Music 680: Special Topics in Music - Interactivity and Improvisation (Spring 2007)
Handout 1: January 24, 2007
Some Pd basics
the Pd window
will display any information or error messages as appropriate
check the “compute audio” box to turn on sound!
edit mode vs. run mode
while in edit mode you can create objects, number boxes, message boxes, etc.
you can move, connect, delete, and alter them
this is the mode where you create and edit your patch
while in run mode you can interact with the patch
change values in number boxes by clicking and dragging (or clicking and typing)
send messages by clicking on their boxes, etc.
this is the mode where you perform your patch
note that the patch can be generating sound in either mode - which is useful for debugging
documentation
from the pull-down “Help” menu, choose “Browser...”
then choose “2.control.examples” for basic control techniques
”3.signal.examples” demonstrates various synthesis methods, etc.
and “5.reference” provides access to the help files for all the built-in objects
in your patch, right-click or control-click on any object to get its contextual help patch
the four most basic kinds of “things”
objects - perform actions in Pd (program)
messages - tell objects what kind of actions to perform (data)
numbers are a particular kind of message
can be integers (ints) [“round numbers”] or real numbers (floats) [with decimal points]
number boxes - for the display of and interaction with numeric messages
comments - don’t do anything but are extremely useful!
there are additional “things” for user interfaces, data structures, etc.
the law of gravity: messages flow from the top of your patch window to the bottom
thus, inlets are at the top of an object, and outlets at the bottom
try to organize your patches following this rule - they will be much easier to read
inlets and outlets: communication between objects
the leftmost inlet typically triggers the action of a control object
(to put it another way, a control object only acts when it receives a message to its left inlet)
outlets typically fire right-to-left to correspond with this
(do all the work to fill the right inlets of the next object, and then message the left inlet)
”trigger” object as a way to control sequence and synchronize
trigger repeats its input to a series of outputs, firing right-to-left
the “bang” message: a universal “start”/”go”/”do it!” command for many control objects
