Programming Electronic Music in PD.PDF

This PDF provides an introduction to programming electronic music in PD (Pure Data), a powerful open-source visual programming language for multimedia.

Introduction

This document is an introductory guide to programming electronic music in Pure Data (PD). Pure Data is a free and open source visual programming language for creating interactive computer music and audio processing applications. This guide covers the basics of PD programming, including an introduction to the PD interface and how to create simple PD patches.

The Basics of Pure Data

Pure Data (PD) is a dataflow programming language developed by Miller Puckette in the early 1990s. PD is used by a wide variety of people in a diverse range of fields, from visual arts to music to system administration.

PD is similar to other dataflow programming languages such as Max/MSP, but has a number of unique features that make it particularly well suited for music and audio applications. In PD, each “object” represents a function or operation, and the “patch cords” connecting objects together define the order in which the operations are performed. This makes PD patches very easy to understand and modify.

In addition, PD has excellent support for real-time audio and MIDI input and output, making it an ideal platform for developing interactive music applications.

This guide will provide an overview of the Pure Data programming language and environment, with a focus on developing applications for electronic music. We will cover the following topics:

– The fundamental concepts of dataflow programming
– The Pure Data graphical user interface
– Creating and manipulating audio signals in Pure Data
– Designing filters and effects using Pure Data’s object library
– Working with MIDI input and output in Pure Data

Working with Samples

Now that you know the basics of Pure Data, let’s explore how to work with audio samples. In this section, we’ll cover the following topics:

-How to load and play a sample
-How to adjust the playback speed of a sample
-How to loop a sample
-How to change the volume of a sample
-How to reverse a sample

MIDI and OSC

Most MIDI controllers will also send out control change (CC) messages. These can be used to modulate sound parameters within Pure Data. However, in addition to MIDI, many controllers also have the ability to send Open Sound Control (OSC) messages. OSC is an open standard for communication between electronic devices, developed in the early 2000s specifically for music applications. OSC uses UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which is different from MIDI (which uses a protocol called std).

Networking

PD (Pure Data) is a powerful open-source visual programming language for creating electronic music and interactive audio applications. In this course, you will learn the basics of programming in PD, from installing the software to creating your first patch. We’ll explore PD’s unique approach to music making, networked performance, and physical computing. By the end of the course, you will have created your own interactive audio applications and be able to share them with other people online.

Advanced Topics

This chapter discusses some more advanced topics in programming electronic music in PD. These include using multiple synthesis methods in a patch, using pre-recorded sounds (samples), and using other software programs with PD.

Multiple synthesis methods can be combined in a single patch to create more complex sounds. For example, a patch might use both additive and subtractive synthesis to create a rich, full sound. Or, a patch might use both granular and spectral synthesis to create a evolving, slowly-changing soundscape.

Samples can be used in PD to add realism to a patch, or to create completely new sounds that would be difficult or impossible to create with synthesis alone. Samples can be recorded directly into PD, or imported from other sources such as CDs or the internet.

Other software programs can be used in conjunction with PD to add additional functionality. For example, MAX/MSP is a visual programming language that can be used to control PD patches. Reaktor is another software program that can be used to create custom synthesis algorithms that can be used in PD patches.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have seen how Pure Data can be used to create a fully functioning electronic music system. We have also looked at how to use Pure Data to process and manipulate audio signals in real-time.