you could recommend?

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