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Here’s a little Supercollider code which tries to emulate the sonorities of artists like Alva Noto, Ryoji Ikeda, etc., with their blend of broken sine waves and percussive tones.
(
SynthDef(\main,{arg out=0, f=50,t_trig=0,p=0,i=0,d=10,l=0.1,a=0.5,n=1;
var fmod=SinOsc.ar(f/60,0,f/60);
var sig=[SinOsc.ar([f,f+600]+fmod,0,[d,0.005]).mean.tanh,HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(1),8000),SinOsc.ar(30,0,1),VarSaw.ar(f/40,mul:d*10000)];
var env=EnvGen.ar(Env([0.0,1.0,0.0],[0.0,l]),gate:t_trig);
Out.ar(out,Pan2.ar(((Select.ar(i,sig)*env).fold(-1,1)*0.7+SinOsc.ar(40,0,0.3))*(1+HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(0.02*n),8000)),p)*a);
}).add;
SynthDef(\hat,{arg out=0, f=50,t_trig=0,p=0,a=1;
var sig=HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(1),6000);
var env=EnvGen.ar(Env([0.0,1.0,0.0],[0.0,0.01]),gate:t_trig);
Out.ar(out,Pan2.ar((sig*env*a),p));
}).add;
y=Pmono(\main,\dur,Pxrand((1/8!8)++(1/4!8)++Pseq([1/16,1/16],Prand([1,2],1)),inf),\trig,1,\p,{rrand(-1,1)},\i,Pwrand([0,1,3,4],[0.946,0.03,0.02,0.004],inf),\d,Pwrand([1,30],[0.98,0.02],inf),\f,Pwrand([35,40,6000,20000],[0.30,0.65,0.03,0.02],inf),\l,{rrand(0.1,0.5)},\n,{[1,2,3,30].wchoose([0.8,0.1,0.05,0.05])});
z=Pmono(\hat,\dur,Pxrand((1/8!8)++(1/4!8)++Pseq([1/32,1/32,1/32,1/32],Prand([1,2],1)),inf),\trig,1,\p,{rrand(-1,1)},\a,0.1);
w=Ppar([y,z],inf).play;
)
s.quit;
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The main idea is to produce the percussive elements by a discontinuous volume envelope, so the “clicks” you hear are just the sine waves having a discontinuity. For this reason also I’ve preferred to use a Pmono, rather than a Pbind as the main rythmical sequencer. Also, via the Select UGen, one can obtain abrupt changes in the sound wave, producing again clicks and quirky noises.
The idea of the rythmic part comes from some post on the Supercollider Mailing List (can’t recall which one right now) using duty UGens, though.
Of course, to get what Noto and Ikeda do, it takes a long route: it’s when techniques end, and art begins. 
I highly suggest these, if you are curious about this type of stuff
comment
Hi there,
try to evaluate first the line s.boot, wait for the server to boot, and then evaluate the code in parenthesis. It should work.
I’m a fairly new supercollider user and was curious as to why supercollider just buffers endlessly the second I press enter using this code… It seems supercollider stops responding altogether and I end up having to quit and restart every time… Any idea whats going on and how to fix this so it plays?
Hi,
I’ve just tried it, and it works perfectly. Did you first boot the server, and then the code in the round brackets?
Thanks for the quick response. I get the message…
an EventStreamPlayer
and then the spinning wheel (buffering) goes on endlessly…
Do I just wait till something happens? Or maybe change something in my preferences? Just some troubleshooting ideas…
Just to be clear… This is the code I’ve been copying and pasting directly into supercollider:
SynthDef(\main,{arg out=0, f=50,t_trig=0,p=0,i=0,d=10,l=0.1,a=0.5,n=1;
var fmod=SinOsc.ar(f/60,0,f/60);
var sig=[SinOsc.ar([f,f+600]+fmod,0,[d,0.005]).mean.tanh,HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(1),8000),SinOsc.ar(30,0,1),VarSaw.ar(f/40,mul:d*10000)];
var env=EnvGen.ar(Env([0.0,1.0,0.0],[0.0,l]),gate:t_trig);
Out.ar(out,Pan2.ar(((Select.ar(i,sig)*env).fold(-1,1)*0.7+SinOsc.ar(40,0,0.3))*(1+HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(0.02*n),8000)),p)*a);
}).add;
SynthDef(\hat,{arg out=0, f=50,t_trig=0,p=0,a=1;
var sig=HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(1),6000);
var env=EnvGen.ar(Env([0.0,1.0,0.0],[0.0,0.01]),gate:t_trig);
Out.ar(out,Pan2.ar((sig*env*a),p));
}).add;
y=Pmono(\main,\dur,Pxrand((1/8!8)++(1/4!8)++Pseq([1/16,1/16],Prand([1,2],1)),inf),\trig,1,\p,{rrand(-1,1)},\i,Pwrand([0,1,3,4],[0.946,0.03,0.02,0.004],inf),\d,Pwrand([1,30],[0.98,0.02],inf),\f,Pwrand([35,40,6000,20000],[0.30,0.65,0.03,0.02],inf),\l,{rrand(0.1,0.5)},\n,{[1,2,3,30].wchoose([0.8,0.1,0.05,0.05])});
z=Pmono(\hat,\dur,Pxrand((1/8!8)++(1/4!8)++Pseq([1/32,1/32,1/32,1/32],Prand([1,2],1)),inf),\trig,1,\p,{rrand(-1,1)},\a,0.1);
w=Ppar([y,z],inf).play;
I press enter and supercollider seems to not respond and I get the spinning wheel… Is there maybe something wrong with this? Something missing? And yes I booted the server first
Nevermind I uninstalled and reinstalled a newer version and that seemed to work.
Thanks again! : )
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The code you wrote is soooooooo coool !!
This is it!!!!
I love RyojiIkeda Carlsten Nicolai too!
I tried it with SC on my computer,But does’t work completely.
My SC PostWindow just say that
localhost
RESULT = 0
an EventStreamPlayer
an EventStreamPlayer
.
I could’t get any sound from my mac.
Someday I wish got it. I need learn more a programming language and english. Thank you so much.
I love your music on the code witch you wrote!!!