U of Ill. updates: M4C & SNDAN (fwd)

This is to announce upgrades to two software packages available for ftp at our
site:
Music 4C, a music synthesis package, and

SNDAN, an analysis/synthesis package.

Both are designed to run on Unix workstations.

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Music 4C (M4C) has recently been upgraded to version 1.5.

Music 4C has the following features:

1) Notes are given by I statements which give instrument name, start time and
duration (in seconds) and numerical parameter values or strings peculiar to
the instrument.

2) Function statements work the same as I statements except there is no
duration and their purpose is to create tables.

3) Instrument definitions are written in C. Separate code is written for
piece initialization, note-on, note-off (optional), and sample computation.

4) Each instrument is compiled as a separate C module and several modules can
be linked together with the M4C library to form an orchestra.

5) Once the orchestra is compiled it is run with the score in the background
to produce a sound file. The sound files can be NeXT, headerless short int,
or headerless floating point.

6) ascii pseudo-music notation and score processor software is part of the
package. A midi file preprocessor is avaiable.

A "class orchestra", consisting of 9 instruments, is set up for beginner use.
Its use is discussed in M4C_intro.txt in the m4c/doc directory.

With version 1.5 Music 4C includes unit generator functions for handling sound
files and doing reverberation. In addition, several example instruments are
given which illustrate FM modulation (1 and 2 carriers); additive synthesis
based on analysis files produced by SNDAN; ghost instruments for amplitude
control and reverberation; several examples of simple and complex
reverberation; some sample instruments; and a trumpet instrument which uses
Spectral Dynamic Synthesis.

To obtain a copy of Music 4C, login to m4cguest@cmp-nxt.music.uiuc.edu and
follow the instructions for ftp back to your machine. pw is same as the login
name. Then follow the simple instructions for installation.

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SNDAN is a Unix-based software package for spectral analysis, display,
modification, and synthesis of musical sounds. It uses EPS graphics for display
under X Windows or NextStep. Both fixed filter bank harmonic analysis with
arbitrary base frequency and tracking analysis with the possibility for pitch
detection and reduction to harmonics are available. Recently SNDAN's display
repertoire has been upgraded for improved 3D graphics. monan's 'pp' command now
allows arbitrary orientations of the 3D spectrum with optional hidden line
removal and color or grey scale. In addition, there is a 2D "spectrogram"
command, 'ftc', which uses color or grey scale to indicate amplitude.

Documentation for the various SNDAN commands are contained in the sndan/doc
subdirectory.

To obtain a copy of SNDAN, login to sndan@cmp-nxt.music.uiuc.edu and follow the
instructions for ftp back to your machine. pw is 'cnmat.12'. Then follow the
simple instructions for installation.

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Please let me know if you have any problems with these procedures.

Jim Beauchamp
j-beauch@uiuc.edu

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Ya know, speaking for myself, I never really listened to the CD in much
detail with regard to verifying that the tunings are "as advertised", so to
speak. In particular, not much beyond "yip, that there 53TET cut sure has a lot
of VERRRRRRY microtonal intervals alright". I just kind a sat back and enjoyed
it.

But anyway, I just listened to the track Paul mentioned, and I think he's
right! I suspect that it's 19TET though. The final chord pretty much seems to
rule out 17. But I think I'll have to ... "tenuously" I'll say ... disagree
with his assessment of the opening minor third. I definitely know what he means
by it sounding a little "off", but I suspect that that's an aberation of the
carbon-arc-lamp brightness timbre of that particular Korg patch. I suspect that
it's 19 because, unless I've gone deaf, I don't hear a shred of beating in it.
And with that much high-harmonic content I would expect it to sound like
phase-shift city if it were off by any appreciable amount from just.

It would not surprise me if, when Ivor recorded a bunch of 17-tone stuff on
that Korg, he tossed in something in 22 or 19 or whatever for comparison, and
didn't announce on the master that he'd changed tunings. He was always
concerned with comparing tunings rather than sticking with any one, so his taped
letters to me were always switching off tunings.

I have this image of the man to come leaping out of his grave and announce to
the world, "Aha! I was wondering when somebody would catch that!". Of course
there's the minor detail that he was cremated, but hey, nothing else ever seemed
to stop him when he wanted to accomplish something!

But anyway, I'm pretty sure that Paul's right here, and I'd be curious
whether anybody else agrees. Congrats, Paul!


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