I have been working on a Xenakis-influenced graphical cloud synthesis program. The working Alpha version (0.a02) is far enough along that I can release it into the wild. Improvements, like being able to save, will be forthcoming. If there is adequate interest, I’ll put this on sourceforge or something, so it’s easier to get updates.

This program is so cutting edge, that you will need to download a build from 12 November 2005 or newer from Wesleyan to run this. Grab the one called Most Recent Build if the file size looks reasonable. (around 6.2 mb or larger.)

There are two files: scribble.rtf and Cloud.sc. The best place to put Cloud.sc is ~/Library/Application\ Support/SuperCollider/Extensions/Les/ (create it if it doesn’t exist) or, alternately, you can drop it in SC/SCClassLibrary.

To run: after you’ve put Cloud.sc in the appropriate place, start the SuperCollider application. Hit the boot button on the localhost server window. Open scribble.rtf and follow the commented instructions within. There are two examples (soon to be three). To run the examples, select the indicated code and hit enter (not return, they’re different keys). Start drawing in the big scribble window. To change the settings on an individual cloud, chose “select single” from the pull down menu. Then click inside a shape. A dialog box will come up, which you can use to change parameter for that one shape only (group select is coming soon). To play, click the button that looks like [ > ].

You’ll notice with the different examples, that the dialog box that opens when you click on a cloud is different. The examples show how to change the default settings to use clouds to control different parameters. One of the examples uses the clouds to control the high and low frequency settings of a bandpass filter.

Rain Clouds is an mp3 created with this tool.

Obviously, this is open source. Standard software disclaimers apply.

Pieces I’ve done using GrainPIC

Last update: 22 December 2005