Hi All,

I've been producing music for years and using the likes of Protools, Logic
and Ableton. I would like to learn how to program synths and effects etc so
that i can creat my own. I have absolutely no experience whatoever in Csound
so i will need you to explain it in the simplest terms you possibly can. I
believe I can use terminal to run commands from there but I have no idea how
to get started. I have downloaded the csound5.mpkg which consists of a
number of apps but i have no idea what they do or how to begin using them. I
have tried reading the manual but it is all alien to me and not very user
friendly to beginners. Can someone tell me how to write a very simple piece
of code and compile it using terminal. Do I need to set up a directory
somewhere on my hard drive where I need to store orchestra and score files?
Is the hardback (csound book - The Csound Book: Perspectives in Software
Synthesis, Sound Design, Signal Processing and Programming) too old or
exactly the same as the online manual. Where is the best place online for a
beginner to get to grasps with Csound and do you reccommend any books?

By the way - I'm using a Powerbook running OSX 10.4.10

Thanks a million.

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Hi,

When explaining Csound to others I remember back to when I first began
working with it and had no idea how Csound even worked. Everyone was so
advanced in working with it that they could not explain it in the simplest
of terms, which I required... So I will try to start with the simplest
perspective I can, which is easy since I am a simple person...

In essence, this is how Csound works. You write two plain text files using
the Csound syntax. This can be located in the Csound Manual. One is the
orchestra (orc), which is where you create instruments based upon digital
synthesis techniques such as fm synthesis, granular synthesis and etc. (One
can create ones own synthesis techniques as well.) The second text file is
the score file (sco) that tells the instruments when and how to play. Three
fields are required in the score, instrument number, start time and
duration. One can, and usually does, create variables in the orchestra
instruments that can be added as additional fields in the score.

When these two text files have been created we use Csound to render a sound
file by referencing them. Then we play back the sound file and see what we
created.

I think that the simplest examples for starting to work with Csound are in
the Csound book but are also available online if you look hard enough; they
are the Boulanger Beginner's Toots.

Hope this helps,

Michael
www.perceptionfactory.com




-----Original Message-----
From: jobsalegend [mailto:cutsis@gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 12:34 PM
To: csound@lists.bath.ac.uk
Subject: [Csnd] Absolute Beginner


Hi All,

I've been producing music for years and using the likes of Protools, Logic
and Ableton. I would like to learn how to program synths and effects etc so
that i can creat my own. I have absolutely no experience whatoever in Csound
so i will need you to explain it in the simplest terms you possibly can. I
believe I can use terminal to run commands from there but I have no idea how
to get started. I have downloaded the csound5.mpkg which consists of a
number of apps but i have no idea what they do or how to begin using them. I
have tried reading the manual but it is all alien to me and not very user
friendly to beginners. Can someone tell me how to write a very simple piece
of code and compile it using terminal. Do I need to set up a directory
somewhere on my hard drive where I need to store orchestra and score files?
Is the hardback (csound book - The Csound Book: Perspectives in Software
Synthesis, Sound Design, Signal Processing and Programming) too old or
exactly the same as the online manual. Where is the best place online for a
beginner to get to grasps with Csound and do you reccommend any books?

By the way - I'm using a Powerbook running OSX 10.4.10

Thanks a million.

-- 
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9:31 AM

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9:31 AM
 

Hey, 

   I've only been using Csound for a little under two
years now, so I still remember what it was like
starting out.  It can be a little frustrating at
first, but with time, your understanding will
increase.  Csound is definitely not like typical sound
production programs which are geared towards being
easy to use right off the bat.  I feel however, that
Csound's atypical aspects are what give it it's power.
 Anyway,  I strongly recommend starting with the
Tutorials on the web, most of which can be found on
the Csound website.  I also recommend checking out the
Csound book as well.  The first chapter is available
at Csounds.com under Tutorials.  If you can work
through the first chapter, and are still hungry for
more, the rest of the book is definitely a must. 
There is also the Csound Wiki, tobiah.org/csoundwiki, 
which has a some more links and info, as well as a few
simple instruments that might help your understanding
grow.  A don't forget to ask this here list.  Everyone
here is more than happy to answer questions, even the
simple ones.  If you put in the time and effort you
will get out of Csound everything you want.  

                         Mark Jamerson


--- Michael Rhoades 
wrote:
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jobsalegend [mailto:cutsis@gmail.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 12:34 PM
> To: csound@lists.bath.ac.uk
> Subject: [Csnd] Absolute Beginner
> 
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> I've been producing music for years and using the
> likes of Protools, Logic
> and Ableton. I would like to learn how to program
> synths and effects etc so
> that i can creat my own. I have absolutely no
> experience whatoever in Csound
> so i will need you to explain it in the simplest
> terms you possibly can. I
> believe I can use terminal to run commands from
> there but I have no idea how
> to get started. I have downloaded the csound5.mpkg
> which consists of a
> number of apps but i have no idea what they do or
> how to begin using them. I
> have tried reading the manual but it is all alien to
> me and not very user
> friendly to beginners. Can someone tell me how to
> write a very simple piece
> of code and compile it using terminal. Do I need to
> set up a directory
> somewhere on my hard drive where I need to store
> orchestra and score files?
> Is the hardback (csound book - The Csound Book:
> Perspectives in Software
> Synthesis, Sound Design, Signal Processing and
> Programming) too old or
> exactly the same as the online manual. Where is the
> best place online for a
> beginner to get to grasps with Csound and do you
> reccommend any books?
> 
> By the way - I'm using a Powerbook running OSX
> 10.4.10
> 
> Thanks a million.
> 
> -- 
> View this message in context:
>
http://www.nabble.com/Absolute-Beginner-tf4378838.html#a12481741
> Sent from the Csound - General mailing list archive
> at Nabble.com.
> 
> -- 
> Send bugs reports to this list.
> To unsubscribe, send email to
> csound-unsubscribe@lists.bath.ac.uk
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
> Version: 7.5.485 / Virus Database: 269.13.3/986 -
> Release Date: 9/3/2007
> 9:31 AM
> 
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
> Version: 7.5.485 / Virus Database: 269.13.3/986 -
> Release Date: 9/3/2007
> 9:31 AM
>  
> 
> --
> Send bugs reports to this list.
> To unsubscribe, send email to
> csound-unsubscribe@lists.bath.ac.uk
> 



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
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http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/ 

Virtual Sound by Riccardo Bianchini and Alessandro Cipriani provides 
a thorough step-by-step series of tutorials. It's a bit pricey but I 
found it a good place to start. The first few chapters of the Csound 
Book are also a good place to start. Ont the whole, The Csound Book, 
for me, is better as a reference source--to use when you want to go 
more in depth into some particular aspect of Csound. Once you've got 
your feet wet, the Csound Manual is good in conjunction with either 
book. It's all in the manual, but you need to know how to interpret 
it. And, of course, this discussion list. I've learned a lot here.

As far as anything being too old, it seems to me thus far in my few 
months of learning that one great strength of Csound is its relative 
timelessness. I'm using a pretty old version (4.01) and am very happy 
with the results, but then, I've never been one to surf the upgrade wave.

At 12:34 PM 9/4/2007, you wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I've been producing music for years and using the likes of Protools, Logic
>and Ableton. I would like to learn how to program synths and effects etc so
>that i can creat my own. I have absolutely no experience whatoever in Csound
>so i will need you to explain it in the simplest terms you possibly can. I
>believe I can use terminal to run commands from there but I have no idea how
>to get started. I have downloaded the csound5.mpkg which consists of a
>number of apps but i have no idea what they do or how to begin using them. I
>have tried reading the manual but it is all alien to me and not very user
>friendly to beginners. Can someone tell me how to write a very simple piece
>of code and compile it using terminal. Do I need to set up a directory
>somewhere on my hard drive where I need to store orchestra and score files?
>Is the hardback (csound book - The Csound Book: Perspectives in Software
>Synthesis, Sound Design, Signal Processing and Programming) too old or
>exactly the same as the online manual. Where is the best place online for a
>beginner to get to grasps with Csound and do you reccommend any books?
>
>By the way - I'm using a Powerbook running OSX 10.4.10
>
>Thanks a million.
>
>--
>View this message in context: 
>http://www.nabble.com/Absolute-Beginner-tf4378838.html#a12481741
>Sent from the Csound - General mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
>--
>Send bugs reports to this list.
>To unsubscribe, send email to csound-unsubscribe@lists.bath.ac.uk

David Mooney:  dmooney@city-net.com
Maxine Heller:  mheller@city-net.com
Opaque Melodies:  www.city-net.com/~moko/

I think one of the biggest hang ups for those new to Csound is synthesizer
theory.  At least, it was for me.  I highly recommend the Synth Secrets
series at Sound on Sound:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm


Best, 
Jake 

---- 
The Csound Blog 
http://www.thumbuki.com/csound/blog  




jobsalegend wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> I've been producing music for years and using the likes of Protools, Logic
> and Ableton. I would like to learn how to program synths and effects etc
> so that i can creat my own. I have absolutely no experience whatoever in
> Csound so i will need you to explain it in the simplest terms you possibly
> can. I believe I can use terminal to run commands from there but I have no
> idea how to get started. I have downloaded the csound5.mpkg which consists
> of a number of apps but i have no idea what they do or how to begin using
> them. I have tried reading the manual but it is all alien to me and not
> very user friendly to beginners. Can someone tell me how to write a very
> simple piece of code and compile it using terminal. Do I need to set up a
> directory somewhere on my hard drive where I need to store orchestra and
> score files? Is the hardback (csound book - The Csound Book: Perspectives
> in Software Synthesis, Sound Design, Signal Processing and Programming)
> too old or exactly the same as the online manual. Where is the best place
> online for a beginner to get to grasps with Csound and do you reccommend
> any books?
> 
> By the way - I'm using a Powerbook running OSX 10.4.10
> 
> Thanks a million.
> 
> 

-- 
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 I second that!  The SOS articles were very
informative and clearly stated. 
 
--- Jacob Joaquin  wrote:

> 
> I think one of the biggest hang ups for those new to
> Csound is synthesizer
> theory.  At least, it was for me.  I highly
> recommend the Synth Secrets
> series at Sound on Sound:
> 
> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm
> 
> 
> Best, 
> Jake 
> 
> ---- 
> The Csound Blog 
> http://www.thumbuki.com/csound/blog  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jobsalegend wrote:
> > 
> > Hi All,
> > 
> > I've been producing music for years and using the
> likes of Protools, Logic
> > and Ableton. I would like to learn how to program
> synths and effects etc
> > so that i can creat my own. I have absolutely no
> experience whatoever in
> > Csound so i will need you to explain it in the
> simplest terms you possibly
> > can. I believe I can use terminal to run commands
> from there but I have no
> > idea how to get started. I have downloaded the
> csound5.mpkg which consists
> > of a number of apps but i have no idea what they
> do or how to begin using
> > them. I have tried reading the manual but it is
> all alien to me and not
> > very user friendly to beginners. Can someone tell
> me how to write a very
> > simple piece of code and compile it using
> terminal. Do I need to set up a
> > directory somewhere on my hard drive where I need
> to store orchestra and
> > score files? Is the hardback (csound book - The
> Csound Book: Perspectives
> > in Software Synthesis, Sound Design, Signal
> Processing and Programming)
> > too old or exactly the same as the online manual.
> Where is the best place
> > online for a beginner to get to grasps with Csound
> and do you reccommend
> > any books?
> > 
> > By the way - I'm using a Powerbook running OSX
> 10.4.10
> > 
> > Thanks a million.
> > 
> > 
> 
> -- 
> View this message in context:
>
http://www.nabble.com/Absolute-Beginner-tf4378838.html#a12525266
> Sent from the Csound - General mailing list archive
> at Nabble.com.
> 
> -- 
> Send bugs reports to this list.
> To unsubscribe, send email to
> csound-unsubscribe@lists.bath.ac.uk
> 



       
____________________________________________________________________________________
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On a simlar note to below:

If you are interested in fft / spectral stuff, the Max MSP tutorials on the
subject are very good - & are basically my sole source of understanding on
the subject... which is certainly enough to have me merrily PVOC ing away in
Csound....

Even if you aren't a max user - all the documentation is freely available to
download on the Cycling74 site.

I have also looked at those SOS articles from time to time.....

Otherwise I agree with Michael R. The esoterics of the whole command line
thing are probably the most offputting aspect to the whole exercise, but
easy enough to overcome.. Michael Goggins PDF tutorial that comes with the
install also excellent place to start (did someone say that yet?)

I also own & endorse the the Csound book - that's basically how i got down
with the basics of it... apparently, there's a new one on the way
sometime.... (???)

I also stand as an antidote to Chuckks statements re the usefulness of a
text-based score system - i was feeling increasingly frustrated at the
capacity for the "piano roll &  controller lanes" approach to accomodate
what i was trying to implement in a way that allowed pieces to remain
malleable, reverse engineerable, & generally "organised" from a
"compositional" point of view rather than a "control/ execution" point of
view. Realising Csound used text as a score inteface was what initially
sparked my interest - this is where i utter the word "Python" of course, &
realising the zeal of the fresh convert is indeed an extremely tedious &
groan-inducing thing, i bid u good-day... ; )




mark jamerson wrote:
> 
> 
>  I second that!  The SOS articles were very
> informative and clearly stated. 
>  
> --- Jacob Joaquin  wrote:
> 
>> 
>> I think one of the biggest hang ups for those new to
>> Csound is synthesizer
>> theory.  At least, it was for me.  I highly
>> recommend the Synth Secrets
>> series at Sound on Sound:
>> 
>> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm
>> 
>> 
>> Best, 
>> Jake 
>> 
>> ---- 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>        
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
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> Finder tool.
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> Send bugs reports to this list.
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> 
> 

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