Assignment #2 : Computer Music "Foraging" Assignment

Working in groups, pick a computer music composition or synthesis program, produce a short study, write a detailed evaluation of the program, demonstrate it briefly in class.

Specifically, you are to do the following

• break up into groups of 3 students each
• search the web, computer music lists, ask for advice, and pick a program that you feel is
• interesting
• somewhat challenging
• hopefully: public domain or shareware
• robust enough to do some unusual composition or music synthesis
• learn the program in as much detail as you can, as a group, taking notes on the various features, idiosyncracies, interests, problems of the program (as if, for example, you were writing a detailed review of the program for a magazine like Keyboard or Electronic Musician)
• produce a short study in the program, as a group which:
• exploits the program's particular and unique features
• pushes the program somewhere it "doesn't want to go"
• is musically, conceptually interesting
• the study, should, hopefully be a soundfile (aiff, regular format for the class), but we want documentation (protools session printouts, patch diagrams, etc.). you can drop that soundfile in the dropbox for the second assignment
• in class, demonstrate the program for us, coherently, in a planned fashion, as if you're trying to teach it in, say, 15 minutes
• write up your description/review of the software for posting on the class website (one piece of writing per group)

Groups: If you can't find a group of three people, email me or Dan immediately, and we'll put you in touch with others who need collaborators.
Programs: Larry needs to "vet" the program you're intending to use, so that it's not too hard or too easy. For instance, SoundApp is too easy, and CoolEdit, Soundmaker are out. But, ProTools, Soundhack, Supercollider, PD, Gem, Soundmulch, Fruity Loops, Agarraphones Lyre, Melody Assistant, and many others would be just fine. Run your prospective choice by Larry before you start working in it. You should avoid very simple techno and drum beat editors, but on the other hand, more sophisticated versions of those (Fruity Loops, Acid, etc.) are perfectly ok (and we expect you to find some unusual things about those programs).
Where to find programs: I can suggest some, but also, a great place to look is Phil Burk's computer music software list.

Harmony Central is another good place to check out  software, hardware, etc.

One truism about music software is that a lot of it is simply designed to "make
easier" things that we already think we know how to do, know how to hear.
In other words, a lot of it doesn't move music forward, just quicker and more of it. Like a word
processor does for writing: it's meant to facillitate known forms, not enable
new ones (this is a bit of a generalization).

But to continue the analogy, what if someone found features in a word processor that in
fact engendered new literary, poetic, rhetorical ideas, and which were, not in fact, intended for
those purposes. That would be interesting. With music software, this is
more common, since music is so abstract, multi-stylistic, inviting of invention,
creativity, etc.

So a synthesis program, a complex sequencing program, some interesting notation
program, a small music programming language, a DSP modelling application, those
are all good candidates and there are certainly others.

(By the way: group dynamics are not going to be something Dan and I concern
ourselves with here, adjudicate, or consider in evaluating the project. The
groups are, to us, one single entity.)
 

Directions to hand in your sound files (1 piece per group)
(from Bruno)
 

• Make sure you've got the right file format (44100 kHz, 16 bit, stereo, AIFF)
• Sound file name: use the full name of ONE of the members of the group (Firstname + underscore + Lastname). It's all we need, since we have the list of all groups. Example with my name:
• Bruno_Ruviaro.aif
• Upload it to the cc11_Dropbox (Mac users: remember, use Fetch). Make sure you're uploading it to the Dropbox, and NOT to the cc11 home directory.
host: raven.dartmouth.edu
username: cc11
password: leeds
• If you have any trouble, blitz me and/or Larry in a reasonable time (this means: BEFORE 7:24pm on Monday evening). And please do not get desperate and send me any 20Mbytes files using blitzmail!

 

(ACIDHEADS)
Morgan Brown, Beth Hayer, Nate Saperia
Liam Butler, Robert Blake

Andrew Sandoval, Louis Odette, Noah Cook-Dubin
Protools

Duncan Gilles, Chelsea Carroll, Jordan M. Edmonson
Sibelius

Ashley S. Carruth, Melissa Yamauchi, Brian Griffeath-Loeb
CrusherX live

(Melody Assistants)
Matt Brown, Chris Langevin, Rizwan Mahmud
Nela Suka, Jessie Ward, Bart Elmore

(FRUITY LOOPERS)
Ron Westgate, David Gainer, Ivan Grant
Katherine A. Blumenthal, Michael J. Lee, Ritchie King
Adam Wilk, Matt Kenney, Marcus Gregg
Meredith Cashman, Bruce Gago, Thomas Cheung

(OTHERS)
Lindsay Davis, Khanh Do Ba
Wavelab

Darren Thomas, Laura Trouille, and David Velleman
Cell Synth

Karisa Vruin, Sabrina Peric, Kim Marable
Phrazer (mac)

Kip Benson, Nathalie Cohen, Zach Rentz, Jon Sar
MatLab

Isabel Casariego, Ben Young, and Chris Kane
MarcoHack

 Nick Willey
Audiomulch