Procedural Sound An Overview Stephen Hara Stephen Smith

Procedural Sound An Overview Stephen Hara Stephen Smith Doug Pittenger

Outline • • • Procedural Audio Computer-Generated Music Creation Programs Wolfram. Tones o Noatikl o • Examples in Action

Procedural Audio • • • Non-Linear Often Synthetic Created in real time set of programmatic rules o live input o

Computer-Generated Music • • • Music composed by, or strongly in part by, a computer Always includes computer composition, sometimes also computer performance Due to the limited successes in the field, the number of approaches to algorithmic composition are huge o Mathematical models, knowledge-based systems, grammars, genre learning, hybrid systems, evolutionary methods

Computer-Generated Music • • • Performing computers proves to be difficult if also generating the sounds to be used The most successful algorithms require user interaction, be it as a critic or initializer Since there is no good algorithm for human creativity (yet), almost every method relies on a significant amount of random number generation

Generative Sound • • • Refers to the generation of sound effects rather than score composition Also very difficult to do completely computationally because of the immense amount of complex factors defining sounds Has still been done, but generally in very restricted environments with narrow goals, and for graduate-level publications

Generative Music • • Cellular Automata (Wolfram. Tones, Life) Grammars Interactive (Noatikl, Koan) Emergent (wind chimes)

Wolfram. Tones • • Stephen Wolfram - " A New Kind of Science" Used in web browser Needs Quick. TIme http: //tones. wolfram. com/

Wolfram. Tones

Noatikl • • • Generative Music Engine o Generative Music Lab Launched in 2007 Produced by Intermorphic Replaced Koan Produces MIDI o Musical Instrument Digital Interface http: //intermorphic. com/tools/noatikl/

Noatikl

Noatikl

Noatikl Example http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=LV 8 Bs. Phq 1 F I

Evolutionary Music • • • Music that computationally evolves through generations to become 'aesthetically fit' Built on genalgos and some form of evaluation, either neural nets or humans Has had moderate amounts of success o • Melomics in Malaga, Spain has composed full pieces in specific genres with evolutionary algorithms http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Rn. CFCi 01 YA

Interactive & Video Games • Accept Input Modify Output o During Playback o • • • CD/MP 3 Create Non-Linear o Start New/Change Existing MIDI Piano/Turntable

Interactive Example Takes Input • Mouse speed o Pipe length and diameter o

Video Games • All Game Sound is Interactive (Minus Music) Always Interactive o Sounds constantly change § Evoke emotion or effect o • Usually Synthetic Oscillators & Filters o Real Instruments, Imaginary Sounds, Ambiance o Specific Equations o

Video Game Example In Game Example Every Shot is Unique •

More Info • More Info http: //www. procedural-audio. com/ § papers § demos § tools o http: //videogameaudio. com/ § presentations § writings o