Music Et Supports: The Development of Pure Data as a Music Medium

8/15/2019 Music Et Supports: The Development of Pure Data as a Music Medium

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Joe HighamMUSI2M 2013-2014

SEMINAIR D RCHRCH HIST. N MUSICOLOI!

LMUSI2"#1

$%o&e''e(%' ! Joh) *a) Tigge+e)

, Jea)-Lame% Me%/ie%

MUSIU T SS SU$$ORTS!

TH D*LO$MNT O $UR DATA

AS A MUSIC MDIUM

Anne Academiqu 2013-2014

Univrsite Catholiqu d Louvain

Faculte d philosophi, arts t lttrs

epartmnt histoir d l!art, archeolo"i t musicolo"i

Lo(ai)-+a-)e(e


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From Organs To Computer Music: A Brief Historical Overview

If we are to agree that Banū Mūsā water organs existed, the possibility to generate music

mechanically has been with us since the 9th century. There might hae been earlier water organs, in

the !st century "#ydraulis water organ$, although there seems to be little proof that they were fully

automated. %arly automatons, such as organs, musical cloc&s, polyphon disc players, or pianola ' to

name (ust a few ' all used musical sounds based on flutes, bells, pianos or organ pipes. )ome

machines went as far as creating whole orchestras "*ohann +epomu& Ml-els panharmonicon, built

in the early !9th century$, whilst others tried to mimic animal ocal effects "those deised by *a/uet

0ro-, for instance, whose bird watches are still considered masterpieces of their genre$. The

1omponium of 0ietrich +i&olaus 2in&el, built in the early !344s, has similarities to Ml-els5anharmonicon, with the added feature of aleatoric composition. #oweer, when loo&ing at the

deelopment of automated musical instruments, what is e/ually interesting is that, although

mechanical systems hae eoled, there are many similarities between modern day systems or

software, and those from preious eras. In his treatise Musurgia Universalis, 6ircher ! writes about

the automated musical instruments. These deices used cylinders with precisely placed pins, that

would trigger an action and generate music. 7t a later stage punched cards replaced cylinders, as

these were cheaper to produce, and probably easier to sell. In reality, it would be possible to suggest

that, as early as the fourteenth century, those deices put the idea of storing data in a system into

practice. In a brief article, Michael 6assler "8niersity of )ydney$ reminds us that, as early as !34,

7da :oelace, who wor&ed with 1harles Babbage, suggested that an analytical machine ;might act

upon other things than number, , the computer not haing been inented as such. )upposing, for

instance, that the fundamental relations of pitched sounds in harmony science and, of musical

composition were susceptible of such expression and adaptations, the engine might compose

elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity ? @. Athers also saw the

possibility for computers to generate melodies. .1. 5in&ertons experimental remar&s suggest that

a computer could compose melodies ;in accordance with stylistic criteriaC?. #e inspired :e(aren

#iller and :eonard Issacson, who, in !9DE, composed the Illiac Suite for String Quartet in !9DE, on

the I::I71 computer.

7lthough we cannot discuss the history beyond the computer, or its debt to the automatsF

! George *. B8%:A2. H7thanasius 6ircher.H Grove Music Online.httpJKKwww.oxfordmusiconline.comKsubscriberKarticleKgroeKmusicK!D4L, consultedJ ! May. @4!.

@ Michael 6 7)):% , ;1omputers and 1omposition?, The Musical Times, Nol. !@!, +o. !C "!934$, p. !C *ohn MA%#%+ and Ian B%+T, ;1omputer 7pplications in Musicology?, The Musical Times, Nol. !@4, +o. !CE

"!9E9$, p. DC.

!


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inentors, it is clear that automatons and computers both come from the same lineage. It is

important to add that it is not only the decoding of data that shares common roots, but also sound

synthesis. *eanO1laude issets interesting comments suggest that organs were the first information

machineJ

;The organs &eyboard was the first in history, appearing long before the alphanumeric

&eyboard of typewriters and computers. In fact, the organ &ey may hae been the first

switch. Pour centuries before Pourier, organ ma&ers implemented Pourier synthesis in

soOcalled mutation stopsJ timbre was obtained by adding the sound of pipes tuned as

harmonics of the intended toneD?

)ince the deelopment of electricity, processes that are used to either record or decode data,

in forms arying from magnetic tape, inyl or shellac discs to the most recent media of digital data

hae progressed considerably, paing the way for a whole new area of sound synthesis, music production and composition.

)

)tarting from the early !994s, the main adance has been the aailability of des&top and

portable laptops. 2hich grant artists and the general public access to complex musical processing

systems, without wor&ing in the confines of a studio or sound laboratory. In addition to the

computer reolution, the deelopment of the synthesi-er also has to be ta&en into account, as this

instrument enabled those wor&ing on producing sounds ' often imitating instruments ' to hae at

their fingertips a wide range of sounds, that could be produced electronically, remoing the need to

7drian MAA%. H*eanO1laude isset.H Grove Music Online.,

httpJKKwww.oxfordmusiconline.comKsubscriberKarticleKgroeKmusicK@CD!3L 1onsultedJ ! May. @4!.D *eanO1laude I))%T, ;)culpting )ounds with 1omputersJ Music, )cience, Technology?, Leonardo, Nol. @E, +o. C,

7rt and )cience )imilarities, 0ifferences and InteractionsJ )pecial Issue "!99$, p. @DE.

@

The possibility to manipulate musical! data has become much easier "ith the development of

digital media


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hae large pipes, pluc&ed strings and other instruments re/uiring physical actioning. in !9,

obert Moog produced the first commercial synthesi-er, ma&ing sound synthesis something that

could be experimented with, and at the same time portable enough to wor& outside studios, although

one had to wait until the !9E4s for the arrial of the commercial synthesi-er, aailable to only the

luc&y few with the finances to purchase such an instrumentE

. #oweer, it is of interest to note that,

een )tateOofOtheOart technologies hae difficulties reproducing certain sounds, such as that of wind

instruments.

)ince the late !9E4s, the possibility to communicate ia midi and digital signal processing

techni/ues has changed the way we wor& with music3. 2ith recent deelopments in these

technologies, when combined with the computer and especially that of the laptop, we begin to

recognise what could be ac&nowledged as modern day automats. 7fter inputting data into a 0729 a

button on a &eyboard can trigger multiple eents, yet no instruments are isible. 1ould we argue

that a computer be classified as both an instrument and a media or support. Purthermore, li&e any

automat, it needs instructions to run and generates sound at a command.

Data Conversion Software: DAWs

It goes without saying that computers cannot produce any sound or action without the help

of a compiled script. There are seeral ways of producing musical sounds ia a computer.

#ugh 07NI%). Hobert 7. MoogH, Grove Music Online, httpJKKwww.oxfordmusiconline.comKsubscriberKarticleKgroeKmusicK!94DL, consultedJ ! May. @4!.

E httpJKKwww.factmag.comK@4!K4@K@3KtheO!Osynthesi-ersOthatOshapedOmodernOmusicKL, consultedJ ! May. @4!.3 )terling B%162IT#, HThe 2ellOTempered 1omputerH, Music #ducators $ournal , Nol. @, +o. E "!9E$, pp. C@OC9 DAW Q Digital Audio Wor&station.

C

The Moog MiniMoog "as the first fully integrated synthesi%er, ma&ing it

one of the most important developments in electronic music' In ()*( its

original price "as+ (-).


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In this paper, we will ta&e a brief loo& at two systems, that can produce sound, either as

compositional tool, or as a sound manipulator. It is important to highlight that both systems hae

similarities with automats, in that they need read data to produce sound, with the possibility of finite

sound control Q olume, pitch, tempo, to name a (ust a few examples.

The first class of software is the 072, described by educator 0on Muro, as a portable music

studio. +ot only does it operates as a studio, but it also plays the roles of a synthesi-er, a drum

machine, an effects deice, and a se/uencer, capable of reading, recording and processing MI0I !4

data. It is also a sampler, and can control sounds that hae been digitally recorded !!. +owadays,

there are three types of 072J those wor&ing with 7udio and Midi "5roOTools, for instance$!@, those

wor&ing only with 7udio "7udacity!C$ and, a third category, that only use Midi, are often found in

drum machines and small wor&stations, as an example, could be classed as se/uencers !.

The deelopment of 072s in the !9E4s and !934s was limited, partly because of the cost of storage and slow processing speeds. In !9E3, the first digital audio wor&station "0igital %diting

)ystem$ was deeloped, by Thomas )toc&ham!D of )oundstream. This bul&y system was a mixture

of computer and digital tape machine, which could edit sounds and proide effects, such as

crossfades. By the !934s, computers started handling digital audio editing, when combined with

some of the earliest systems, such as Macromedias ;)oundedit? or 0igidesigns ;)ound Tools?.

They could be used in con(unction with sampling &eyboards and utili-ed as simple two trac& audio

editors!. These systems were &nown as ;nonOdestructie editing?, which means that when, for

instance, an edit is undone or pasted, there is no waiting for the audio file to be rewritten !E?. )oon

afterwards, with the introduction of 5ro Tools!3, most studios went digital. By !99C, )teinberg

introduced 1ubase 7udio, which had builtOin digital signal processing, &nown as 0)5 effects, but

was only an eight trac& audio recordingKplaybac& system. %entually, in !99, 1ubase N)T "irtual

studio technology$ was released. It was a fully integrated ' no need for external 0)5 effects ' C@

trac& digital audio studio. This software program had a isual presentation with tapeOli&e interface,

mixing des& and effects rac&s, mirroring an analog studios layout, that was ery /uic&ly copied and

updated by all other firms. It is what present models are all based upon.

There are many examples of digital wor&stations today, amongst which, the most wellO

!4 MI0I Q Musical Instrument Digital Interface. 7 protocol for communicating and controlling information between

electronic instruments.!! 0on M8A, ;Technology for TeachingJ The Music 2or&stationJ 7 +ew Tool for Teaching? , Music #ducators

$ournal , Nol. E, +o. D "!994$, pp. !4O!C!@ 5roduct websiteJ httpJKKwww.aid.comKPKproductsKfamilyK5roOToolsL, consultedJ !E May, @4!.!C 5roduct webpageJ httpJKKaudacity.sourceforge.netKL, consulted, !E May, @4!.! 7 full list of 072s can be found atJ httpJKKwww.synth.t&KdawK L, consultedJ !E May, @4!.!D httpJKKwww.aes.orgKaeshcKdocsKrecording.technology.historyKstoc&ham.htmlL, consulted, !3 May, @4!! 5roducts of Interest, /omputer Music $ournal , Nol. @4, +o. C "!99$, p. !4D.!E Ibidem'!3 Op'cit' 5ro Tools, cf. n.!@.


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&nown are 5roTools "deeloped by %an Broo&s and 5eter Gotcher in !93$, 1ubase "deeloped by

)teinberg 1ompany in !939$, +uendo and :ogic 5ro "both popular systems deeloped by 1O:ab

programmers in !99C$, :ogic, designed to be compatible with 7pples Mac A) R platform.

Interestingly, Garage Band "deeloped in @44 by 0r. Gerhard :engeling$, is preOinstalled on

7pples Macintosh computers, ma&ing it easily aailable to all those who purchasing 7pple

computers. 7udacity was launched in May @444, by 0ominic Ma--oni and oger 0annenberg, at

1arnegie Mellon 8niersity "5ittsburgh$. It is one of the few free programs, but it wor&s only with

audio. 7nd, more recently eaper !9 has been designed. It offers an adantage as compared to all

other systemsJ it ma&es it possible to program music with the 5ython programming language.

%en though these wor&stations hae many similarities, they are often incompatible and data cannot

be exchanged with other models. :oo&ing at the screen shots aboe, we notice the similarities

between Garage Band "left$ and :ogic 5ro "right$, both in recording mode. 7lthough a long way

away from automats such as the )erinette, these systems use irtual organ cylinder or punchedOcard

technology. Midi information can be passed "input$ ia two ery similar systems &now as 5iano

oll and #yper %ditor. These isualisations are not so far remoed from the barrelOpinning

principles first introduced by 6irchner, in Musurgia Universalis but they use the more sophisticated

dynamics from the eproducing 5iano@4 system. 7lthough musical data can be put in ia a note

!9 eaper Q apid !nironment for Audio "roduction, !ngineering, and ecording@4 Pran& 2. #A::7+0, Heproducing piano.H Grove Music Online,

httpJKKwww.oxfordmusiconline.comKsubscriberKarticleKgroeKmusicKD@4D3L, consultedJ !3 May. @4!.

D


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input, pitch, note length, hyper draw "notes, and other eents$ and elocity can be controlled ia the

5iano ole window. In the #yper %ditor, many parameters can be influenced and controlled,

including, olume, panning "leftOright positioning$, modulation, pitch bend, channel pressure,

polyphonic pressure and elocity, amongst many other possibilities.

The role that these programs play in performing and composing music, their aailability and

ease of use cannot be understated. 7lthough there is little left of the mechanical aspect of automatic

musical machines, it is li&ely that todayFs digital audio wor&stations are a logical offspring of earlier

automats, which, in turn, could be seen as early forerunners of the computer.

#oweer, other systems hae been deeloped since the midF!934s, to interface with

computers and wor& in the domain of 0)5, PPT and other areas of sound manipulation. 0uring a

conference, Max Mathews was as&ed how he got inoled in computer music systems deeloping.

#e replied that he had played the iolin as a child, but could neer play it ery well, ;so I wanted toma&e an instrument that was easier to play.@!? #is wor& has opened new paths for the music scene

and enabled the appearance of new systems that are powerful alternaties to synthesi-ers, and are,

simultaneously, capable of operating in real time, or wor&ing with digital sound files, recording

sound. Purthermore, random parameters can be introduced. The most popular systems are 1sound@@,

MaxKM)5@C, )uper1ollider @ and 5ure 0ata@D.

Musical "rogramming S#stems

)ince the !934s, seeral systems hae been deeloped, with a iew to associate the

potentialities of a synthesi-er, with the processing power of a computer and create music from the

analog sounds of oscillators, with sine waes, saw waes, noise generators and other 0)5

possibilities, in realOtime audio synthesis. The history and deelopment of these systems is rather

conoluted, as the pace of changes and deelopments has been ery /uic& in recent years. The

forerunner of these programs was 1ed, deeloped at I17M, by 1urtis 7bbott, in the late !9E4s.

1ed was made up of a text compiler and conerter which could translate text files into control

commands, allowing users to control the digital processor in great detail. This early textObased

program sered as a blueprint for Max Mathews, who transformed the idea and remodelled it into

@! %ric :SA+, Max M7T#%2), *ames M117T+%S, 0aid I17%::I, Barry N%1A%, Gareth :AS and Miller5816%TT%, ;0artmouth )ymposium on the Puture of 1omputer Music )oftwareJ 7 5anel 0iscussion?, /omputer

Music $ournal , Nol. @, +o. , :anguages and %nironments for 1omputer Music "@44@$, p. @!@@ 1sounds websiteJ httpJKKwww.csounds.comK@C MaxKM)5 websiteJ httpJKKcyclingE.comKproductsKmaxK@ )upercollider websiteJ httpJKKsupercollider.sourceforge.netK@D 5ure 0ata websiteJ httpJKKpuredata.infoK


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his T)6%0 program, written with *oseph 5as/uale, in !93!@, according to Miller 5uc&ette, the

main source of inspiration for the deelopment of MaxKM)5@E. )eeral deelopments too& place in

the next few yearsJ in the mid !9E4s, Max Mathews pupil, Barry Nercoe, designed a new

enironment, named Music !!, wor&ing in realOtime computer systems, that used a graphic interface

but with text input. 7fter a few modifications, this was to become todays 1sound "!93E$. More

importantly, Music !! was the first program written for mini computers rather that for main frame

systems.

Miller 5uc&ettes MaxKM)5 was deeloped around !93@, under the NercoeFs tutorage.

1ombining features from Music !! and T)6%0, it produced a graphical interface that functioned

with modules. In the course of time, MaxKM)5 was deeloped as a commercial product by

1yclingE. 5uc&ette made the system into a freeware program called 5ure 0ata, similar ' nearly

identical ' to Max, een though it introduced newer features, to expand the data structureslimitations of Max. Because of its openOsource status, the program has deeloped at a fast rate,

additions being regularly made to the original ersion.

By the !994s, *ames Mc1artneys )uper1ollider brought a new aspect to 0)5. #is program

updated real time audio synthesis, with a textObased ersion that could wor& with externals and

build G8Is@3. #is aim was to improe MaxKM)5 and correct its wea&nesses. ;Max, which is a

different programming language, proides an interesting set of abstractions that enable many people

to use it without realising they are programming at all. The Max language is also limited in its

inability to treat its own ob(ects as data, which ma&es for a static ob(ect structure @9?. )ince then, the

rise in uniersity computer engineering courses has brought forth a wide range of new

enironments, een though most are rooted in the original programs.

The systems ' or enironments ' hae seeral adantages oer the analog synthesi-erJ not

only are they portable, but they are also ery powerful programs, able to process much more than a

synthesi-er from the !934s. They can wor& with externals, and so can be connected to a &eyboard or

midi controller, ma&ing them practicable systems, with an enormous potential for experimentation.

Purthermore, being codeObased enironments, they are able to read data in arious formats, tac&ling

oice synthesis, MI C4 and sonification, as well as musical functions. In this section, I will briefly

describe the enironments that hae been deeloped and the difference between the systems, one

being modular, the other textObased. Then, as an example, I will outline some of the basic

@ Miller 5816%TT%, ;Max at )eenteen?, /omputer Music $ournal , Nol. @, +o. , :anguages and %nironments for1omputer Music "@44@$, p. C!.

@E Ibidem'@3 G8I $ %raphical &ser Interfaces@9 *ames M117T+%S, ;ethin&ing the 1omputer Music :anguageJ )uper 1ollider?, /omputer Music $ournal , Nol.

@, +o. , :anguages and %nironments for 1omputer Music "@44@$, p. !.C4 MI Q Music Information etrieal

E


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functionalities of a 5ure 0ata program, that I wrote, with a iew to create a simple dataOdrien

machine.

The arious systems mentioned aboe can be diided into two basic categories, graphic and

textObased, both haing adantages and disadantages, that we wonFt hae space here to detail. The

graphicalObased systems areJ MaxKM5), 5ure 0ata and, more recently, )ensomusicO8sineC!

and

Integra :ieC@"an interesting modular system deeloped at Birmingham 8niersity, in @44E$.

Graphical systems wor& by placing ob(ectsKmodules on a canas, to create data flow charts, in these

cases with a musical ob(ectie.

7boe, we see two examples of modular enironmentsJ MaxKM)5 "left$ and Integra :ie "right$.

Both systems wor& more or less in the same way, een though MaxKM)5 "li&e 5ure 0ata$ is a little

more s&eletal. Integra :ie has tried to simplify the process, so that non computer musicians can

easily understand the uses of modules, which can be connected and ad(usted without any, or little

understanding of 0)5.

The other systems are textObased. %xamples of these are 1sound, )uper1ollider and, more

recently, 1huc6 CC, deeloped by Ge 2ang and 5erry 1oo& "5rincetown 8niersity, @44@$. These

enironments use language to compile their code and all hae similar interfaces. 8nli&e modular

systems, one has to be able to write and understand basic code in a ariety of languages from 1U to

*aa. )ome users claim that writing code is easier and /uic&er than building a patchC. 0eclaring

ariables can be done easily, but a modular system has the adantage of being a physical image with

sliders and &nobs, similar to that of an analog studio, with cables and sound modules.

C! Afficial webpageJ httpJKKwww.sensomusic.orgKusineKC@ Afficial websiteJ httpJKKwww.integralie.orgKCC Afficial webpageJ httpJKKchuc&.cs.princeton.eduKC 5atch is a term used in modular systems to describe the canas "page$ where you place modules in graphical

representation.

3


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The two screenshots show us that )upercollider "left$ and 1huc6 "right$ hae few differences. Both

systems are operated by lines of code. Both hae terminal windows which update automatically,

telling the user what is happening at any gien moment. )upercollider combines its serer window

to show that the compiled code is wor&ing, whereas 1huc6 has a separate window than&s to whichany patch of code that is running can be switched off, or ta&en out, without stopping others.

A 'rief e(ample using "ure Data

To demonstrate how a graphic enironment wor&s, I hae chosen to ta&e a closer loo& at

5ure 0ata. It might be easier to explain how such a programming enironment wor&s, by writing

and explaining a simple program. 7lthough not the perfect programming language, 5ure 0ata has

interesting abstractions which enable people to use it without realising they are programming, as

*ames Mc1artney points outCD. 7long with its hands on feel, con(ured up by the use of the

graphical enironment, modules and cablesKlines can connect to each ob(ect, almost as if in an

analog studio. 5ure 0ata began as an extension from Max, in the words of 5uc&ette ; an attempt

to ma&e a screenObased patching language that could imitate the modalities of a patchable analog

synthesi-er C?.

CD Op' cit . Mc1artney.C Miller 5816%TT%, H5ure data.H 0roceedings of the International /omputer Music /onference, )an PranciscoJ

International 1omputer Music 7ssociation, "!99E$, p. CO.

9


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The program is made up of two windowsJ the main window, a terminal window which prints out

information and error messages and a canas or program patch, where the program is written. An

the preious page "left$, we see the terminal window, and on the right, the blan& canas or program

window where the patches are built. The term VpatchF is the name gien to a program written on the

canas. To understand the connection between 5ure 0ata, a computer and an automat, I built a small

patch, using some of the random elements found in 2in&els 1omponium and cylinder of an organ,

such as a )erinette. 7lthough /uite simplistic in sound and built, this program illustrates some of the

ways 5ure 0ata controls and processes data as any automatic machine would.

T)e Main "atc)

The Main window of the patch is

diided in three &ey areas. !$ The first areacontrols the tempo, but to follow the idea of

introducing random aspects, the tempo is a

random number between 4 and !444. I hae

lin&ed the tempo with the computer &eyboard

so that eeryOtime the letter B is pressed

another numberKtempo will be called. @$ This

area controls the sound which is found inside a

subOpatch called ;pd musicWbox?. C$ The third

area is where the signal is conerted from

digital to audio, hence the ob(ect dacX,

meaning digital to audio conerter. 7ll ob(ects

dealing with audio signals are followed by a tilde "X$. )ome examples to be found on the main

canas are send X which sends audio signals to the dacX. 7nother example is found in freeverbX

which is an audio reerb unit.

T)e Su'*"atc)

7 subOpatch is a program within a program. 5ure 0ata

uses this system toJ

a+ Ma&e a program easier to read, or simply ma&e the patch tidy.

'+ duplicate and alter without affecting other parts of a patch,

saing on the computers buffering power, or 158.

It is important to note that the subOpatch has inlets "top$ and

!4


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outlets "bottom$, than&s to which the rest of the canasKprogram can be connected to these

indiidual units. The outlets allow for the sending of data "notes in this case$ from the subOpatch.

Inlets and outlets can either communicate data without a tilde X, or audio using the tilde, example

outlet X.

T)e Su' "atc) Win,ow

In this programme, the sound subOpatchs main

areas consist of the sound generators.

7t the top of the patch "!$ we find four inlets,

stopKstart, speed or tempo, olume control and

enelope speed. In this case, the enelope is a simple

onKoff switch. 7 metronome ob(ect "@$ metro isattached to the tempo inlet. It is set at 44 "tenths of a

second$, but the tempo can be controlled by changing

the slider on the main window. The metronome

actiates the shuffle 12 *2 ob(ect "C$. Shuffle randomly

selects numbers between 4 and E4, but neer repeats

any number until all digits hae been used. These are

sent to the mtof X ob(ect "D$, which conerts midi

numbers to fre/uency in #-. These are passed immediately to the oscX ob(ect "sine wae oscillator$.

7 #an window enelope "$ helps to stop clic&s. 7 sine wae passes constantly between ! and O!

and if a signal is switched on whilst the sine wae is not at -ero, we will hear a clic&, as if we were

switching on an amplifier, after a 10 has started, causing a surge in olume. 7 simple enelope "E$

is actiated ia the inlet at the top of the canas, setting the decay time. The enelope is actiated by

the metronome "@$ which sends a message from s bang34 to r bang344* ' This, in turn, opens a gate

and sends the sound to "3$- which transfers the message bac& to the main patch.

Final stage

7t the final stage, sound from

the subOpatch is pic&ed up on the main

window by r5sound W! "@ or C$. It is

sent to the dacX passing ia an effects

ob(ect freeverbX, which simply adds a

CE ) and Q send and receie.

!!


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reerb, to change the colour of the notes from short marimba sounds to long metallic chimes. There

is also a small recording patch for recording the program.

The possibility to mix tempos, random notes and simple sound synthesis gies an idea of

how with few elements it is possible to create a programmable machine that produces simplistic

stochastic compositions built on repetitie lines. It would be possible to deelop more control oer

each element and feed data, such as financial figures, or statistics, by means of graphs and arrays.

ecor,ings

I hae included a selection of recordings from the patch, demonstrating the arious elements

and ariations possible by changing simple parameters, such as random speed, reerbKdecay or

room si-e. The results created, although always simplistic, seem to hae elements that encompass

the process music of )tee eich, stochastic music of Rana&is, or facets of #arry 5artch een.

Music Bo(

!$ musicWbox!.wa "!D sec.$

7n extract using (ust one sound.

@$ [email protected] "@4 sec.$

7n example of running two sounds together. +otice the interesting rhythmic changes created by the two separate patterns.

C$ musicWboxC.wa "@4 sec.$

)ame idea as Y@ except running the three different modules. In the section The Main 0atch

"page !4$ you will notice three main sound producing modules. %ach one diides or

multiplies the tempo differently ' one diiding the tempo Z @, one multiplies tempo [ @, and

the last tempo [ C.

$ musicWbox.wa "@4 sec.$

)ame idea as YC but with changes in decay times. In the section The Main 0atch "page !4$

you will notice the two sliders, orange and purple. These are changed slightly whilst

pressing the B on the computer &eyboard to produce random changes in tempo.

D$ musicWboxD.wa "@4 sec.$

)ame idea as Y running the three different modules. This ersion is with subtle changes in

roomOsi-e, dry sound and reerbKdecay. The results gie a steel sound, somewhere between a

gamalan orchestra and the repetitie music of )tee eich.

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DI or Sonification using "ure Data

I include fie short examples of )onification using a programming enironment. 7lthough I

haent included the patch details, ' due to space ' I thought it interesting to show some examples

using a similar type of patch, but in this case read text files into a graph. I hae used one wee&s

weather data "temp.$, morning, midday and eening, from four ma(or towns ' Brussels, 0elhi,

7ddis 7baba and Brasilia. These are placed into four different graphsKarrays and read by a phasor

"saw wae$. The sounds are modified slightly to gie different timbres.

!$ sonification!.wa

Brussels

@$ [email protected] U 7ddis 7baba

C$ sonificationC.wa

Brussels, 7ddis 7baba U Brasilia

$ sonification.wa

Brussels, 7ddis 7baba, Brasilia U 0elhi

D$ sonificationD.wa

7ll four towns, but with added random elements such as tempo actiated by the speed of the

phasor "which is reading the files$, and pitch which is triggered by multiplying or

diminishing the fre/uencies read on the graphs.

These short extracts from both the Music Box and the aboe sonification examples, gie an idea of

possibilities for using a program such as 5ure 0ata. These examples could hae been easily

achieed using the other systems such as )uper1ollider, MaxKM)5 or 1sound, also.

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Conclusion

In my research it became apparent that automats were, to a certain extent, early relations to

the computer. This in turn gies us an intriguing iewpoint on music technology, deeloped both

due to the computer and inspired in part by the musical automatons of earlier periods. 2hat ma&es

this most interesting is that when wor&ing with recent software, such as 5ure 0ata or )uper1ollider,

we are still connected to past technology of these automatic machines such as the )erinette,

5ianolas or een the musical cloc&s of *a/uet 0ro-.

Purthermore, the resulting deelopment of these technologies has enabled access to many,

who, whilst programming a computer, een using a graphicalObased enironment, are also wor&ing

in an area originally exclusie to the inentor or isionary, such as *ohann +epomu& Ml-el. 2ith

these new programs we are able to ma&e the sound of many instruments, and control their parameters, all within the space of a small room. If so, the eolution of the automat could hae had

a more farOreaching effect on the deelopment of modern composition techni/ues than might at first

be thought.

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Music Et Supports: The Development of Pure Data as a Music Medium

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