Workshop GO FORTH!
20 – 21 July 2006
11:00 – 17:00
the Museum of Science and Industry, Liverpool Road, Manchester
Guests: Tom Schouten, Aymeric Mansoux and Marloes de Valk
Digital Research Unit and GOTO10

Go forth! script realtime graphics & build your own lofi 8bit synthesizer

Go forth! is a 2 day workshop in which you will build your own mini lofi synthesizer using a PIC chip. Because fresh tunes simply taste better with some eye candy, we’ll also teach you how to make realtime graphics.

If your heart starts beating faster every time you hear the fabulous 8bit sounds of the gameboy classic or atari, this workshop is for you. The first day we’ll introduce you to scripting realtime graphics. You’ll learn how to create complex visuals using only a few lines of code. The second day is all about PIC chips. Using cheap small components, you’ll build your own tiny synthesizer. Visuals and 8bit sound meet each other at the happy end of the workshop.

You’ll go home with a pure:dyne live cd, containing all the software used in the workshop (and much much more). Go Forth! is based on 100% FLOSS (Free Libre Open Source Software).

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

20 july (11.00 17.00)
– Introduction to pure:dyne: booting cd, docking & nesting, included software
– Basic linux skills: terminal, shell commands, desktop and file browser
– Introduction to Forth: syntax, interpreter, dictionary…
– Packet Forth: fun with PF using prepared dictionaries
– OSC and Packet Forth: example of communication with PureData

21 july (11.00 17.00)
– Toys: showcase of different PF/purrr applications
– Introduction to purrr: the Forth that makes your chip purrr
– Making noise with purrr: getting sound out of the PIC chip
– Fun with purrr: write your own synthesizer using a prepared dictionary
– Communication PF/purrr: link the generative visuals of the first day with your hardware synthesizer

PARTICIPANT PROFILE
No previous knowledge of electronics or programming required.