Developed in SuperCollider 3 (SC3) programming language, the New Pulsar Generator (nuPG) program is an instrumental incarnation of the pulsar synthesis technique, a powerful approach to digital sound synthesis named after a highly magnetised rotating neutron star (pulsar) that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. Much like a lighthouse, these radiation »pulses« can be observed only when a beam of emission is pointing toward Earth.
As an audio technique, pulsar synthesis offers a seamless link between musical timescales of individual particle rhythms, periodic pitches, and the meso temporal or phrase level of composition. Pulsar micro-events produce rhythmic sequences or, when the density of events is sufficiently high, sustained tones, allowing the composition to pass directly from micro to meso temporal domain. The technique, invented by Curtis Roads, was hugely influential in early noughties computer-based music.
This workshop introduces users to fundamental concepts of the technique, through an exploration of various computational objects of the open-source nuPG program. Its interface combines graphic and textual (live-coding) modes, allowing flexible control of the parameters of synthesis. Participants will get a copy of the program and will be guided in its installation ahead of time.
Requirements
The program runs as a standalone application on MacOS 10.12 and newer.