Joined: May 08, 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Oxford,UK
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:21 pm Post subject:
Algorithmic Sofware for Newbies
Hi, hope this is in the right place. I'm interested in starting some algorithmic music projects, apart from experimentation for my own interest, I need to be able to create long (6omins) gentle, non intrusive pieces for use by therapists.
I've seen reviews of Artwonk and downloaded a demo but it seems too complicated for me. I demo'd Wheel of Fortune but that seems a bit limited. I tried Fractal TuneSmithy and then took the midi files and that seems promising but I ran out of demo time as I've been ill.
Anyone have recommendations for someone starting in this area, or comments on TuneSmithy?
Joined: Aug 28, 2006 Posts: 858 Location: Guangzhou, China
Audio files: 4
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:13 pm Post subject:
Whew... That's a tall order... something that's powerful but not too complicated to use, flexible without overwhelming you with options, easy to use without being too restricted in scope.
I do algorithmic composition in SuperCollider... but let me say before going further that SuperCollider is not a gentle introduction to AC. It's a build it yourself programming language and the learning curve is steep. I've been at it for almost five years and I love it, but I'd be the first to say that if you want to start turning out tracks quickly, it is not the tool you want.
My feeling is that some of my compositional "personality" finds its way into my algorithms and the resulting music somehow reflects "me" even if I'm not making an explicit decision about every note. I'm not sure that this would happen if I were using somebody else's algorithms. But maybe you don't need to think about that at this stage of just getting started.
Sorry I don't have specific comments on the other software... I'm very much a DIY person on this score.
keykit has some very powerful algorithmic generation. It's probably a few steps up from SC, though can be equally powerful, since you can program at the lowest levels as well. THere are tutorials that show exactly how to do a few things, using the Expresso tool, for example.
Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:06 am Post subject:
While it is probably too complicated for the casual use you mention, Max/MSP is often considered to be the "gold standard" for this sort of thing. It has a greater than 20 year year history of use for algorithmic composition, and is one of the best supported environments out there.
Joined: Jul 13, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: United States
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:44 am Post subject:
Re: Algorithmic Sofware for Newbies
ChamomileShark wrote:
Hi, hope this is in the right place. I'm interested in starting some algorithmic music projects, apart from experimentation for my own interest, I need to be able to create long (6omins) gentle, non intrusive pieces for use by therapists.
I've seen reviews of Artwonk and downloaded a demo but it seems too complicated for me. I demo'd Wheel of Fortune but that seems a bit limited. I tried Fractal TuneSmithy and then took the midi files and that seems promising but I ran out of demo time as I've been ill.
Anyone have recommendations for someone starting in this area, or comments on TuneSmithy?
Many thanks
You might be interested in AudioCubes and its free Improvisor algorithmic composition software. Check out http://land.percussa.com/audiocubes-improvisor/ and see below for a video (you can use any instrument you want via MIDI, not just a piano)
Improvisor is a very simple piece of software where each cube can be linked to a note pattern, which can then be played back at any speed you want, and when the cubes are put next to each other the patterns will interact, generating completely new patterns. You could set up very slow note patterns and play them back on synths which have pad or string sounds loaded. SInce you are using your own patterns to improvise with algorithmically, it will sound like your music while being algorithmic in nature.
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