homework


28
Mar 11

homework

 

a) create a 140 character (or less) composition using super collider.  Take a look at the sc140 albumbs for inspiration.

b) using super collider or chuck and OSC, create a audio visual composition where the sound is produced in a separate program and OF controls the visuals.     You can recode your sequencer to use these tools if you want.

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extra credit — try to hook as many software together using OSC as you can.   Learn about the OSC protocol, and experiment.  What can you hook up, and what kind of interesting app->app communications can you make.

 


24
Feb 11

homework 5

audio analysis meets white square (200px x 200px)

in this homework, I want you to have the same basic rules:

a) start with a white square, 200px x 200px, centered on the screen  *
b) start with a blackbackground
c) draw nothing else on screen

note, to center on the screen, you can use 
ofSetRectMode(OF_RECTMODE_CENTER);
ofRect(ofGetWidth()/2, ofGetHeight()/2, 200,200);
or 
ofRect(ofGetWidth()/2 - 100, ofGetHeight()/2 - 100, 200,200);

then, based on sonic input, manipulate  the square (or the scene).  what happens to the  square is up to you, does it rotate?  does it change in color?  grow? bounce? explode??

think specifically about sonic qualities, like pitch, and frequency information, and think about “performing” your white square.

make 3 different examples using the variety of techniques of analysis we talked about, pitch detection, fft, and volume detection.

have fun!

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also make a graphical score to a piece of music / sound for which traditional music notation isn’t necessary.  Think about what visual languages you can use to represent sound.   for inspiration, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_notation

http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=23&fid=168

http://at.or.at/hans/solitude/


17
Feb 11

homework 4

A) Build a non computational sound visualizer
B) Build / Find / Document a visual equivalent to granular synthesis — think specifically about the stochastic nature of granular synthesis, and how you can make something that’s a visual equivalent.
(these are optional / advanced )
C) Advanced: Build an app that uses live audio input to record data for the granular synthesizer.
D) Advanced: Build a Granular sound generator app controlled by a particle system.

9
Feb 11

homework 3

a) See something in new york — a performance, installation, play  — and take some photographs or notes about it.  Let’s do research IRL not just on the net!

b) Create 3 interactive audio visual systems based on AM, FM or Additive synthesis and a primitive visual form (circle, square, triangle).   Think about creating the tightest relationship between the sound and the visual form, and how interaction (mouse, keyboard, other) can influence that.


2
Feb 11

homework 2

a) implement additive, AM and FM synthesis using the sin wave code as a starting point.

b) using additive synthesis, create the most harmonious, beautiful sound that you can.  think about using multiple sin osicllators, with various levels of volume.  Be very, very, very careful not to clip your sounds (ie, scale the volumes so that they add up to less then 1.0).    Use many oscillators.

c) using additive synthesis, create the most evil, terrible, cacophonous and dissonant sound.   Again, take care about volume levels.

d) try to see what the limit of your computer is by adding as many sin oscillators as you can together.   how many can you put into the app with out it skipping.  take care about the volume of each osciallator.

e) using any synthesis technique, attempt to recreate these tones: 

f) make music ! try to transcribe a song (turning the notes into frequencies) and play it via code. And / or, try to create a sequencer that allow you to compose music by controlling some parameters of synthesis over time.   then, create some music with this tool.

have fun!


2
Feb 11

homework 1

Your homework has two parts:

a) Images as inspiration for sound creation
b) watching a lecture about physics and sound

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here’s the images needed for the first homework. Your job is to create
a sound which is less then 5 seconds for each of these images. The
sounds can come from anywhere, things you record, things you
synthesize, etc. I recommend you take a moment to familiarize
yourself with an audio editor, like Audacity and I’m happy to help
introduce you to it if you have trouble / need help. this is a decent
intro pdf:

http://library.albany.edu/imc/pdf/introaudacity.pdf

By using a tool like audacity, you can cut and rearrange samples,
generate tones simply, apply effects and in general clean up sound.
Also, it will give you access to cutting up your mp3s. In order to
output mp3 in audacity, you’ll need a plugin, which is simple to
install, but saving .wav / .ogg should be no problem.
Your job is to take these 9 images, and create 9 sounds, a sound for
each image — the only requirement is that they be less then 5 seconds
long. They could be synthesized, recorded, found samples, etc, but
the goal is to create a tight relationship between what you see and
what you hear.

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Second, you will need to watch this video:

http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/168

which is a great introduction to the physics of sound. I will send on
later today or tomorrow a list of questions, just to make sure you are
paying attention :) The lecture is given by an MIT professor, Walter
Lewin, who is amazing. If you like how he explains concepts, check
out others. I like to watch them when I am bored or cooking, etc.

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-01Physics-IFall1999/VideoLectures/index.htm

that second link has an amazing demo at the end about why the sky is
blue / sunsets are red, etc.

also, if you like the ideas of the physics of sound lecture, I
recommend you get a copy of this book, which gives an amazing
explanation of the interplay of physics and sound from ancient times
to MP3s, etc.

http://is.gd/gPr2

it’s worth getting ! really, really nice book.

images for the sonification homework: