Workshop : Pure Data and sound design
In coproduction with the European School of Visual Arts
Pure Data (or Pd) is a graphical programming language developed by Miller Puckette in the 1990s for the creation of interactive music and multimedia works in real time. It can also process incoming signals into the computer (sensor signals or network event for example) and process outgoing signals (using network protocols or electronic protocols for driving various hardware or devices). Pd is an open source project and has a large developer base working on new extensions to the program.
http://puredata.infoThis 3-days workshop taught by Andy Farnell (see biography at the bottom of the page) and assisted by Stéphane Léveillé (FR) is focused on sound design and Pure Data software. It aims to familiarize with the basics of sound, audio synthesis and effects using Pd. While learning how to build their own sounds and musical tools, the participants will end up playing all together over the local network.
Day 1: Basics
- introduction to interactive audio, audio programming, sound and music for games...
- Pure Data (Pd) mini install party
- the fundamentals of Pd
- arithmetic, objects, patching, GUI (Graphical User Interface) components
- patches demo
- simple exercise
- practical session - helping students to complete the simple exercise, discussing errors and difficulties
Day 2: Sound effects and music
- introduction to sound effects
- analyzing and listening to physical process
- making simple sound effects : fire, running water and bubbles, wind and rain, …
- Practical session: make any sound effect
- introduction to musical uses of Pd
- making a MIDI style synthesizer
- playing back samples, sequencing
- how to make simple pieces of music
- more music
- reverb, delays and effects, mixing and filtering
Day 3: Collective practical
- Q&A session
- introducing some more theory
- Practical group session: work together on a piece of music where each individual or small group build an instrument or sound effect and we connect it together with game controllers or individual laptops to make a performance.
- Collective practical all working together.
- Collective performance
| teacher | Andy Farnell (GB) assisted by Stéphane Léveillé (FR) |
|---|---|
| dates | 25th-26th-27th November 2008 - 9h-12h30 / 14h-17h30 |
| venue | Maison de l'Architecture |
| required hardware | bring your laptop and headphone |
| optional hardware | MIDI controllers USB / USB joypad / ... |
| entrance fee | free for EESI students / 50 eur (including GOTO10 membership of 10 eur) |
| registrations | Please send your name, email, phone number and CV to makeart2008@goto10.org before Thursday 13th November 2008. Please specify your operating system. |
Andy Farnell is the author of much of the material on obiwannabe.co.uk website. He's a computer scientist from the UK with many years experience of digital sound. I've worked as a programmer, producer and developer of audio software and content. Much of my regular work is often network related, serverside UNIX/GNU-Linux system programming. His interest is in synthesis and analysis of signals, and applications to sound environments. Now he is after games, animation or film companies that want to implement procedural audio and he's taking some time to write a book about synthetic sound while teaching workshops. He's a proud open source advocate. He tries to promote open standards, and he believes in good communication, documentation and universal access to enabling tools and knowledge.
