Recommend an initial volume and frequency range for a beginner so someone doesn't blow an eardrum playing with frequency levels. We could create a basic table or find one out there to guide them initially.
Some links: "Notes on ChucK for music" http://www.dtic.upf.edu/~gcoleman/chuck/tutorial/tutorial.html
A whole forum full of people talking about ChucK. A lot of the stuff is just basic questions but there are some useful tidbits here and there. http://electro-music.com/forum/forum-140.html
For one of the first lessons, I think Judy should guide the class through coding in ChucK and some of the most basic commands/key words. Dominique did this in 111, and it really helped to watch him code (I know Nick would do this in 212 as well, and it also really helped). At the end of the class, the code they write should include multiple UGens (oscillators and effects), a time loop, durations, and a couple of shreds. "Sporking" is optional, but that might be a little bit too much for them to understand at first (even I'm still grasping exactly what's going on - it seems a bit like recursion). Also, declaring variables, writing comments, and basic ChucK syntax should be covered (probably to start the class).
Nice to discover your blog, let's hope it's still active. Here's a few remarks from an outsider.
Clearly someone - who already knows ChucK well - should re-write the manual. I'm a Pure Data fan and thought I'd check out ChucK, it certainly looks very interesting. But, as with Pure Data, ChucK needs a real manual, and one that goes step by step in the right order.
I've started with the manual which comes with ChucK but clearly it isn't laid out well. The first few steps are fine, then you head off - for a few pages - into MIDI .... who needs midi if you can't program the language?!! Then off into OSC and hosts .... but wait a minute, I thought we were learning (and presenting) ChucK?
Basically the manual just isn't laid out well, it doesn't concentrate on material in the write order and it needs to remember, not everyone is in a university class where they can ask questions.
Coming back to Pure Data, as an example, it is one of the reasons PD has never really made it over Max/MSP. Max/MSP has benefited from excellent manuals and books available everywhere, university courses and the rest. However, Pure Data does have a very strong community also, but if you get stuck you have to go on-line or to your local patching circle to get answers. This is great fun, but very time consuming and the day PD gets a really well written manual I'm sure many more people will use this system over Max/MSP - after all it's free, what more do you want?
Thanks anyway. I'll persevere with the ChucK manual as it is, but let's hope you manage to sort out this very simple problem quickly so more people can benefit from what looks like a very interesting program (software).
Frequency Table link - http://www.zytrax.com/tech/audio/audio.html#frequencies
ReplyDeleteThis table lists a variety of musical instruments and human hearing frequencies.
Recommend an initial volume and frequency range for a beginner so someone doesn't blow an eardrum playing with frequency levels. We could create a basic table or find one out there to guide them initially.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSome links:
ReplyDelete"Notes on ChucK for music"
http://www.dtic.upf.edu/~gcoleman/chuck/tutorial/tutorial.html
A whole forum full of people talking about ChucK. A lot of the stuff is just basic questions but there are some useful tidbits here and there.
http://electro-music.com/forum/forum-140.html
PDF of Audio Frequencies by musical note - detailed
ReplyDeletehttp://www.deepsonic.ch/deep/freeload/audio_frequency_chart.pdf
For one of the first lessons, I think Judy should guide the class through coding in ChucK and some of the most basic commands/key words. Dominique did this in 111, and it really helped to watch him code (I know Nick would do this in 212 as well, and it also really helped). At the end of the class, the code they write should include multiple UGens (oscillators and effects), a time loop, durations, and a couple of shreds. "Sporking" is optional, but that might be a little bit too much for them to understand at first (even I'm still grasping exactly what's going on - it seems a bit like recursion). Also, declaring variables, writing comments, and basic ChucK syntax should be covered (probably to start the class).
ReplyDeleteHi @ Learning ChucK
ReplyDeleteNice to discover your blog, let's hope it's still active. Here's a few remarks from an outsider.
Clearly someone - who already knows ChucK well - should re-write the manual. I'm a Pure Data fan and thought I'd check out ChucK, it certainly looks very interesting. But, as with Pure Data, ChucK needs a real manual, and one that goes step by step in the right order.
I've started with the manual which comes with ChucK but clearly it isn't laid out well. The first few steps are fine, then you head off - for a few pages - into MIDI .... who needs midi if you can't program the language?!! Then off into OSC and hosts .... but wait a minute, I thought we were learning (and presenting) ChucK?
Basically the manual just isn't laid out well, it doesn't concentrate on material in the write order and it needs to remember, not everyone is in a university class where they can ask questions.
Coming back to Pure Data, as an example, it is one of the reasons PD has never really made it over Max/MSP. Max/MSP has benefited from excellent manuals and books available everywhere, university courses and the rest. However, Pure Data does have a very strong community also, but if you get stuck you have to go on-line or to your local patching circle to get answers. This is great fun, but very time consuming and the day PD gets a really well written manual I'm sure many more people will use this system over Max/MSP - after all it's free, what more do you want?
Thanks anyway. I'll persevere with the ChucK manual as it is, but let's hope you manage to sort out this very simple problem quickly so more people can benefit from what looks like a very interesting program (software).
Best - Joe