SuperDirt | SuperCollider 3.13.0 Help

Description

This is a SuperCollider variant of Dirt, the sound engine for the Tidal http://tidalcycles.org/ programming language by Alex McLean. Most of SuperDirt can be rewritten at runtime: you can add and modify effects, synth defs, load samples incrementally, and spatialise to any number of channels. You can use SuperCollider as usual.

NOTE: This system is experimental.

Many examples can be found in the folders: hacks/ and scripts/

The examples suppose that environment variables are accessible. If you want to use ProxySpace or similar redirect environments, see below.

// starting up

(
// configure the sound server: here you could add hardware specific options
// see http://doc.sccode.org/Classes/ServerOptions.html
s.options.numBuffers = 1024 * 16; // increase this if you need to load more samples
s.options.memSize = 8192 * 16; // increase this if you get "alloc failed" messages
s.options.maxNodes = 1024 * 32; // increase this if you are getting drop outs and the message "too many nodes"
s.options.numOutputBusChannels = 2; // set this to your hardware output channel size, if necessary
s.options.numInputBusChannels = 2; // set this to your hardware input channel size, if necessary
// boot the server and start SuperDirt
s.waitForBoot {
    ~dirt = SuperDirt(2, s); // two output channels, increase if you want to pan across more channels
    ~dirt.loadSoundFiles;   // load samples (path containing a wildcard can be passed in)
    s.sync; // wait for samples to be read
    ~dirt.start(57120, [0, 0]);   // start listening on port 57120, create two orbits, each sending audio to channel 0. You can direct sounds to the orbits from tidal e.g. by: `# orbit "0 1 1"
}
)
// now you should be able to send from tidal via port 57120

Using SuperDirt examples together with ProxySpace

All startup files and examples use the environment variables, like ~dirt. If you want to use ProxySpace or similar redirect environments, you should bind these to their respective file (which needs to be saved to disk):p = ProxySpace.push(s).linkDoc; // now the proxyspace is only active in that document

Class Methods

.new

Return a new instance, ready to be started

Arguments:

numChannels	The number of channels of the internal bus (this is also the maximal number of output channels).
server	Server to play on.

.maxSampleNumChannels

Specifies the maximum number of channels your sound files have (default is 2: stereo samples)

.start

Convenience method that gives defaults for many situations. It configures the server and starts SuperDirt with a number of orbits. It allows you to pass a few parameters:

Arguments:

numChannels	The number of channels of the SuperDirt instance (see above).
server	Server to play on.
numOrbits	number of orbits to create on startup (see: DirtOrbit). You can add or remove them later.
port	The port to listen on (default is 57120)
senderAddr	The address to listen to (a String).
path	A path that is used to load some sound files. This is a string, a path pointing to a number of files, which usually contains a wildcard (``). E.g. `"~/samples/special/"`

.postTidalParameters

Post a string with the tidal language parameter definitions for a number of SynthDefs. Duplicates are removed automatically. Note that these all use (Nothing), because defaults are defined in the SynthDef default arguments.

Example: let (freq, _) = pF "freq" (Nothing)SuperDirt.postTidalParameters([\default, \supercomparator])

Arguments:

synthNames	A symbol or array of symbols of the SynthDef names for which to generate the tidal code.
excluding	The parameter names which should be excluded. Names already defined and used internally by SuperDirt will be excluded in additinon tho these.

Instance Methods

.orbits

A list of DirtOrbits. Orbits are the basic elements of dirt. Each has its own global effects and global settings. You can start any number of orbits any time. From tidal, you can direct sounds into an orbit by the parameter: # orbit "7" (this sends to orbit 7, if it exists, otherwise it'll wrap to whatever is available.)// in the default startup, dirt is kept in the ~dirt environment variable // you can access the orbit by index: ~dirt.orbits[0].set(\amp, 0.1) // reduce the amplitude of one orbit // make a mixer for the orbits, using dB scaling ( var w, spec; spec = \db.asSpec; w = Window("orbital volume", Rect(240, 240, 300, 500)).front; w.view.layout = HLayout(*~dirt.orbits.collect { |x| var val = spec.unmap(x.get(\amp).ampdb); Slider().value_(val).action_({ |v| x.set(\amp, spec.map(v.value).dbamp.postln) }) }); )

.doNotReadYet

If set to true, any sound files are not read but only their paths registered, so that they can be read when needed. This may result in a missing sound when it is played first. It is useful when computer memory is limited.

.loadSoundFiles

Read a number of sound file from disk and load them into the server memory. The buffer information is also kept in buffers, a dictionary. You can do this any time while running, and incrementally add more files. ~dirt.loadSoundFiles("<your sound file path>");

NOTE: The naming scheme works as follows:

Given a path like: "path/to/my/basedrum/*".

The dictionary will contain under the key 'basedrum' an Array of all the Buffers from the samples found in the folder.

From tidal, they can be accessed e.g. by d1 $ sound $ "basedrum:1 basedrum:4", or alternatively by the n parameter. Sample numbers below zero or above the number of samples in the folder will wrap, i.e. if you have a folder of 4 samples, 5 will play 0.

Arguments:

paths

Specifies paths for sound files. This is a string, a path pointing to a number of files, which usually contains a wildcard (*). E.g. "~/samples/special/*". For the glob syntax, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glob_%28programming%29.

Alternatively, you can pass in an Array of full paths, e.g. ["~/samples/drums/", "~/samples/cats/"].

appendToExisting

If set to true, this will keep existing dictionary keys (see above) and add the new samples to any existing ones. This allows you to load different folders with the same name. Otherwise it will only keep those existing names which are not found in the new set of samples.

namingFunction

Provide a function to generate your own instrument names, which you call from tidal. The function is passed the folder path (a String). By default, this function is _.basename, which returns the folder name.

.loadSoundFileFolder

Read a single folder of sound files and add all of them under 'name' to the sample instruments. You can do this any time while running, and incrementally add more files.

Arguments:

folderPath	The path for the folder.
name	The name of the sample instrument as it will be used in tidal. Subsequent sound files can be addressed by passing the "n" parameter, e.g. `"bd:1 bd:2"`.
appendToExisting	See: -loadSoundFiles ~dirt.loadSoundFileFolder(Platform.resourceDir +/+ "sounds/", \teletubbies); // play them in tidal with "teletubbies" // play from sclang (type: \dirt, dirt: ~dirt, sound: "teletubbies:2", speed: 0.5, n: 0).play; (type: \dirt, dirt: ~dirt, sound: "teletubbies:2", speed: 0.5, n: 1).play; // play from sclang

.loadSoundFile

Read a single sound file and add it under 'name' to the sample instruments. You can do this any time while running, and incrementally add more files.

Arguments:

path	The path for the file.
name	The name of the sample instrument as it will be used in tidal
appendToExisting	See: -loadSoundFiles ~dirt.loadSoundFile(Platform.resourceDir +/+ "sounds/a11wlk01.wav", \a11); // play them in tidal with "a11" ~dirt.buffers[\a11]; (type: \dirt, dirt: ~dirt, sound: "a11", speed: 0.5).play; // play from sclang

.loadOnly

Read a number of named folders. You can do this any time while running, and incrementally add more files.

Arguments:

names	An array of symbols or strings. These are folder names and at the same time instrument names for tidal.
path	The path in which the folders can be found.
appendToExisting	See: -loadSoundFiles ~dirt.loadOnly([\bd, \moog, \hh, \cp]);

.freeSoundFiles

Remove sound files and free their memory.

Arguments:

names

An array of sample instrument names which to remove. ~dirt.postSampleInfo; ~dirt.freeSoundFiles([\bubble]); ~dirt.postSampleInfo; // now, the bubbles should be gone.

circus (3) 0.17 - 0.52 sec (171 kB). ~dirt.postSampleInfo

.loadSynthDefs

Load a number of files, usually containing SynthDefs.

Arguments:

path	This is a string, a path pointing as´file or a to a number of files, which then contains a wildcard (``). E.g. `"~/synths/special/"`

.start

This method starts SuperDirt. It creates a number of DirtOrbits (each of which has global effects, output busses, and settings). It also opens a network connection.

Arguments:

port	The port to listen on (default is 57120)
outBusses	An (a Array) of audio output channels: it determines how many DirtOrbits there will be.
senderAddr	The address to listen to (a String).

.stop

End all audio processes and close network responder.

.free

End all audio processes, close network responder, and free sound file resources.

helpfile source: HelpSource/Classes/SuperDirt.schelp
link::SuperDirt/Classes/SuperDirt::

SuperDirt
Extension

Description

Using SuperDirt examples together with ProxySpace

Class Methods

.new

Arguments:

.maxSampleNumChannels

.start

Arguments:

.postTidalParameters

Arguments:

Instance Methods

.orbits

.doNotReadYet

.loadSoundFiles

Arguments:

.loadSoundFileFolder

Arguments:

.loadSoundFile

Arguments:

.loadOnly

Arguments:

.freeSoundFiles

Arguments:

.freeAllSoundFiles

.fileExtensions

.postSampleInfo

.loadSynthDefs

Arguments:

.start

Arguments:

.stop

.free

SuperDirtExtension

Description

Using SuperDirt examples together with ProxySpace

Class Methods

.new

Arguments:

.maxSampleNumChannels

.start

Arguments:

.postTidalParameters

Arguments:

Instance Methods

.orbits

.doNotReadYet

.loadSoundFiles

Arguments:

.loadSoundFileFolder

Arguments:

.loadSoundFile

Arguments:

.loadOnly

Arguments:

.freeSoundFiles

Arguments:

.freeAllSoundFiles

.fileExtensions

.postSampleInfo

.loadSynthDefs

Arguments:

.start

Arguments:

.stop

.free

SuperDirt
Extension