Understanding Streams, Patterns and Events - Part 3

ListPatterns

ListPatterns are Patterns that iterate over arrays of objects in some fashion. All ListPatterns have in common the instance variables list and repeats. The list variable is some Array to be iterated over. The repeats variable is

some measure of the number of times to do something, whose meaning varies from subclass to subclass. The default value for repeats is 1.

Pseq is a Pattern that cycles over a list of values. The repeats variable gives the number of times to repeat the entire list.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// Note: This SynthDef used throughout this document

(

s = Server.local;

SynthDef( \help_SPE3_SimpleSine, {

arg freq, sustain=1.0;

var osc;

osc = SinOsc.ar( [freq,freq+0.05.rand] ) * EnvGen.ar(

Env.perc, doneAction: 2, levelScale: 0.3, timeScale: sustain

);

Out.ar(0,osc);

}).add;

)

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(

var a, b;

a = Pseq.new(#[1, 2, 3], 2); // repeat twice

b = a.asStream;

7.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Pseq also has an offset argument which gives a starting offset into the list.

(

var a, b;

a = Pseq.new(#[1, 2, 3, 4], 3, 2); // repeat 3, offset 2

b = a.asStream;

13.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

You can pass a function for the repeats variable that gets evaluated when the stream is created.

(

var a, b;

a = Pseq.new(#[1, 2], { rrand(1, 3) }); // repeat 1,2, or 3 times

b = a.asStream;

7.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

If you specify the value inf for the repeats variable, then it will repeat indefinitely.

(

var a, b;

a = Pseq.new(#[1, 2, 3], inf); // infinite repeat

b = a.asStream;

10.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Pseq used as a sequence of pitches

Remember that math operations like midicps can be used on streams.

The alternative Pseq(...).midicps.asStream is also possible because both pattern and stream inherit from AbstractFunction for which midicps is a method. ( midicps converts a midi value to cycles per second or Hz )

(

var a, d;

a = Pseq(#[60, 61, 63, 65, 67, 63], inf ).asStream.midicps;

d = 0.3;

Task({

12.do({

Synth(\help_SPE3_SimpleSine, [ \freq, a.next, \sustain, d ]);

d.wait;

});

}).play

)

Pser is like Pseq, however the repeats variable gives the number of items returned instead of the number of complete cycles.

(

var a, b;

a = Pser.new(#[1, 2, 3], 5); // return 5 items

b = a.asStream;

6.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Prand returns one item from the list at random for each repeat.

(

var a, b;

a = Prand.new(#[1, 2, 3, 4, 5], 6); // return 6 items

b = a.asStream;

7.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Prand used as a sequence of pitches:

(

var a, d;

a = Prand(#[60, 61, 63, 65], inf).midicps.asStream;

d = 0.3;

Task({

12.do({

Synth(\help_SPE3_SimpleSine,[\freq, a.next]);

d.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Pxrand, like Prand, returns one item from the list at random for each repeat, but Pxrand never repeats the same element twice in a row.

(

var a, b;

a = Pxrand.new(#[1, 2, 3], 10); // return 10 items

b = a.asStream;

11.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Pxrand used as a sequence of pitches:

(

var a;

a = Pxrand(#[60, 61, 63, 65], inf).midicps.asStream;

Task({

12.do({

Synth(\help_SPE3_SimpleSine, [\freq, a.next]);

0.8.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Pshuf iterates over the list in scrambled order. The entire scrambled list is repeated in the same order the number of times given by the repeats variable.

(

var a, b;

a = Pshuf.new(#[1, 2, 3, 4], 3);

b = a.asStream;

13.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Pshuf used as a sequence of pitches:

(

var a, b;

a = Pshuf(#[60, 61, 65, 67], inf).midicps.asStream;

Task({

12.do({

Synth(\help_SPE3_SimpleSine,[\freq, a.next]);

0.5.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Nesting Patterns

If a Pattern encounters another Pattern in its list, it embeds that pattern in its output. That is, it creates a stream on that pattern and iterates that pattern until it ends before moving on.

For example here is one pattern nested in another.

(

var a, b;

a = Pseq.new([1, Pseq.new([100,200], 2), 3], 3);

b = a.asStream;

19.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Pseqs nested in a Prand:

(

var a, b;

a = Prand.new([

Pseq.new([1, 2], 2),

Pseq.new([3, 4], 2),

Pseq.new([5, 6], 2)

], 3);

b = a.asStream;

13.do({ b.next.postln; });

)

Nested sequences of pitches:

(

var a;

a = Prand([

Pseq(#[60, 61, 63, 65, 67, 63]),

Prand(#[72, 73, 75, 77, 79], 6),

Pshuf(#[48, 53, 55, 58], 2)

], inf

).midicps.asStream;

Task({

loop({

Synth( \help_SPE3_SimpleSine, [\freq, a.next] );

0.3.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Math operations on ListPatterns

Pattern b plays pattern a once normally, once transposed up a fifth and once transposed up a fourth.

(

var a, b;

a = Pseq(#[60, 62, 63, 65, 67, 63]);

b = Pseq([ a, a + 7, a + 5], inf).asStream;

Task({

24.do({

Synth(\help_SPE3_SimpleSine, [ \freq, b.next.midicps ]);

0.3.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Adding two patterns together. The second pattern transposes each fifth note of the first pattern down an octave.

(

var a;

a = Pseq(#[60, 62, 63, 65, 67, 63], inf) + Pseq(#[0, 0, 0, 0, -12], inf);

a = a.asStream.midicps;

Task({

25.do({

Synth(\help_SPE3_SimpleSine,[\freq, a.next]);

0.3.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Making Music with ListPatterns

Here is the same example given in part 2 rewritten to use ListPatterns. It uses nested patterns and results in much more concise code. SuperCollider allows you to write SomeClass.new(params) as SomeClass(params)

eliminating the ".new" . This can make code like the pattern examples below, which create a lot of objects, more readable.

(

SynthDef( \help_SPE3_Allpass6, { arg freq;

var out, env;

out = RLPF.ar(

LFSaw.ar( freq, mul: EnvGen.kr( Env.perc, levelScale: 0.3, doneAction: 2 ) ),

LFNoise1.kr(1, 36, 110).midicps,

0.1

);

6.do({ out = AllpassN.ar(out, 0.05, [0.05.rand, 0.05.rand], 4) });

Out.ar( 0, out );

}).add

)

(

var freqStream;

freqStream = Pseq([

Prand([

nil, // a nil item reached in a pattern causes it to end

Pseq(#[24, 31, 36, 43, 48, 55]);

]),

Pseq([ 60, Prand(#[63, 65]), 67, Prand(#[70, 72, 74]) ], { rrand(2, 5) }),

Prand(#[74, 75, 77, 79, 81], { rrand(3, 9) })

], inf).asStream.midicps;

Task({

loop({

Synth( \help_SPE3_Allpass6, [\freq, freqStream.next ]);

0.13.wait;

});

}).play;

)

Here is an example that uses a Pattern to create a rhythmic solo. The values in the pattern specify the amplitudes of impulses fed to the Decay2 generator.

(

SynthDef( \help_SPE3_Mridangam, { arg t_amp;

var out;

out = Resonz.ar(

WhiteNoise.ar(70) * Decay2.kr( t_amp, 0.002, 0.1 ),

60.midicps,

0.02,

4

).distort * 0.4;

Out.ar( 0, out );

DetectSilence.ar( out, doneAction: 2 );

}).add;

SynthDef( \help_SPE3_Drone, {

var out;

out = LPF.ar(

Saw.ar([60, 60.04].midicps)

+

Saw.ar([67, 67.04].midicps),

108.midicps,

0.007

);

Out.ar( 0, out );

}).add;

)

(

// percussion solo in 10/8

var stream, pat, amp;

pat = Pseq([

Pseq(#[0.0], 10),

// intro

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0], 2),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.0], 2),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.0], 2),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.2], 2),

// solo

Prand([

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.2, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.2]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.2, 0.2, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.2, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.2, 0.2]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.4, 0.0, 0.4, 0.0, 0.4, 0.0, 0.4, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.4, 0.0, 0.0, 0.4, 0.2, 0.4, 0.2]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.2, 0.7, 0.0, 0.2, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.7, 0.7, 0.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, 0.0, 0.0]),

Pseq(#[0.9, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0])

], 30),

// tehai : 7 beat motif 3 times sharing 1st beat with next 7x3

// and again the third time:

// 123456712345671234567 123456712345671234567

// 123456712345671234567

// ! ! ! !

// 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901

Pseq(#[2.0, 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.0, 0.2, 0.9,

1.5, 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.0, 0.2, 0.9,

1.5, 0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.0, 0.2], 3),

Pseq(#[5], 1), // sam

Pseq(#[0.0], inf)

]);

stream = pat.asStream;

Task({

Synth(\help_SPE3_Drone);

loop({

if( ( amp = stream.next ) > 0,

{ Synth(\help_SPE3_Mridangam, [ \t_amp, amp ]) }

);

(1/8).wait;

})

}).play

)

To go to the next file:

Streams-Patterns-Events4