Disquiet Junto 0050: Telegraph Incantation
This was the assignment for this week:This week’s project explores invokes Morse Code for its rhythmic content. The instructions are as follows: Select a word or phrase.
Encode that word or phrase by the Morse method. Record a rhythmic foundation in which the dash is represented by a long beat and the
dot by a brief one. Use that rhythmic foundation as a loop for the length of your track, at the speed you desire — speed can vary over
the length of the recording. Record accompanying drone/melodic material that takes the underlying rhythm as its compositional foundation.
I instantly knew that for this composition I wanted to make a supercollider script that would generate a listenable version of the track no matter what phrase was entered. I wrote a text to morse code translator and then used a Prout to encode this rhythmically. All parts of the song work dynamically based off the length of the phrase entered.
To generate your own telegraph incantation change the variable phrase.
/* Telegraph Incantation [disquiet0050-morsebeat] By Schemawound All code by Jonathan Siemasko Blog post about this track: https://schemawound.com/post/38127291200/telegraph-incantation-disquiet0050-morsebeat DESCRIPTION: This week’s project explores invokes Morse Code for its rhythmic content. The instructions are as follows: Select a word or phrase. Encode that word or phrase by the Morse method. Record a rhythmic foundation in which the dash is represented by a long beat and the dot by a brief one. Use that rhythmic foundation as a loop for the length of your track, at the speed you desire — speed can vary over the length of the recording. Record accompanying drone/melodic material that takes the underlying rhythm as its compositional foundation. More on this 50th Disquiet Junto project at: http://disquiet.com/2012/12/13/disquiet0050-morsebeat/ More details on the Disquiet Junto at: http://soundcloud.com/groups/disquiet-junto/info/ */ ( fork{ var phrase = "LYRA"; var fxSynth, group, bus, mainOut, patBass, patBassLoop, patMorse, patMorseDeci, patMorseDeciLoop, patMorseFast, patKick, patPad, patKickAndPad, patMainLoop, patFullSong; var morse; //Holds the main object used by the song var songClock = TempoClock(11); var createMorse = {|inString, spaceBetweenLetters = 3, spaceBetweenWords = 7| /* Function to take a string and convert it an event that can create morse code duration streams. Handles a-z, A-Z and 0-9. Parameters allow you to adjust the space between letters and words. These parameters default to international morse code as shown on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_code NOTE: outEvent.wordSpace must be equal to or greater than outEvent.letterSpace. */ var charToMorse; var outEvent = (message: inString, code: "", letterSpace: "", wordSpace: ""); //Fill letterSpace and wordspace per number specified in input args. //outEvent.wordSpace reduced by the size of outEvent.letterSpace to account for that will occur before it. (spaceBetweenLetters - 1).do{outEvent.letterSpace = outEvent.letterSpace ++ " "}; (spaceBetweenWords - spaceBetweenLetters).do{outEvent.wordSpace = outEvent.wordSpace ++ " "}; //Function to convert a single character to morse code charToMorse = {|inChar| switch(inChar, $A, {".-"}, $B, {"-..."}, $C, {"-.-."}, $D, {"-.."}, $E, {"."}, $F, {"..-."}, $G, {"--."}, $H, {"...."}, $I, {".."}, $J, {".---"}, $K, {"-.-"}, $L, {".-.."}, $M, {"--"}, $N, {"-."}, $O, {"---"}, $P, {".--."}, $Q, {"--.-"}, $R, {".-."}, $S, {"..."}, $T, {"-"}, $U, {"..-"}, $V, {"...-"}, $W, {".--"}, $X, {"-..-"}, $Y, {"-.--"}, $Z, {"--.."}, $1, {".----"}, $2, {"..---"}, $3, {"...--"}, $4, {"....-"}, $5, {"....."}, $6, {"-...."}, $7, {"--..."}, $8, {"---.."}, $9, {"----."}, $0, {"-----"}, $ , {outEvent.wordSpace} ); }; //Take the input string, convert to uppercase and convert one letter at a time. Add outEvent.letterSpace between letters inString.toUpper.do{|char, i| var isFinalChar = (i != (inString.size - 1)); var isWordSpace = (char != $ ); outEvent.code = outEvent.code ++ charToMorse.(char); //Include outEvent.letterSpace after each character except outEvent.wordSpaces and the final letter. if(isFinalChar && isWordSpace, {outEvent.code = outEvent.code + outEvent.letterSpace}); }; //Create a Prout that duration streams can be generated from outEvent.prout = Prout{|in| inf.do{|i| var char = outEvent.code.wrapAt(i); switch(char, $., {in = 1.embedInStream(in)}, $-, {in = 3.embedInStream(in)}, $ , {in = Rest(1).embedInStream(in)} ); }; }; //Function to create a new duration stream outEvent.durStream = {outEvent.prout.asStream;}; //Count number of events in the stream outEvent.numEvents = outEvent.code.size; //Calculate the number of beats in the stream outEvent.numBeats = 0; outEvent.code.do{|val,i| var char = outEvent.code[i]; switch(char, $., {outEvent.numBeats = outEvent.numBeats + 1}, $-, {outEvent.numBeats = outEvent.numBeats + 3}, $ , {outEvent.numBeats = outEvent.numBeats + 1} ); }; //Return event outEvent; }; //--------------------SynthDef-------------------- SynthDef(\morseTone, {|out = 0, freq = 400, gate = 1, pan = 0, wobbleDepth = 10, wobbleRate = 3, amp = 1, attack = 0.03, decay = 0.03, release = 0.03| var env = EnvGen.ar(Env.adsr(attack, decay, 1, release), gate, doneAction: 2); var wobble = SinOsc.ar(wobbleRate).range(0, wobbleDepth); var osc = SinOsc.ar(freq) * SinOsc.ar(freq + 1 + wobble); var output = Pan2.ar(osc * env, pan, amp); Out.ar(out, output); }).add; SynthDef(\AEKick, {| out = 0, amp = 1, attack = 0.01, decay = 0.7, curve = 3, pEnvMul = 20, pEnvAdd = 40, pEnvAtk = 0.01, pEnvDecay = 0.25, pEnvCurve = -4 fmAmp = 1, fmpEnvMul = 100, fmpEnvAdd = 10, fmpEnvAtk = 0.001, fmpEnvDecay = 0.10, fmpEnvCurve = -2 | var ampEvn = EnvGen.ar(Env.perc(attack, decay, amp, curve), doneAction: 2); var pitchEnv = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(pEnvAtk, pEnvDecay, pEnvMul, pEnvCurve)) + pEnvAdd; var fmpitchEnv = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(fmpEnvAtk, fmpEnvDecay, fmpEnvMul, fmpEnvCurve)) + fmpEnvAdd; var fmMod = SinOsc.ar(fmpitchEnv) * fmAmp; var sin = SinOsc.ar(pitchEnv) * fmMod; sin = sin + (LFNoise0.ar(10000) * EnvGen.ar(Env.perc(0.01, 0.02, 0.001, 0))); Out.ar(out, sin * ampEvn!2); }).add; SynthDef(\slowPad, { | out = 0, gate = 1, freq = 400, amp = 0.1, sawLfoAmount = 0.1, sawLfoLFreq = 0.1, sawLfoRFreq = 0.25, sawAmp = 0.5, squareLfoDepth = 0.4, squareLfoFreq = 0.034, squareDetune = -0.3, squareAmp = 0.5, combFreqMult = 0.0003, combDecay = 0.5, filterMult = 4, filterAttack = 7, filterDecay = 5, filterSustain = 0.5, filterRelease = 3, filterRQ = 1, filterAmp = 0.5, ampAttack = 2, ampDecay = 4, ampSustain = 0.5, ampRelease = 0.8 | //Saws var sawLfo = SinOsc.kr([sawLfoLFreq, sawLfoRFreq]).range(sawLfoAmount * -1, sawLfoAmount); var saws = (Saw.ar(freq) + Saw.ar((freq.cpsmidi + sawLfo).midicps)) * sawAmp; //Square var defaultSquarePW = 0.5; var squareLfo = SinOsc.kr(squareLfoFreq).range(defaultSquarePW - squareLfoDepth, defaultSquarePW + squareLfoDepth); var square = PulseDPW.ar(freq + squareDetune, squareLfo) * squareAmp; //Comb var combMaxDecay = 1; var comb = CombC.ar(saws + square, combMaxDecay, combFreqMult * freq, combDecay) + (saws + square); var comb2 = CombC.ar(comb, combMaxDecay, (combFreqMult / 3) * freq, combDecay / 2) + comb; //Filter var filterEnv = EnvGen.kr(Env.adsr(filterAttack, filterDecay, filterSustain, filterRelease), gate) * filterMult; var filter = BLowPass.ar(comb2, freq * filterEnv, filterRQ) * filterAmp; //Out var ampEnv = EnvGen.kr(Env.adsr(ampAttack, ampDecay, ampSustain, ampRelease), gate, doneAction:2) * amp; Out.ar(out, filter * ampEnv); }).add; SynthDef(\slowFX, {|out = 0, in, amp = 0.1| var inSig = In.ar(in, 2); inSig = GVerb.ar(inSig); inSig = Compander.ar(inSig, inSig, 0.5, 1, 1/16); inSig = HPF.ar(inSig, 100) * SinOsc.ar(80); Out.ar(out, inSig * amp); }).add; SynthDef(\verb, {|out = 0, in, amp = 0.3, roomsize = 10, revtime = 3| var inSig = In.ar(in, 2); inSig = inSig + (GVerb.ar(inSig, roomsize, revtime) * 0.3); inSig = Compander.ar(inSig, inSig, 0.5, 1, 1/16); Out.ar(out, inSig * amp); }).add; SynthDef(\deciVerb, {|out = 0, in, amp = 0.2| var inSig = In.ar(in, 2); inSig = Decimator.ar(inSig, 5e3, 16); inSig = Compander.ar(inSig, inSig, 0.5, 1, 1/16); Out.ar(out, inSig * amp); }).add; //--------------------Sync-------------------- s.sync; //--------------------Create Morse-------------------- morse = createMorse.(phrase); //-----Groups and Busses----- group = (); group.synths = Group.new; group.fx = Group.after(group.synths); mainOut = 0; bus = (); bus.modVerb = Bus.audio(s, 2); bus.smallVerb = Bus.audio(s, 2); bus.verb = Bus.audio(s, 2); bus.deciVerb = Bus.audio(s, 2); //--------------------Cleanup-------------------- CmdPeriod.doOnce{ bus.modVerb.free; bus.verb.free; bus.deciVerb.free; bus.smallVerb.free; }; //--------------------FX Synths-------------------- fxSynth = (); fxSynth.deciVerb = Synth(\deciVerb, [\in, bus.deciVerb, \out, mainOut], target: group.fx); fxSynth.modVerb = Synth(\slowFX, [\in, bus.modVerb, \out, mainOut], target: group.fx); fxSynth.smallVerb = Synth(\verb, [\in, bus.smallVerb, \out, mainOut, \roomsize, 10, \revtime, 1.5], target: group.fx); fxSynth.verb = Synth(\verb, [\in, bus.verb, \out, mainOut], target: group.fx); //--------------------Pattern-------------------- patBass = Pbind(*[instrument: \morseTone, freq: 60, wobbleDepth: 0, dur: morse.durStream * 0.25, amp: 0.3, pan: Pseq((1!morse.numEvents).add(-1!morse.numEvents).flatten, 4), out: bus.deciVerb ]); patMorse = Pbind(*[instrument: \morseTone, wobbleDepth: Pwhite(3.0, 10.0), dur: morse.durStream, amp: 0.3, pan: Pseq((1!morse.numEvents).add(-1!morse.numEvents).flatten, 2), out: bus.smallVerb ]); patMorseFast = Pbind(*[instrument: \morseTone, freq: 600, wobbleDepth: Pwhite(3.0, 10.0), dur: morse.durStream * 0.5, amp: 0.2, pan: Pseq((1!morse.numEvents).add(-1!morse.numEvents).flatten, 4), out: bus.smallVerb]); patMorseDeci = Pbind(*[instrument: \morseTone, wobbleDepth: Pwhite(3.0, 10.0), dur: morse.durStream, amp: 0.2, pan: Pseq((1!morse.numEvents).add(-1!morse.numEvents).flatten, 2), out: bus.deciVerb ]); patKick = Pbind(*[instrument: \AEKick, dur: Pseq((morse.numBeats/2!2).add(Rest(morse.numBeats/2)!2).flatten, 4), amp: 0.2, decay: 0.3, out: bus.verb]); patPad = Pbind(*[instrument: \slowPad, dur: Pn(morse.numBeats * 4, 2), amp: 0.7, out: bus.modVerb]); patKickAndPad = Ppar([patKick, patPad]); patMainLoop = Ptpar([ 000.0, patMorse, 000.0, patKick, 000.0, patPad, morse.numBeats * 4, patMorse, morse.numBeats * 4, patMorseFast ]); patBassLoop = Ptpar([ 000.0, patBass, morse.numBeats * 4, patBass ]); patMorseDeciLoop = Ptpar([ 000.0, patMorseDeci, morse.numBeats * 4, patMorseDeci ]); patFullSong = Ptpar([ 000.0, patKickAndPad, morse.numBeats * 8, patMainLoop, morse.numBeats * 16, patMainLoop, morse.numBeats * 16, patBassLoop, morse.numBeats * 24, patMainLoop, morse.numBeats * 24, patBassLoop, morse.numBeats * 24, patMorseDeciLoop, morse.numBeats * 32, patPad, morse.numBeats * 32, patMorseDeciLoop ]); //--------------------Output-------------------- '-----MORSE-----'.postln; morse.dopostln; '-----GROUPS-----'.postln; group.dopostln; '-----BUSSES-----'.postln; bus.dopostln; '-----FX SYNTHS-----'.postln; fxSynth.dopostln; //--------------------Play-------------------- patFullSong.play(songClock) } )