Week 1 - Processes, Parameters, Interface

We discussed:

• Objectives and scope of this course: To teach basic programming principles for music using SuperCollider.
  
• History of SuperCollider (From MAX extensions to Pyrite and Synth-o-Matic, SuperCollider 1, 2 and 3, stations in the development of SuperCollider.
  
• Origin and Development of Music Programming Languages. See historical article by Gareth Loy and Curtis Abbott: "Programming languages for computer music synthesis, performance, and composition" in: ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), Volume 17 , Issue 2 (June 1985), pp. 235 - 265 . Note: Can be found online via the Ionian University Library web service.
• Based on the example of Csound we introduced some basic principles underlying systems and languages for sound synthesis. Concepts discussed:
  
• Orchestra and score file formats.
  
• Instrument (Synth), synth definition and synth generation.
  
• Unit generator structure of synths.
• Variables and parameters
• "Interface" for programming a language, API (Application Programming Interface)
• message sending as method for communicating with objects in OOP
• The interface concept in OOP (the set of messages to which an object responds)
  
• The basic interface of synth processes: Messages for creating and destroying ("freeing") Synths and messages for changing (setting) the parameters of synths.
  

Assignment:

• Download and install SuperCollider from http://supercollider.sourceforge.net
• Study the first tutorial of the help file.
  

Further references:
SuperCollider Book (Draft) by Iannis Zannos. This can be dowloaded from: http://www.esnips.com/supercollider