How to write music using OOP

We are talking about the history of the OpenMusic (OM) software tool, we analyze the features of its device, and talk about the first users. Plus, we give analogues.

^{Photo by James Baldwin / Unsplash}

What is OpenMusic?

It is an object-oriented visual programming environment for synthesizing digital sound. The utility is based on a dialect of the LISP language - Common Lisp . It is worth noting that OpenMusic can be used as a universal graphical interface for this PL.
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The tool was developed in the 90s by engineers from the French Institute for Research and Coordination of Acoustics and Music ( IRCAM ). In total, seven versions of OpenMusic were presented - the last was released in 2013. Then the engineer from IRCAM Jean Bresson ( Jean Bresson ) rewrote the utility from scratch, based on the original code of the sixth version (OM6). Today OM7 is licensed under GPLv3 - its source can be found on GitHub .

How to work with her

Programs in OpenMusic are created by manipulating graphic objects instead of writing code. The result is a kind of flowchart called a patch. By analogy with modular synthesizers, in which patch cords were used for connections.

Here is an example OpenMusic program taken from a repository on GitHub:

OpenMusic has two types of objects: base and score (Score Object). The first are various mathematical operations for working with matrices, columns and text forms.

Score objects are necessary for working with sound. They can also be divided into two groups:

Harmonic - notes, chords and harmonious sequences .
Rhythmic - voices and beats.

Music objects are controlled using musical functions, for example, combining several components into one to create a polyphonic sound. Additional functions can be found in the plug-in libraries - a complete list of them is available on the official website .

An example of the melody generated by OpenMusic can be heard in this video :

To get acquainted with the tool and its capabilities, we recommend that you refer to the documentation. Handbook for OM7 is still under development. But you can see the OM6 manual - you need to follow the link and expand the User Manual item in the left window.

Who uses

According to the developers, OpenMusic can be used to create and edit audio tracks, generate mathematical models of works and analyze recorded music passages. Engineers have used the tool in several scientific studies. For example, to create an AI system that recognizes musical gestures on audio recordings.

Professional performers also work with OpenMusic - they use the utility to study harmonic spectra. An example would be the Swiss composer Michael Jarrel , who is the winner of the Beethoven Prize. You can listen to his work performed by the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra here .

Also worth noting is Tristan Murray . He is one of the largest composers working in the field of spectral music . For example, on YouTube there are his works Gondwana and Le partage des eaux , created using OpenMusic.

English composer and teacher Brian Fernihou used OpenMusic to work with rhythm. Today his music is included in the repertoire of the largest contemporary ensembles and performers - the Quartet Arditti and Pierre-Yves Artaud .

Analogs

There are several systems similar to OpenMusic. Perhaps the most famous will be the commercial Max / MSP tool. It was developed by Miller Puckette in the late 80s when he worked at IRCAM. The system allows you to synthesize digital sound and video in real time.

The video below shows the installation on one of the buildings in the Italian city of Cagliari. The color of the screens changes depending on the noise of passing cars. The installation is controlled by a bunch of Max / MSP and Arduino.

It is worth noting that Max / MSP has an open source counterpart. It is called Pure Data , and Miller Packett was also its developer.

It is also worth highlighting the ChucK visual system, which was invented by Perry Cook (Perry Cook) with colleagues from Princeton University in 2003. It supports the parallel execution of several threads, plus you can make changes to the program directly at runtime. Distributed under the GNU GPL.

The list of tools for synthesizing digital music does not end there. There is also Kyma and Overtone , which allows you to program mixes right on the stage. We will try to talk about them next time.

Additional reading - from our “World of Hi-Fi” and Telegram channel: