My instrument is called "The Megaphonator" and is based on the concept of
changing a well known sound by amplifying a Piezzo mic recording a basic speaker
signal. The signal is taken from an Ipod and is played on two low quality
speaker systems (varying in timbre), and a Piezzo mic is moved around these to
produce feedback, distortion, or other effects in a purely analogue fashion. One
of the speaker systems is made out of two stereo channels and allows the Piezzo
to be placed in a way that lets it pick up equal ammounts from the left and
right channels, which cuases a feedback effect that seems to rise through the
harmonic spectrum. The resulting sound is played through the Daphon amp we got
given. The circuit for this transition is encased in a black box and makes use
or bread boarding. Through the process of manually moving the Piezzo around the
mic, or just touching it very softly, a Victorian Synth feedback effect can be
observed (made more obvious when we add rice or other small particles to the
speakers) and the outer casing works not only to protect the fragile components,
but is also cleverly built to allow maximum flexibility in the arrangement of
the two speakers, the Piezzo and the amp. The outer casing, in addition to bread
boarding and the Victorian Synth concept, makes use of a third concept we got
taught.
Note: the most interesting sounds on my instrument are usually at a level that
is too soft to hear in the heart of the improvisation sessions, due to the high
output of some of the other instruments, which is why I tend to turn it up and
sacrifice some variety for amplitude in such situations.
It was very fun creating and improvising with the instrument, and I learned a lot about electronics from it. It also taught me how to improvise as part of a group, as I usually work as a solo artist.
Here are some photos:
http://www.box.net/shared/ch5ai0btti
http://www.box.net/shared/kqeimf8p9f
http://www.box.net/shared/erfrapm4q1
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Super Collider
Dear ligs
For those who are interested here is my super collider code and mp3. Enjoy!
// Buffer
b = Buffer.read(s, "Sounds/Soprano Piano.wav");
c = Buffer.read(s, "Sounds/Techno.wav");
// Synthdef 1
(
SynthDef(\bufGrain,{ arg out = 0, bufnum, rate=1.0, amp = 0.1, dur = 10, freq = 10, pPos = 0.5, startPos=0, reverb = 0;
var signal;
signal = PlayBuf.ar(1, bufnum, rate, startPos) * EnvGen.kr(Env.sine(dur, amp), doneAction: 2);
OffsetOut.ar(out, ({CombC.ar(signal * 0.2, 0.01, XLine.kr(1, 0.01, 0.001), reverb)}) ! 2)
}).load(s)
)
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// GUI & GRAIN CREATION
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(
// Variables
var win,
sliderData,
controlArr,
time = 0, // Start Time
totalTime = 100, // Total Time
thisGrainDur, // Grain Duration
message, // SynthDef Message
wait,
sf,
offset,
activity,
deviationmult,
dutycycle; // Interval
// Build Slider Data
sliderData = [
// Label Min Max Init Param
["Grain Rate", [-1.0,25.0], 1.0, \rate],
["Grain Amplitude", [0.0, 1.0], 0.1, \amp],
["Grain Duration", [0.0, 3.0], 0.5, \dur],
["Grain Start Position", [0.0, 100000.0], 0.1, \startPos],
["Grain Decay", [0.0, 5.0], 0.0, \reverb]
];
// Build Control Data Array for Temporary GUI Information
controlArr = Array.fill(sliderData.size, {Array.newClear(5)});
// Window Setup
win = SCControlWindow(
name: "Granular Synth 1",
bounds: Rect(64,0,600,400)
).front;
offset=DDSlider( win, Rect.new(50,240,200,40), "offset", 0.0, 10.0, 'linear', 0.01, 0.0);
activity=DDSlider( win, Rect.new(50,310,200,40), "activity", 0.0, 5.0, 'linear', 0.01, 0.0);
deviationmult=DDSlider( win, Rect.new(280,240,200,40), "deviationmult", 0.0, 5.0, 'linear', 0.01, 1.0);
dutycycle =DDSlider( win, Rect.new(280,310,200,40), "dutycycle",0.0, 2.0, 'linear', 0.01, 1.0);
// Build Control consisting of Label, Min NumBox, Range Slider, Max NumBox,
sliderData.do({
// Arguments
arg val,
idx;
// Feedback
val[1].postln;
// Variables
m = idx * 30; // Multiplier to layout GUI
// Label
SCStaticText(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(5, m, 100, 20)
).string =val[0];
// Min Number Box
controlArr[idx][0] = SCNumberBox(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(110, m, 50, 20)
).value_(val[1][0]);
// Max Number Box
controlArr[idx][1] = SCNumberBox(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(480, m, 50, 20)
).value_(val[1][1]);
// Create Button
(p = SCButton(win,Rect(20,168,220,50));
p.states = [
["Pick a Granulation File"],
["Pick a Granulation File", Color.white,Color.black]];
p.action = {
(
CocoaDialog.getPaths({ arg paths;
paths.do({ arg u;
b = Buffer.read(s, u);
u.postln;
})
},{
"cancelled".postln;
});
)
});
// BBCUT!
sf = BBCutBuffer("sounds/Electro.wav",16);
// Button 2
(p = SCButton(win,Rect(290,168,220,50));
p.states = [
["Pick a BBCut File"],
["Pick a BBCut File", Color.white,Color.black]];
p.action = {
(
CocoaDialog.getPaths({ arg paths;
paths.do({ arg t;
Routine.run({
sf = BBCutBuffer(t ,16);
s.sync;
// 3.33bps= 200 bpm
BBCut2(CutBuf2(sf, offset, deviationmult, dutycycle),SQPusher1(activity)).play(3.33);
});
t.postln;
})
},{
"cancelled".postln;
});
)});
// Create Range Slider
controlArr[idx][2] = SCRangeSlider(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(170, m, 300, 20)
);
// Slider remapping from 0.0 - 1.0 to .. - ..
controlArr[idx][3] = val[1].asArray.asSpec;
// Slider Action
controlArr[idx][2].action_({
// Change Number Box Value
controlArr[idx][0].value_(controlArr[idx][3].map(controlArr[idx][2].lo.value));
controlArr[idx][1].value_(controlArr[idx][3].map(controlArr[idx][2].hi.value));
});
});
// Routine
r = Routine.new({
// Do function
inf.do{
// Arguments
arg item;
// Variable
// [controlArr[0][0].value, controlArr[0][1].value].postln;
message = [
\freq, rrand(controlArr[0][0].value, controlArr[0][1].value),
\amp, rrand(controlArr[1][0].value, controlArr[1][1].value),
\dur, thisGrainDur = rrand(controlArr[2][0].value, controlArr[2][1].value),
\pPos, rrand(controlArr[3][0].value, controlArr[3][1].value)
];
// Instance
(
Synth(\bufGrain, [ \bufnum, b.bufnum,
\rate, rrand(controlArr[0][0].value, controlArr[0][1].value),
\amp, rrand(controlArr[1][0].value, controlArr[1][1].value),
\dur, thisGrainDur = rrand(controlArr[2][0].value, controlArr[2] [1].value),
\startPos, rrand(controlArr[3][0].value, controlArr[3][1].value),
\reverb, rrand(controlArr[4][0].value, controlArr[4][1].value)
]));
// Duration and Interval
wait = thisGrainDur * rrand(0.1,0.2);
wait.wait;
};
});
AppClock.play(r);
)
Mp3 is here:
http://www.box.net/shared/68s8dx9k92
For those who are interested here is my super collider code and mp3. Enjoy!
// Buffer
b = Buffer.read(s, "Sounds/Soprano Piano.wav");
c = Buffer.read(s, "Sounds/Techno.wav");
// Synthdef 1
(
SynthDef(\bufGrain,{ arg out = 0, bufnum, rate=1.0, amp = 0.1, dur = 10, freq = 10, pPos = 0.5, startPos=0, reverb = 0;
var signal;
signal = PlayBuf.ar(1, bufnum, rate, startPos) * EnvGen.kr(Env.sine(dur, amp), doneAction: 2);
OffsetOut.ar(out, ({CombC.ar(signal * 0.2, 0.01, XLine.kr(1, 0.01, 0.001), reverb)}) ! 2)
}).load(s)
)
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// GUI & GRAIN CREATION
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(
// Variables
var win,
sliderData,
controlArr,
time = 0, // Start Time
totalTime = 100, // Total Time
thisGrainDur, // Grain Duration
message, // SynthDef Message
wait,
sf,
offset,
activity,
deviationmult,
dutycycle; // Interval
// Build Slider Data
sliderData = [
// Label Min Max Init Param
["Grain Rate", [-1.0,25.0], 1.0, \rate],
["Grain Amplitude", [0.0, 1.0], 0.1, \amp],
["Grain Duration", [0.0, 3.0], 0.5, \dur],
["Grain Start Position", [0.0, 100000.0], 0.1, \startPos],
["Grain Decay", [0.0, 5.0], 0.0, \reverb]
];
// Build Control Data Array for Temporary GUI Information
controlArr = Array.fill(sliderData.size, {Array.newClear(5)});
// Window Setup
win = SCControlWindow(
name: "Granular Synth 1",
bounds: Rect(64,0,600,400)
).front;
offset=DDSlider( win, Rect.new(50,240,200,40), "offset", 0.0, 10.0, 'linear', 0.01, 0.0);
activity=DDSlider( win, Rect.new(50,310,200,40), "activity", 0.0, 5.0, 'linear', 0.01, 0.0);
deviationmult=DDSlider( win, Rect.new(280,240,200,40), "deviationmult", 0.0, 5.0, 'linear', 0.01, 1.0);
dutycycle =DDSlider( win, Rect.new(280,310,200,40), "dutycycle",0.0, 2.0, 'linear', 0.01, 1.0);
// Build Control consisting of Label, Min NumBox, Range Slider, Max NumBox,
sliderData.do({
// Arguments
arg val,
idx;
// Feedback
val[1].postln;
// Variables
m = idx * 30; // Multiplier to layout GUI
// Label
SCStaticText(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(5, m, 100, 20)
).string =val[0];
// Min Number Box
controlArr[idx][0] = SCNumberBox(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(110, m, 50, 20)
).value_(val[1][0]);
// Max Number Box
controlArr[idx][1] = SCNumberBox(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(480, m, 50, 20)
).value_(val[1][1]);
// Create Button
(p = SCButton(win,Rect(20,168,220,50));
p.states = [
["Pick a Granulation File"],
["Pick a Granulation File", Color.white,Color.black]];
p.action = {
(
CocoaDialog.getPaths({ arg paths;
paths.do({ arg u;
b = Buffer.read(s, u);
u.postln;
})
},{
"cancelled".postln;
});
)
});
// BBCUT!
sf = BBCutBuffer("sounds/Electro.wav",16);
// Button 2
(p = SCButton(win,Rect(290,168,220,50));
p.states = [
["Pick a BBCut File"],
["Pick a BBCut File", Color.white,Color.black]];
p.action = {
(
CocoaDialog.getPaths({ arg paths;
paths.do({ arg t;
Routine.run({
sf = BBCutBuffer(t ,16);
s.sync;
// 3.33bps= 200 bpm
BBCut2(CutBuf2(sf, offset, deviationmult, dutycycle),SQPusher1(activity)).play(3.33);
});
t.postln;
})
},{
"cancelled".postln;
});
)});
// Create Range Slider
controlArr[idx][2] = SCRangeSlider(
parent: win,
bounds: Rect(170, m, 300, 20)
);
// Slider remapping from 0.0 - 1.0 to .. - ..
controlArr[idx][3] = val[1].asArray.asSpec;
// Slider Action
controlArr[idx][2].action_({
// Change Number Box Value
controlArr[idx][0].value_(controlArr[idx][3].map(controlArr[idx][2].lo.value));
controlArr[idx][1].value_(controlArr[idx][3].map(controlArr[idx][2].hi.value));
});
});
// Routine
r = Routine.new({
// Do function
inf.do{
// Arguments
arg item;
// Variable
// [controlArr[0][0].value, controlArr[0][1].value].postln;
message = [
\freq, rrand(controlArr[0][0].value, controlArr[0][1].value),
\amp, rrand(controlArr[1][0].value, controlArr[1][1].value),
\dur, thisGrainDur = rrand(controlArr[2][0].value, controlArr[2][1].value),
\pPos, rrand(controlArr[3][0].value, controlArr[3][1].value)
];
// Instance
(
Synth(\bufGrain, [ \bufnum, b.bufnum,
\rate, rrand(controlArr[0][0].value, controlArr[0][1].value),
\amp, rrand(controlArr[1][0].value, controlArr[1][1].value),
\dur, thisGrainDur = rrand(controlArr[2][0].value, controlArr[2] [1].value),
\startPos, rrand(controlArr[3][0].value, controlArr[3][1].value),
\reverb, rrand(controlArr[4][0].value, controlArr[4][1].value)
]));
// Duration and Interval
wait = thisGrainDur * rrand(0.1,0.2);
wait.wait;
};
});
AppClock.play(r);
)
Mp3 is here:
http://www.box.net/shared/68s8dx9k92
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Forum Week 2
This week forum was a journey to engineering. Not to say that past forums were not a journey to engineering, since random bleeps and squaks are closer to this field than music. This week, however was a physical journey to the engineering space in an effort to maximize our tech studies efficiency. Who would have thought that a music course would lead to the path of manual labor? Only those who denny the pure vision of Cage and his followers.
We got to wear goggles which was hot. Unfortunately, nothing hit them in the process so it was a waste of time and equipment. We learned how to solder wires together, and this is a problem I will not have in life from now on. We also learned how to wire up a pizza mic to a male jack and plug this in speakers. The results were musically... the results in an engineering sense were successful, IE it made a sound. We did not get to finish making these since we ran out of time but I cannot wait until next week when I will be making beeps to rival those at a pedestrian crossing (fingers crossed! hahaha).
We got to wear goggles which was hot. Unfortunately, nothing hit them in the process so it was a waste of time and equipment. We learned how to solder wires together, and this is a problem I will not have in life from now on. We also learned how to wire up a pizza mic to a male jack and plug this in speakers. The results were musically... the results in an engineering sense were successful, IE it made a sound. We did not get to finish making these since we ran out of time but I cannot wait until next week when I will be making beeps to rival those at a pedestrian crossing (fingers crossed! hahaha).
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Australian Music Presenter Reviews:
Paula Rosenbauer was the first of a number of weekly speakers who will talk to us about certain aspects of the music industry in Australia. She was a representative from APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association), a company which "collects and distributes royalties for songwriters, composers and publishers through licensing agreements with music users. APRA currently has over 41,000 members but represents over a million songwriters worldwide through it's affiliations with overseas societies". I copied that from the introduction on the course outline we were handed out, but as you can see the "it's" in the last sentence is wrong, because "it's" is an abbreviation for "it is". A better word in that place would have been "its". Having decided to copy most of the paragraph word by word, however, I found it hard to resist the temptation of also copying the mistake and later pointing it out. That later is now, and I pointed it out in the last sentence as well as this one. I will now cease to point out the mistake for the remainder of the review.
Paula explained that in Australia, APRA takes care of protecting the rights of music makers and performers by monitoring the industry and making sure they are paid all the royalties they should be. While in Australia copyright exists as soon as you put an idea into a physical form (which can be as little as writting some notes on a page) it is hard for individuals to know if their rights are being infringed. Basically it is good to be a member if you want to earn royalties from your music in any way.
FACT!!!
1 in 400 Austarlians is an APRA member. So if you walk down Rundle Mall you might see 1 or so. You can then proceed to interact with him/her. Females can also apply to be APRA members; there are currently no gender restrictions.
Paula explained that in Australia, APRA takes care of protecting the rights of music makers and performers by monitoring the industry and making sure they are paid all the royalties they should be. While in Australia copyright exists as soon as you put an idea into a physical form (which can be as little as writting some notes on a page) it is hard for individuals to know if their rights are being infringed. Basically it is good to be a member if you want to earn royalties from your music in any way.
FACT!!!
1 in 400 Austarlians is an APRA member. So if you walk down Rundle Mall you might see 1 or so. You can then proceed to interact with him/her. Females can also apply to be APRA members; there are currently no gender restrictions.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Semester 2 Week 1 Year 3
This blog will talk about the week.
This semester started off well since most of the classes so far show potential of developing into subjects with content that can be useful to me in the near future. The Australian music subject is a good example of this since it seems we will be learning a lot about how the industry works, where the money is and how to get it. The movie sound subject is good because it is a skill I want to know, and we are also required to make our own movies which is also useful. Overall, most classes show a lot of promise. Forum is... unique still.
In the movie subject we had a look at Luke Harrold's honours project, a witty short film describing the monotony of factory work. Having worked in a factory myself, I can sympathize with Luke but cannot understand how one can work full time in such a place; it is hell. The sounds were done on an early Pentium but sounded decent. They were recorded individually and placed over the images after. There was hardly any sound from when the scenes were actually shot. The one thing I felt was missing was a sound for the lentil bags falling on top of each other, but apart from that it was well synchronized. We were also given some sheets to read including a list of some movies which have well worked sound. I rewatched one of these movies (Raging Bull, with Robert De Niro) with the sound in mind and noticed some nice passages. The title sequence is especially effective, with soft orchestral music playing to images of a hooded boxer shadow-boxing in a ring. Apart from the "oldschool" fighting scenes that did not really impress the movie is a very good one.
In forum we got introduced to the concept of making instruments by hand. This is not really my cup of tea, but then again forum hardly ever was. I can see how there are lessons to be learned here, how knowing how to make sound with some batteries and a speaker can be good to know, but the sound quality of these "instruments" (electric circuits) is poorer than even the most basic 1960 synths. We got shown a demonstration of some of the concepts in action and I was not sold; it sounded like PC speaker gone horribly wrong, and PC speaker is pretty wrong. This time could be used to analyze successful (oops the S word, that is NEVER to be used in an academic environment) music, but of course this is not what an academic environment is meant to teach. How then, I wonder, are we ever expected to become successful musicians? I have not heard the word chorus mentioned once in a lesson and I feel sorry for those who intend to go down the musician or producer path. Or maybe we are NOT meant to be successful musicians? Maybe the academic environment is meant for those with an academic industry interest? Hmmmmmm...
However, as previously mentioned, the semester shows a lot of potential for developing into a useful one, but forum is still questionable.
This semester started off well since most of the classes so far show potential of developing into subjects with content that can be useful to me in the near future. The Australian music subject is a good example of this since it seems we will be learning a lot about how the industry works, where the money is and how to get it. The movie sound subject is good because it is a skill I want to know, and we are also required to make our own movies which is also useful. Overall, most classes show a lot of promise. Forum is... unique still.
In the movie subject we had a look at Luke Harrold's honours project, a witty short film describing the monotony of factory work. Having worked in a factory myself, I can sympathize with Luke but cannot understand how one can work full time in such a place; it is hell. The sounds were done on an early Pentium but sounded decent. They were recorded individually and placed over the images after. There was hardly any sound from when the scenes were actually shot. The one thing I felt was missing was a sound for the lentil bags falling on top of each other, but apart from that it was well synchronized. We were also given some sheets to read including a list of some movies which have well worked sound. I rewatched one of these movies (Raging Bull, with Robert De Niro) with the sound in mind and noticed some nice passages. The title sequence is especially effective, with soft orchestral music playing to images of a hooded boxer shadow-boxing in a ring. Apart from the "oldschool" fighting scenes that did not really impress the movie is a very good one.
In forum we got introduced to the concept of making instruments by hand. This is not really my cup of tea, but then again forum hardly ever was. I can see how there are lessons to be learned here, how knowing how to make sound with some batteries and a speaker can be good to know, but the sound quality of these "instruments" (electric circuits) is poorer than even the most basic 1960 synths. We got shown a demonstration of some of the concepts in action and I was not sold; it sounded like PC speaker gone horribly wrong, and PC speaker is pretty wrong. This time could be used to analyze successful (oops the S word, that is NEVER to be used in an academic environment) music, but of course this is not what an academic environment is meant to teach. How then, I wonder, are we ever expected to become successful musicians? I have not heard the word chorus mentioned once in a lesson and I feel sorry for those who intend to go down the musician or producer path. Or maybe we are NOT meant to be successful musicians? Maybe the academic environment is meant for those with an academic industry interest? Hmmmmmm...
However, as previously mentioned, the semester shows a lot of potential for developing into a useful one, but forum is still questionable.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
I'm colliding baby, i'm colliding
Want to hear winchimes but live in an area with no wind?
Want to hear music but sick of tonal chord proggressions?
Want to hear some sinewaves?
WANT TO LONGER!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or is it...
The Colleidoscope! On a Collision course to COLLIDERTOWN! Now with collidervision and sound, in 1.1 mono (and with no visual). Prepare to be collided... the oldschool way.
In the beggining people were just colliding by hand. It was a slow, tedious process that led to much frustration and wasted energy. Then, somebody had the idea of making colliding a digital process and invented Collider, a sequence of digital processes that synthesizes colliding inside the computer! Collider made an impact, as expected, and its owner Bill Tocollide became a billionare within hours of its release. But something was wrong... while the program was colliding, it was not SUPER colliding. This problem was addressed in 1987 when Sony, Microsoft and BMW (SMB for short) joined forces in an effort to create the next logical step in Collider's evolution. With plently of resources and the leading scientists at NASA leading the charge, Super Collider 1 was finally released. To say it made an impact on the music world would be like saying John Cage was only a "pretty cool" guy. The shockwave experienced after its release changed music forever, like Cage changed his clothes every day. And boy, were they some clothes...
SMB enjoyed the financial compensation for this epic discovery, but the tensions between segments within the company grew. Those more interested in music and the entertaining power of Supercollider wanted to build a collider that could not only collide, but be enjoyed by the whole family in 3d graphics plugged into a TV. They wanted to release "Colliding station". The programers in the company wanted to release "Collider '95", a Colliding program that would come with every new computer and feature a free internet browser, "Collide Arouser". The third section of SMB wanted to make high quality European cars instead. So the company split appart, into Sony (who went on to create the Playstation based on its colliding concepts), Microsoft (who created Windows 95 and Internet Explorer as a way to share colliding projects with other enthusiasts around the globe) and BMW, who went on to make European cars.
The company that took over was Machintosh, a contaminated apple company somewhere in France. Machintosh wanted a collider that could not only Supercollide, but Supercollide 2. After many failed attempts Super Collider 2 was finally released.
Its welcome was as expected, and even cinemas sold out their special "SuperCollider 2" 3 hour previews. In 1991 an enthusiastic John Cage got hold of the SuperCollider 2 concepts, and, in an effort to mix the new, digital Supercollider 2 with original analogue concepts of colliding by hand, created Supercollider 3. The new collider offered unprecedented sound quality, and due to its construction could make sinewaves as pure as John Cage's concepts. It also included a random function.
Supercolider 3 is often taught in musical institutions as an alternative to colliding by hand, or composing real music.
It is with this program that I made the following piece:
http://www.box.net/shared/c4si2hu49v
The work uses 4 sinewave synths that either add notes above or bellow the note currently playing. The choice it makes of the next note is a weighted random value, so for example in the semitone synth there is a 25% that the next note will be a semitone up or down, 17% that it will be 2 semitones up or down etc. up to about 5-6 notes. There is also a chance the note repeats. In addition, the longer the synth has been playing the more chance the notes have of not playing at all, or playing (if the synth started silent). The song uses these 4 random note synths layered on top of each other (towards the middle you will hear about 7 semitone synths playing almost 10 notes a second each). The synths also play at different speeds.
May this collide with your soul as my soul collided with this program.
Also check out
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Supercollider
My contribution to uncyclopedia.
Cheers to Ben for pointing it out to me!
Want to hear music but sick of tonal chord proggressions?
Want to hear some sinewaves?
WANT TO LONGER!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Or is it...
The Colleidoscope! On a Collision course to COLLIDERTOWN! Now with collidervision and sound, in 1.1 mono (and with no visual). Prepare to be collided... the oldschool way.
In the beggining people were just colliding by hand. It was a slow, tedious process that led to much frustration and wasted energy. Then, somebody had the idea of making colliding a digital process and invented Collider, a sequence of digital processes that synthesizes colliding inside the computer! Collider made an impact, as expected, and its owner Bill Tocollide became a billionare within hours of its release. But something was wrong... while the program was colliding, it was not SUPER colliding. This problem was addressed in 1987 when Sony, Microsoft and BMW (SMB for short) joined forces in an effort to create the next logical step in Collider's evolution. With plently of resources and the leading scientists at NASA leading the charge, Super Collider 1 was finally released. To say it made an impact on the music world would be like saying John Cage was only a "pretty cool" guy. The shockwave experienced after its release changed music forever, like Cage changed his clothes every day. And boy, were they some clothes...
SMB enjoyed the financial compensation for this epic discovery, but the tensions between segments within the company grew. Those more interested in music and the entertaining power of Supercollider wanted to build a collider that could not only collide, but be enjoyed by the whole family in 3d graphics plugged into a TV. They wanted to release "Colliding station". The programers in the company wanted to release "Collider '95", a Colliding program that would come with every new computer and feature a free internet browser, "Collide Arouser". The third section of SMB wanted to make high quality European cars instead. So the company split appart, into Sony (who went on to create the Playstation based on its colliding concepts), Microsoft (who created Windows 95 and Internet Explorer as a way to share colliding projects with other enthusiasts around the globe) and BMW, who went on to make European cars.
The company that took over was Machintosh, a contaminated apple company somewhere in France. Machintosh wanted a collider that could not only Supercollide, but Supercollide 2. After many failed attempts Super Collider 2 was finally released.
Its welcome was as expected, and even cinemas sold out their special "SuperCollider 2" 3 hour previews. In 1991 an enthusiastic John Cage got hold of the SuperCollider 2 concepts, and, in an effort to mix the new, digital Supercollider 2 with original analogue concepts of colliding by hand, created Supercollider 3. The new collider offered unprecedented sound quality, and due to its construction could make sinewaves as pure as John Cage's concepts. It also included a random function.
Supercolider 3 is often taught in musical institutions as an alternative to colliding by hand, or composing real music.
It is with this program that I made the following piece:
http://www.box.net/shared/c4si2hu49v
The work uses 4 sinewave synths that either add notes above or bellow the note currently playing. The choice it makes of the next note is a weighted random value, so for example in the semitone synth there is a 25% that the next note will be a semitone up or down, 17% that it will be 2 semitones up or down etc. up to about 5-6 notes. There is also a chance the note repeats. In addition, the longer the synth has been playing the more chance the notes have of not playing at all, or playing (if the synth started silent). The song uses these 4 random note synths layered on top of each other (towards the middle you will hear about 7 semitone synths playing almost 10 notes a second each). The synths also play at different speeds.
May this collide with your soul as my soul collided with this program.
Also check out
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Supercollider
My contribution to uncyclopedia.
Cheers to Ben for pointing it out to me!
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Mastering Exercise
http://www.box.net/shared/anxmm0mdh5
(mastered)
As opposed to:
http://www.box.net/shared/mytyldcb9q
(original)
This is the result of the mastered version of my song. I am fairly happy with it, considering when I started I did not expect to get anything too solid from the process. But I think the file selecting had a lot to do with it too. Because it was so weak, it was easy to EQ and compress without distorting, something that cannot be said for my previous master attempt. Because it was totally electronic, it was also free of distortion, and this made it unnecessary to try and iron out "mistakes" from the recording process.
Basically I made 2 copies of the file and treated both fairly separately. In one I boosted the low end as well as a narrow Q around the 100 hz mark for the bassdrum, as well as the mid highs and highs. I also compressed and stereo imaged it a bit (narrowed the highs and left lows alone). It sounded powerful but lacked the snare punch. For this, I treated the second copy. I EQ'd the mid highs and mids to around the area of the snare, but was carefull to take out a narrow band where the a synth stood (around 1000 hz). I also compressed it a lot harder so the snare stood out more.
In addition to these 2 tracks, I also mixed in the original track at a lower volume to try and give it a bit of life. The main issue with 3 identical tracks is phasing but because the tracks were treated so differently, this is not too obvious to my ears, and the powerful sound more than makes up for the small amount of phasing that could be present. I think it's a decent attempt, not fantastic but definately better than my last and somethign I'm happy with. Enjoy!
(mastered)
As opposed to:
http://www.box.net/shared/mytyldcb9q
(original)
This is the result of the mastered version of my song. I am fairly happy with it, considering when I started I did not expect to get anything too solid from the process. But I think the file selecting had a lot to do with it too. Because it was so weak, it was easy to EQ and compress without distorting, something that cannot be said for my previous master attempt. Because it was totally electronic, it was also free of distortion, and this made it unnecessary to try and iron out "mistakes" from the recording process.
Basically I made 2 copies of the file and treated both fairly separately. In one I boosted the low end as well as a narrow Q around the 100 hz mark for the bassdrum, as well as the mid highs and highs. I also compressed and stereo imaged it a bit (narrowed the highs and left lows alone). It sounded powerful but lacked the snare punch. For this, I treated the second copy. I EQ'd the mid highs and mids to around the area of the snare, but was carefull to take out a narrow band where the a synth stood (around 1000 hz). I also compressed it a lot harder so the snare stood out more.
In addition to these 2 tracks, I also mixed in the original track at a lower volume to try and give it a bit of life. The main issue with 3 identical tracks is phasing but because the tracks were treated so differently, this is not too obvious to my ears, and the powerful sound more than makes up for the small amount of phasing that could be present. I think it's a decent attempt, not fantastic but definately better than my last and somethign I'm happy with. Enjoy!
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