1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
|
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="Mozilla/4.04 [en] (X11; I; IRIX 6.3 IP32) [Netscape]">
<TITLE>Tutorial I - Using CECILIA</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<CENTER> </CENTER>
<CENTER><TABLE COLS=3 WIDTH="100%" NOSAVE >
<TR ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=CENTER NOSAVE>
<TD ALIGN=LEFT VALIGN=TOP NOSAVE><B><A HREF="jump.html"><--</A></B></TD>
<TD ALIGN=CENTER VALIGN=CENTER NOSAVE><A HREF="index.html"><IMG SRC="help.gif" ></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=TOP NOSAVE><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><A HREF="tut2.html">--></A></FONT></B></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE></CENTER>
<CENTER>
<H2>
<B>TUTORIAL I : USING CECILIA</B></H2></CENTER>
<CENTER><A HREF="#Getting ready">Getting ready</A></CENTER>
<CENTER><A HREF="#Opening">Opening a module and choosing a sound</A></CENTER>
<CENTER><A HREF="#Using">Using the Interface</A></CENTER>
<CENTER><A HREF="#tools">Using the graphing tools</A></CENTER>
<CENTER><A HREF="#Where">Where to from here?</A></CENTER>
<CENTER><A HREF="#Performance">Performance issues</A></CENTER>
<CENTER> </CENTER>
<CENTER>
<HR></CENTER>
<UL>
<LI>
<A NAME="Getting ready"></A><B>Getting ready. <FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<P>Of course, having read all the <A HREF="setup.html">setup documentation</A>
, you already have everything set and ready to go. You have a Csound version
accessible, your preferences have already been set in the <I>Preferences</I>
window and your environmental variables are in order. If you have not already
done so, start CECILIA by double-clicking its icon or typing <I>cecilia</I>
in a command shell. Since you are reading this, Netscape is most
likely running.
<P>Only the CECILIA Main window should open up at startup time. It looks
like like a shortened version of <A HREF="main.html">this</A>.
<BR>
<HR WIDTH="100%">
<BR>
<LI>
<A NAME="Opening"></A><B>Opening a module and choosing a sound. <FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<P>CECILIA comes with about 30 modules that let you do the most unimaginable
things to soundfiles. Lets get started by choosing a module with the <B>New...</B>
cascade under the <B>File </B>menu. Choose the <I>Transposer</I> module
in the <I>Pitch</I> class since it uses most of the features of CECILIA
and is conceptually straightforward: it transposes a soundfile in pitch
with a few bells and whistles thrown in.
<P>Two things happen:
<P>1- The <A HREF="interfac.html">Grapher</A> window has opened up showing
some colored lines (some of the lines are hidden under others), a couple
of sliders at the bottom, some toggle buttons and some coloured buttons
etc.
<BR>
<BR> 2- The <A HREF="soundwin.html">Main</A> window has expanded showing
a largish button, a couple of small icons and a small slider.
<P>Enlarge the Grapher window so we have space to work with. CECILIA will
remember the size of the window and open to that size next time around.
<P>Bring up the Main window and click on the <B>toLoad</B> button. This
brings up the fileselector. The Macintosh and Windows file selectors are
fairly straightforward but on <B>Unix </B>systems, there are quite a few
things you can do here: The four buttons at the bottom of the selector
get you quickly to the four directories you have entered in the <I>Prefences</I>
window plus your home directory. You can use the filter to choose what
kind of iles will be shown (Directories are always shown). When you choose
a file, information about it is shown. If its a soundfile, even more information
is shown. If its a sound file, you can play it by hitting the speaker icon
and you can edit it with the scissors. You can trash any file by selecting
it and hitting the trash can. You can convert it with your soundfile converter
by hitting <I>Convert, </I>and you can rename it.
<P>For the time being, navigate with the fileselector to the <I>examples</I>
folder in the Cecilia folder. Once there choose the <I>beat.aiff </I>file.
CECILIA can deal with SDII , AIFF and WAV audio files, not much else. Click
OK.
<P>The <B>toLoad</B> button now says <B><I>beat.aiff. </I></B>The text
immediately underneath the button gives the duration, sampling rate, file
type, channels and word size of the soundfile. Moving the slider underneath
increments the duration of the duration from 0 to the full duration. This
slider controls the "offset" into the soundfile and sometimes used, sometimes
not. Leave it at 0 (no offset). <B><I>beat.aiff</I></B> is a stereo sound,
so choose the <B><I>stereo</I></B> button beside the <B><I>channels: </I></B>label.
You can play and edit beat.aiff with the two icons beside the button. The
<B><I>sr/kr/ksmps </I></B>and <B><I>gen size</I></B> popups are set to
default values so we will leave them for now.
<BR>
<P>
<HR WIDTH="100%">
<BR>
<LI>
<A NAME="Using"></A><B>Using the Interface. <FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<P>Bring up the Grapher window. This is where all the fun happens. This
module is a simple transposer but the handles you have on transposing are
like none you have had before! We will take the features one by one. Keep
in mind that all CECILIA modules are different and the parameters will
vary greatly depending on their nature.
<P>There are eleven parameters you can control with the <I>Transposer</I>
module. Six are controlled by graphs and five with sliders and toggles
(on parameter is controlles by a graph <I>and</I> a slider) :
<BR>
<UL>
<LI>
The transposition factor (Graph and slider)</LI>
<LI>
The range for the amplitude modulation (Graph)</LI>
<LI>
The frequency for the amplitude modulation (Graph)</LI>
<LI>
The range for the frequency modulation (Graph)</LI>
<LI>
Teh frequency for the frequency modulation (Graph)</LI>
<LI>
The gain of the output (Graph)</LI>
<LI>
The total duration od this computation (i-rate slider)</LI>
<LI>
Amplitude modulation toggle</LI>
<LI>
Frequency modulation toggle</LI>
<LI>
Anti-alias filter toggle</LI>
<LI>
Loop sound toggle</LI>
<BR> </UL>
Leaving everything else as presented, select <I>Loop sound .</I>This will
loop our 3 second <I>beat.aiff </I>for the total duration of 30 seconds
specified by the <I>Total duration</I> slider.
<P>Click on the green "<I>Tranpose Factor</I>" button. This selects the
green line in the grapher. Now clik anywhere in the white space in the
grapher. Click again somewhere else, and again... and again and... You
have just defined a time-profile for the selected parameter (the transposition
factor). Move the mouse over one of the points, click and drag the point
around. Move the mouse over a point and click Button-2 (or Command-click).
The point is deleted. Now move the mouse over one of the straight lines.
When it turns white, click and drag the function up or down. Play arounf
a bit with these tricks.
<P>Bring up the <B>Main</B> window. Press the <B>DAC</B> button (it turns
red) to hear the sound in realtime (this may not work well on a slow machine).
Press the <B>Play</B> button. If all is well, the computation will launch
you will hear James sounding like Darth Vader and Donald Duck. You can
stop the computation by clicking the <B>Stop</B> button.
<P>While we are here, try the small display sliders at the bottom right
corner of the window.
<P>
<HR WIDTH="100%">
<BR>
<LI>
<B>Using the graphing <A NAME="tools"></A>tools <FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<BR>Go back to the Grapher and, just below the menu bar, press the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/reset.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
icon. The function you had drawn is replaced to its default value. Push
the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/rand.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
and <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/drunks.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
buttons. Might as well try <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/sines.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>, <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/square.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>, <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/comp.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
and <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/normal.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
also. Thats nice but a little hard to control...
<P>These are all function generators. They are useful. Specially if you
learn to use them judiciously. To do this there are hidden <B>controls
</B>on all of these generators. Click the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/sines.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
with Button-2 (or Option-click). A box opens to let specify the parameters
of the generator (in this case a sine wave). Try this with all the tools
above. Do the <B>Play/Stop</B> routine liberally to hear the results of
the differents functions.
<P>Now here's a good trick: Click the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/reset.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
icon to reset the function. Grab the leftmost point and drag all the way
down then grab the rightmost point and drag all the way up. Next select
the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/scatt.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
scatter function with Button-2 or Option-click. With the first slider resample
the function with 150 points. Select the <I>square </I>radio button. Put
the <I>y</I> slider at ~.1 and press <I>scatter-y. </I>Muck around here
for a bit. Playing, erasing, trying all kinds of combinations.
<P>Remember that you can always edit any function that was generated with
the tools. When you have one you like particularly, you can copy it with <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/copy.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>,
select another parameter with the right parameter buttons and paste to
it with the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/paste.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
button. You can even save a function you *really* like with the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/exp.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
button and re-read it into another module with the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/imp.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
button...
<P>Now select some of the other parameters, like <I>amplitude modulation
range</I> and frequency, <I>gain</I> and <I>frequency modulation range</I>,
and try to make an ungodly mess of the soundfile.
<P>When you are finished, go under the <B>File</B> menu and select <B>Save
Snapshot. </B>The filedialog will open and you can give a name to your
"setup", namely the state of all the buttons, graphs, inputs and sliders
for this module. You can later recall it with the <B>Open...</B> menu and
re-modify its different objects.
<BR> </UL>
<HR>
<UL>
<LI>
<B>Using the <A NAME="sliders"></A>sliders and other objects
<FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<P>The slider, toggle and popup items react differently on different platform.
On the Macintosh, you can set the value prior to computation only. On <B>Unix
</B>however, you can interact with the computation in real-time by manipulating
the ojects.
<P>Reset all the graphs using the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/reset.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=30 WIDTH=30>
icon. Press the <B>play</B> button. The sound file will play without transposition.
While it is playing, move the <I>Transpose</I> slider at the bottom of
the Grapher window. The transposition will follow your movements. Try the
same with the toggles for amplitude and frequency modulation. Note that
some toggle will not react because of the nature of the parameter they
control. This is the case for the <I>Loop sound</I> toggle that functions
only at computation launch time.
<P>This is quite straightforward. But the real interest in moving sliders
is to be able to <B>record</B> the movements and then <B>play them
back</B>. You can do that with the help of the small <B>k-rate</B> popup
on the right side of the objects. Select 'record' with the <I>k-rate</I>
popup on the right of the <I>Transpose</I> slider. Press <B>Play</B>. Fool
around with the slider until the computation comes to an end. Then, select
<I>playback</I> with the <I>k-rate </I>popup. Press <B>Play</B> again and
sit back. All your movements are played back (the slider does not move,
but it's all there!). You can save and recall your movement files with
the load and save item in the <I>k-rate</I> popup.
<P>Note that these movement recording can only take place with object that
have<I> k-rate</I> popups. <I>i-rate</I> popups mean values of the object
are only read at the start on the computation.
<P>Once you have a good movement recorded, you'll want to write the soundfile
to disk. To do this go to the Main window and select <B><I>Disk ->. </I></B>When
you press Play, the computation will now be written to a sound file. A
soundfile name is proposed to you in the entry beside the <B><I>Disk-></I></B>
icon. You can change it if you like. By default, all soundfile are written
in the directory you specified in the Preferences window. If <B>Auto-Play</B>
has been checked under the Csound menu in the Main window, the sound will
be automatically played when computation is finished.
<P>Congratulations, you have just recorded your first sound with CECILIA!
<BR> </UL>
<HR WIDTH="100%">
<BR>
<UL>
<LI>
<A NAME="Where"></A><B>Where to from here? <FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<P>Working with CECILIA is about exploration, imagination and dicovery.
Sound is endlessly malleable and we bellieve CECILIA is the only tool that
lets you control it so intimately. The 30 odd modules in CECILIA allow
you to do just about anything you would want to do to a sound: filters,
resonators, stretchers, compressors, distortion, you name it, its there.
Also, dont forget that a sound once written to disk with CECILIA becomes
a candidate for further processing through different modules.
<P>Here are a few tips to enhance your productivity:
<BR>
<UL>
<LI>
Use all the <A HREF="short.html">shortcut keys</A> you can find! Specially
the <B>Play/Stop</B> keys. They save a tremendous amount of time. You can
set these (on Unix machines) in the Preferences window.</LI>
<LI>
Do not hesitate to explore extreme ranges of parameters.</LI>
<LI>
Do not hesitate to re-process sounds.</LI>
<LI>
Take the time to familiarize yourself with all the modules. Many of them
may seem complex and difficult to understand, but they all do something
unique!</LI>
<LI>
In the Main window, use the <IMG SRC="../../graphics/highres/cycle.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=24 WIDTH=27>
icon to automatically re-circulate previously processed sounds.</LI>
<LI>
Try and get a handle on how all the function generators work. Small changes
can bring radical differences in the effect.</LI>
</UL>
</UL>
<HR WIDTH="100%">
<BR>
<UL>
<LI>
<A NAME="Performance"></A><B>Performance issues <FONT SIZE=-2><A HREF="#">top</A></FONT></B></LI>
<P>Csound, CECILIA's DSP engine, can be taxing for slower machines. The
faster your machine, the more you can do in real-time. However, even fast
machines can choke (cracking sound output) on complex modules with extreme
parameter values. Some steps to follow (in order of preference):
<BR>
<OL>
<LI>
Select a higher <B><I>ksmps</I></B> value in the Main window. You will
loose a bit of quality but you can select a smaller value when writing
to disk.</LI>
<LI>
Reduce usage of "overlapping" parameters in the warper/stretcher
families of modules. Quality is often just as good with small overlaps
settings.</LI>
<LI>
Reduce the sampling rate. This is really a last resort since many modules
do not adapt to the new rate and sounds will come out transposed....</LI>
<LI>
Write the file to disk. Often, this is quite satisfactory, specially on
shorter sounds.</LI>
<LI>
Try different values in the <B>DAC</B> and <B>Disk Buffer</B> under
the <B>Csound</B> menu to fine tune real-time performance. For DAC output,
use smaller "<B>soft</B>" values.</LI>
</OL>
Be adventurous!
<BR> </UL>
<HR WIDTH="100%">
<BR>
<UL> </UL>
</BODY>
</HTML>
|
