Author Archives: Kevinernste

Below are some patches from today’s session.

1.) Arrays as indexed storage containers for values. Use the slider to scrub through the arrays and see the values. Or hit the green “toggle” to start the metronome and counter.
–> We used this patch in class to send MIDI notes to Live.

array_sequencer.pd

2.) Arrays can be used to load soundfiles using [soundfiler]. As before, they are simply storing numbers, here the individual samples / amplitude values of the loaded soundfile.
–> This patch contains multiple methods for playing the array / soundfile, starting with [tabplay~], which simply plays the array from beginning to end (or with a message telling it to start at a sample and play for a number of samples. The [line~] player in the lower right is similar, using a line / ramp to read through the array.
–> Be sure to turn up the volume on whichever part of the patch you are playing with
–> The last player, “loopplayer” uses a [phasor~] or sawtooth wave to read through the array. We discussed this in class.

playing_audiofiles.pd

3.) I showed several examples of ways of using arrays, including a “Beat Slicer”, cutting the file into segments and then randomly playing those segments. Here are three version, one that uses a random number generator, [random], and the other two that specify the slice / segment to be played using either another array (amen_sequencer/”MAIN-MIDIarray.pd”) OR a set of Radio buttons (amen_sequencer/”MAIN-radiobuttons.pd”).

amen_sequencer.pd

REFERENCES

For those of you looking for more information, here are a number of useful resources. The first is the PD help browser, found in the “Help” menu within the application. The second (very useful!!) is the PD FLOSS Manual, found here. The third is a set of very thorough tutorials by Alexandre Porres, found here. And the last is this video series on YouTube by Dr. Rafael Hernandez.

A help file specifically for arrays can be found in the FLOSS Manual here. In the video series, here is discussion of arrays.

I wanted to share the patch as we left off with it today. I added two things after you left that might be instructive:

1. The [loadbang] object I mentioned, here turning on PD’s DSP from within the patch whenever the patch is opened. The message “pd dsp 1” tells PD to turn on DSP. “pd dsp 0” would turn it off.
2. You will note a dark background color. This is a “Put” menu object we have not yet used, the “canvas”. It is nothing more than a blank box of color that can be resized to fit the dimensions of your patch. It has “Properties” like all other graphical objects, accessed by right-clicking its upper left corner.

Ring Modulation interface from class, March 13, 2018. Note the included “etude” called “ringmod1.wav” that I made from the patch, just a quick performance using the simple means we built together.

You might enjoy playing with this “Online composer” for the  Federation Bells in Melbourne Australia. The downloadable version, called the “bell sample player” is just a Max/MSP patch that is purpose-built for the bells, including the samples as well as spatial information taken from the locations of the bells in the field in Melbourne.

There is also an Abelton sampler, but in my experience it does require some adjustments to the envelopes to sound good.

http://federationbells.com.au/play-the-bells/composing-for-the-bells

This week we will have our first performances and critiques, held in Lincoln Hall B20. Please come on time and ready to go, with all files on a flash drive or hard drive rest to use.

See the Project One description for more details.

Tuesday:

Ruiz, Pablo Daniel
Das, Anshuman
Cabuenas, David
Oh, Chris
Kellum, Brady
Romero, Steven
Jean-Baptiste, Rene
Chen, Yihao

Thursday:

Liu, Xuan Yu
Tracy, Tyler
Bores, Anna
Pacheco, Kai
Lewis, Salief
Chatman, Charles
Le, Huy Quang
Trang, Amanda

Loops for 2/13/18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgVlvOV-SQ8

Please see below for a concert order. We will try to keep the concert moving by have all three stations (studio laptops 1 and 2 or your own computer) filled with performers at all times, one performing and the others preparing.

If you are not, for any reason, not listed here or must adjust your time on the concert (think roughly an hour per section), let me know ASAP. I have tried to accommodate all desired times, alternate studio and personal computers, and provide variety in the performance. I’m excited for the performance.

INTERMISSION 2: Sawyer Neely

Below are several examples of the methods discussed in today’s lecture.

1. Ableton Live and Rewire:
https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209774305-Using-Live-and-ReWire

2. MIDI loopback devices and the OSX IAC bus with Live:
https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209774225-Using-virtual-MIDI-buses-in-Live

– On Windows there is MIDI Yoke, part of MIDI OX

3.  Soundflower audio loopback:

• Download: https://github.com/mattingalls/Soundflower (code), and https://github.com/mattingalls/Soundflower/releases/tag/2.0b2 (installer)
• Information: https://soundflower.en.softonic.com/mac#app-softonic-review

4. Open Sound Control

• Information (technical): http://opensoundcontrol.org/introduction-osc
• TouchOSC Editor information and download

PD patch examples from class:

• Simple OSC example osc_simple-dumpOSC.pd
• Wiimote resonance filter example: wiimote.pd
• FaceOSC face tracking software download.
• FaceSynth (my own PD patch for parsing FaceOSC: FaceSynth
• Reactivision / reactable information

Two issues to bring to your attentions:

1. The audio in studio B was crackling in Ableton Live and I was able to fix it today. Someone had apparently set the audio buffer (how much audio the system stores before having to spit it out) to a very small value. I have increased the buffer and now all audio sounds perfect.
2. When saving your Live projects (the project folder), it is important that all of the audio files used in the project go along with it. Please use “File–>Collect All and Save” to make sure all sounds, wherever they may be stored on the lab computers, have been “collected.

#2 has an FAQ if you need more details: Collect All and Save in Ableton Live