Atmos Project Underway

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Sun May 18, 2003 1:14 pm

Man, I need to let some of this out. I'm like programming close to 12 hours straight a day, for the past week or so and I'm just about to go crazy. This is the project I was talking about. The auto trance engine.

So, here's my situation. I'm using a Mac for the first time in my life, doing serious programming the first time in my life, and also writing an algorythmic composer for the first time in my life. Something tells me, things are going to get messed up.

Well, a week into the project, things are going rather fine. I've go the engine to give me a list of chords (that make sense), and now I'm in the process of properly voicing the chords. Perhaps this is where I'll die. hehe.

Mac users, you NEED to get a copy of Max MSP. This software seriously kicks ass. Synth making is easier in ModIII, but build yourself a sequencer, do spectral synthesis, any sort of granular synthesis, build any effect you can imagine... 500 bucks is a bit expensive tho..

I'll let you all take a hear when it starts to sound better than it already does. Right now, all it does is spit out chords through MIDI.

check out the shrunk down screen shot of what I've done: (yup, it's the 17 inch G4!)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2003-05-18 14:20 ]</font>

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Sun May 18, 2003 1:48 pm

Looks like a huge mind map to me - doesn't make any sence to me - I don't do any programming, so that may be the reason

petal · Post by **petal** » Sun May 18, 2003 2:44 pm

If PC-users want to try out something similar to MAX, the original programmer (Miller Puckette) behind MAX has made a program called PD (Pure Data) which uses the same commands as MAX and in some cases can run the same patches build in MAX:

http://www.crca.ucsd.edu/~msp/software.html

It is free!

Cheers!
Thomas

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Sun May 18, 2003 7:15 pm

I always felt you are good for this kind of things, cos of your keen interest in science, or at least, this is what I have felt from many of your posts.

I don't have a clue of what you're doing there, but I whish you the best succes in your programing...

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Sun May 18, 2003 11:39 pm

The "thing" is supposed to spurt out a new trance tune everytime you run it. I've got quite a long way to go. hehe.

Yeah, PD is an awesome package too. Do check it out if you have time. It does have a steep learning curve, but once your mind enters a special "mode", you just have to sit down and do it. Takes time tho. (and you also start feeling a bit geeky after being cooped up in your room for several days straight)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2003-05-19 00:41 ]</font>

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Wed May 21, 2003 9:41 am

Does anyone know of a good free algorythmic composer? I tried one many years ago but I didn't find it very useful. I would love to have a more musical and current version.

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Wed May 21, 2003 11:18 am

I haven't looked too deeply into the field of algorythmic composition... (strangely)
It depends what sort of result you're looking for. Most algo composition engines produce... well, quite strange results that barely fit within the boundries of "normal" music. Most of them usually require some sort of understanding of how the algo compostion engine works, or how the whole "chance" music thing works, for the listener to truely understand the good in the resulting tune.

There's one called "Poodles and Flan", which Paulmartin introduced to me a while back. This is a VERY interesting engine. It has a very strange way of implementing structure to the tune. I think it's worth a check, and there are quite a few things to learn from its results.

But all in all though, the problem is that most of these engines cannot be used straight for "normal" music that you'd expect to be playing on the radio. Hence, I've taken many of these things in account and am writing an engine of my own.

The final result of my patch is planned to be a Mac standallone executable, so if you're on a Mac, you're more than welcome to check it out.

Here is a waaaay too early test of my patch. Here, my patch spurted out chords to my Triton, and the chords were arpeggiated using Triton's arpeggiator. The crappy drums were just programmed to trigger according to the count. (not sequenced at all) So, don't take this too seriously. The engine is going to be 10 times more powerfull. hehe, does this just sound like an excuse? lol
http://www.iface.ne.jp/~ken/tritonarpeg.mp3

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Thu May 22, 2003 10:31 pm

Thanks but I use a PC. There is no good music on the radio is there? Your software sounds very interesting. I remember Eno talking about some software he uses a while back that creates music but I can't recall the name of it.