- Synthesizers are tools to construct sounds.
- Sequencer are tools to construct sequences of sounds.
In linear sequencer a linear scanline moves across the screen, triggering a sound event whenever the scanline hits a target.
Bird Step Sequncer by Kathy Hinde and Ivan Franco.
Watch the Video here.
Robot Quadcopters performing the James Bond Theme - can you spot the sequencer?
Circular sequencers work very much like the well known radar interface. The scanline rotates around the center, triggering a BLIP whenever it hits a target.
A nice article about circular + other sequencers by Peter Kirn can be found here
- Collaborative Circular Sequencer runs in the browser using WebAudio
- Ball keeper – a circular Blockout clone (and a circluar sequencer too?)
In track sequencers, objects move along predefined tracks. Whenever they cross a certain point on the track a sound event is triggered.
Isle of Tune is a track sequencer.
The tracks are miniature roads on an island, the moving objects are little cars, and sound events can be attached to trees, buildings and other roadside objects.
IanniX is an open source graphical track sequencer, that let's you create OSC events.
See an example Video here
Dial is a tool by Dominofactory – watch the video here.
Overbug is a tool by Dominofactory – watch the video here.
- Ball Droppings + Source Code
- Melody Ball works like Ball Droppings. But the arrangement is evolved, to create a target melody.
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Animusic - animation of a physical music machine.
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The Musical Turk - animation of a physical music machine / circular piano.
Bottom-Up sequencers the exact sequence is a result of how individual nodes, are linked up to form a network or graph structure.
In NodeBeat, nodes placed by the musician, automatically link up to form a network based on proximity.
NodeBeat is an opensource geometric sequencer.
Watch the video here.
Reactivision sequencer relys on the same bottom-up process as Nodebeat, but the individual nodes are more closely linked to specific functions, so it's more of a node-based Synthesizer rather than just a sequencer.
Watch an intro video here
- Reactable (the product)
- Reactivision (the opensource software)
Texture is a visual programming environment, which is based on Tidal – a programming language for sound patterns, developed by Alex McLean.
In Texture both proximity and the grammar of the Tidal programming language determins how the nodes get connected to form a program (i.e. a turing-complete sequencer)
Acid sketch identified shapes inside an image, using their properties (diameter, elongation) to change timbre and pitch. Again bottom up approach is used to create a network (or a spannig tree) between the shapes, thus determining the musical sequence.
Check out the Video the open source Code.
Bottom-Up Sequencers are a first step towards actual Gestalt coding systems, since these systems use the law of proximity to form Programs.
If the connections made between nodes are based on a grammar, this is one step further towards Gestalt coding.
- How can the various Gestalt Laws be embedded in a Live-Coding System? (Similarity, Closure, Symmetry, Common Fate, Continuity, Good Gestalt ,Past Experience ...)
- Can you envision of a system where connections between nodes, are based on Gestalt Laws?
- Do you want to create something that has never been done before?
The instruments below may serve as inspiration for designing your own sequencers...
Webcam Music is a browser-based app that uses webcam input to trigger sound events
The Air Harp is an OSX app that uses the Leap Motion as input device.
Watch the video here + check out the source here.
Exercises can be found here.