ChucK: audio programming language


<?
PulseOsc p => dac;

0.3 => p.gain;

0.3 => float g;

440 => p.freq;

55 => int f;



int e;

int t;

float b;

36 => e;

170 => t;

1.0 => b;



while ( e>0 )

{



<<< b >>>;

b / 1.05946309 => b;

t::ms => now;

e - 1 => e;



if ( e==24 ) { 130 => t; }

if ( e==12 ) { 50 => t; }



Math.rand2f (0.1, 0.99) => p.width;

440 * b => p.freq;



}



while ( f < 5000 )

{

f + 10 => f;

f=> p.freq;

10::ms => now;

g + 0.0014 => g;

g => p.gain;



}
?>


<?
SinOsc m=>SinOsc c =>dac;

2=>c.sync;

int t;

while(1)

{

if(t<5){300=>t;}

t::ms=>now;

Math.rand2f(99,999)=>m.gain;

Math.rand2(99,300)=>m.freq;

t-3=>t;

}
?>


<?
SinOsc s=> dac;        // connect sin oscillator to output

440 => s.freq;        // make sin osc play at 440 Hz

while(1)        // generate infinite loop

{            // open infinite loop

1::ms=>now;        // increment time so sound will play

}            // close infinite loop
?>


<?
if (me.args() > 1) {

    dac.chan(0) => Gain g0 => WvOut w0 => blackhole;

    dac.chan(1) => Gain g1 => WvOut w1 => blackhole;

    0.5 => g0.gain;

    0.5 => g1.gain;

    me.arg(0) => w0.wavFilename;

    me.arg(1) => w1.wavFilename;

    <<< "writing stereo output to files", me.arg(0), me.arg(1) >>>;

} else if (me.args() > 0) {

    dac => Gain g => WvOut w => blackhole;

    0.5 => g.gain;

    me.arg(0) => w.wavFilename;

    <<< "writing mono output to file", me.arg(0) >>>;

}
?>


<?
SinOsc s => NRev verb => dac.left;

SinOsc t => NRev verb2 => dac.right;



.3=>s.gain;        // set sin osc levels

.3=>t.gain;

.1=>verb.mix;        // set reverb levels

.1=>verb2.mix;

int q;

int r;

300=>int time;        // set timing variable



while(1)

{



Math.rand2(1,6)=>q;    // generate random integer

330=>t.freq;        

220*q=>s.freq;        // multiply osc freq by random int to get new octave

time::ms=>now;





Math.rand2(1,6)=>r;    // generate random integer

220*r=>t.freq;        // multiply osc freq by random int to get new octave

70::ms=>now;        // delay right channel a bit

330=>s.freq;

time::ms=>now;



time-5=>time;        // speed it up

if(time<40){300=>time;}    // reset speed to slow if really fast

}
?>

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TranceAddict Forums > DJing / Production / Promotion > Production Studio > ChucK: audio programming language

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MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

ChucK: audio programming language

http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/

I recently downloaded ChucK, which runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac. ChucK is a programming language centered around audio synthesis, playback, manipulation. "Ugens" are your basic building blocks in the language: they include oscillators, filters, and effects, can do different kinds of synthesis, and you can modulate and sequence them in all kinds of ways. You can also manipulate ChucK with external controllers and events, although I haven't tried that yet.

It's kind of a fun experience, building things up from very raw elements and thinking of a sequence in abstract, mathematical terms rather than as keys on a keyboard or squares in a sequencer. ChucK is used alongside the other languages CSound and SuperCollider in universities for crazy sound experimentation, but since I just got it the other day I am still taking baby steps obviously. So far I've found it quite a bit easier to get into than CS or SC, the syntax is much easier to me and it was simple to get some basic sounds going and write them to a WAV file. It also has a ton of example files that are very helpful. And just like the other languages, it is free, no payment or registration needed whatsoever.

Here are a couple Tetris-ish sounds I have gotten so far. You can copy and paste this text into your own files and play them or edit as you like. :-)

PHP:

http://jbj.raceriv.com/sounds/ChucK/exponent.mp3

^ Pulse wave that descends from 440 Hz (A4) by semitones, then climbs back up in pitch and volume. The rate of descent speeds up twice (those two "ifs"). Width of the pulse is randomized by "Math.rand2f".

PHP:

http://jbj.raceriv.com/sounds/ChucK/fm.mp3

^ Basic FM synthesis, randomized modulating frequency and modulation intensity. Speed builds up gradually then suddenly slows and starts speeding up again, in a loop.

Here are some more links that might be helpful:

http://wiki.cs.princeton.edu/index....Install_and_Run (Windows installation)
http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/build/ (Mac + Linux instructions)
http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/learn/tutorial.html (bare basic tutorial)
http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/language/ (all about the language)
http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/program/ugen.html (guide to Ugens)

For editing code ".ck" files, it's useful to get a decent text editor like TextPad, which will ensure they display properly. Also you can display line numbers, very useful for when ChucK spits out an error message and a line number back at you because you messed up the syntax or something. :-)

Last edited by MrJiveBoJingles on Oct-28-2009 at 04:31

Oct-28-2009 04:03 United States

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MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

Oh, and just so you don't get too intimidated by looking at all that, here is the simplest possible program to start you out, with every step explained:

PHP:

Once you get ChucK installed, put that in a .ck file and run it. Now you've made a test tone. :-)

Oct-28-2009 04:12 United States

atxbigballer1
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Dec 2006
Location: Austin,Texas

Thanks for the cool info man!

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Oct-28-2009 04:17 United States

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MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

Found a useful tool. ChucK outputs in mono to a single WAV file by default, but this guy wrote a piece of code that outputs two mono files, one from the left channel and one from the right channel, so if you have a stereo effect all the panning and stuff can be preserved:

PHP:

Just tack this on to the beginning of any of your .ck files, then when you run the program type "filename.ck:left.wav:right.wav".

Here is an example with that piece of code added to a loop mangling program (link to code {not written by me}):

Original loop: http://jbj.raceriv.com/sounds/ChucK/loop1.wav
Mangled: http://jbj.raceriv.com/sounds/ChucK/stereo-loop.mp3

Last edited by MrJiveBoJingles on Oct-28-2009 at 06:55

Oct-28-2009 04:58 United States

jupiterone
housin' guide

Registered: Dec 2004
Location: los angeles

thanks for bringing this to my attention! going to download this and play around with it tomorrow

Oct-28-2009 05:49 Poland

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MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

Something a bit more euphonic to play around with:

PHP:

Plays sin waves at intervals of a fifth in different octaves. Nice and stereo with a bit of reverb (denoted by "NRev" at the top). Speeds up, then slows suddenly and loops back around. Octaves are random so it sounds a bit different each loop. Listen:

http://jbj.raceriv.com/sounds/ChucK/beeps.mp3

Oct-28-2009 15:37 United States

hexadecimal
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL

can u giv me presets 4 it?

wear do u put sampols?

i nead a trants loop two

Oct-28-2009 15:51 United States

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MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

quote:
Originally posted by hexadecimal
can u giv me presets 4 it? wear do u put sampols? i nead a trants loop two

Nope, you're on your own.

As far as I know Vengeance hasn't coded stuff for ChucK that you can torrent yet. :-D

Oct-28-2009 16:00 United States

MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

I made a little video showing control of synth settings by mouse movement in ChucK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RhFYfiqak&fmt=18

The mouse's vertical movement controls the gain of a modulating oscillator (mod index) in an FM synth, while the horizontal movement controls the modulating oscillator's frequency. Depressing the mouse button turns the synth on, and releasing it turns it off again. The code used is just one of the example files that you get when you download the program ("examples\hid\mouse-fm.ck"). Incorporating the mouse into more interesting synths should be pretty fun.

Oct-28-2009 16:46 United States

hexadecimal
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Chicago, IL

how do u make it sound like "wump wump wump wump", or "boom boom boom clap boom boom"?

Oct-28-2009 16:46 United States

MrJiveBoJingles
Supreme tranceaddict

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: U.S.

quote:
Originally posted by hexadecimal
how do u make it sound like "wump wump wump wump", or "boom boom boom clap boom boom"?

You could always try a descending sine oscillator for the "booms" and a noise generator with envelope for the "clap." But it seems like using ChucK just to make standard dance tunes would be rather pointlessly complicated. :-P

Oct-28-2009 16:55 United States