Pure Data (Pd) is one of the most powerful and commonly used open source softwares for music and sound creation. Spearheaded by Miller Puckette, it is completely free. About three years ago libpd was released – a library of Pd Vanilla (the basic version of Pd) that makes it possible to run Pd pretty much anywhere. Since then there have been an explosion of applications for PC, … [Read more...]
Tutorial: A compressor in Pure Data
Compressors have become more than just gain control units, they can be just as important as EQs in shaping a sound and sometimes even more so. For the mathematically inclined, a compressor works with a transfer function, or in plain speak, it changes its input in a predictable way. The controls of a compressor help specify this transfer function. The most common controls … [Read more...]
DSP Environment Learning Resources
So far this month; Shaun Farley's Pure Data Wavetable Synth series and Varun Nair's pep talk An Intimidating Start have been great introductions into the word of Max/MSP and Pure Data (I wish I had those articles when I got started!). I am still quite a beginner myself with Pure Data (and moreso with Max/MSP) so what I thought I would do is share some links that have helped me … [Read more...]
Scaling and Design
In my previous post I mentioned about thinking of sound as data. What is this data? It could be the frequency of an oscillator, the resonance of a filter, the grain size of a granulator, pitch, amplitude...and so on. We could probably fill pages worth of parameters that can either define or control the qualities of a sound. If we can break down such parameters into numbers, we … [Read more...]
An Intimidating Start
One of the things I remember most when I opened up Pure Data for the first time a few years ago was being terrified. A blank and intimidating window stared back at me. I then jumped to Max/MSP, which was a bit easier (because of the interface), but it was still the same problem - where in the world do I begin? Its tough to start any project from absolutely nowhere. Youtube and … [Read more...]
Game Audio Podcast #17 – Post GDC Wrap Up 2012
The latest edition of the Game Audio Podcast is out, wrapping up a variety of subjects from GDC 2012 with special guest, Michael Raphael of boutique,royalty-free sound library provider Rabbit Ears Audio. Our hosts also discuss the GANG awards, FMOD Studio, and newly emerging procedural plug-in formats for audio middleware, such as AudioGaming's AudioWeather. You can check out … [Read more...]
Audio Implementation Greats #11: Marrying Toolsets
It may be premature for me to turn the focus of the series towards the future, as we find ourselves deep in the throes of the current generation console development, but I think by now those of us submerged in creating ever-expanding soundscapes for games at times suffer under the burden of our limitations. Of course, it isn't all bad, given a set of constraints and creatively … [Read more...]