Re: [microsound] visual interface info

[Michal Seta <mis@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Well, I'm no expert on visually impaired but if you're a coder you will
probably find Csound and SuperCollider usefuls (www.csounds.com,
www.audiosynth.com).

For Csound you basically use your fav text editor and in SuperCollider you
can set the font size to your liking.  Both quite a steep learning curve.

Csound is quite lousy in real-time (but that may change in the future on a
Mac according to the earlier post from Dr. R. Boulanger but the Direct
Csound on PC is apparently good).  SuperCollider also understnds MIDI so if
you have a MIDI guitar or a MIDI pickup ( I use the Roland GR-50 with a MIDI
pickup - can't recall the model, though) you can very nicely use your guitar
and your skill as means of control.

Then, you can convert your PII into a Linux Box and there are a few more
options with similar (dis)advantages
(http://www.bright.net/~dlphilp/linuxsound/).  According to a recent study
done by Karl MacMillan and friends Linux seems to pretty much lead in terms
of audio latencies (alongside with MacOS X).

cheers

../MiS

on 8/8/01 7:41 PM, tim kugel at guitardo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Hello,
> first, sorry for previous pedantic attempts to add commentary - I was pissed
> 
> I am asking a general question here - I'm a visually disabled person (low
> vision).   I am getting interested in going beyond synths and need info about
> coding type of music work.  I want advice from anyone willing regarding the
> visual interface for the different systems and programs around.  How large,
> simple-looking, what is the manual like, (like font size used, size of
> diagrams) what kind of contrast is used in the software, is it changeable,
> etc.
> 
> I generally have problems with large documents because of eye strain, and .pdf
> is not a great tool because I seem to need to move the page back and forth as
> well as magnify it - a doubly slow process.  18 pt. font is what I need.
> 
> I am aware of a dozen or more softwares (I mean the music software now),  but
> because this list is about all I can handle reading, I am probably unaware of
> some.  I have had some programming experience (15 years ago though).  I have
> seen Kyma demonstrated at my house and have a trial version of max/msp.  I am
> able to see but only a few words at a time and with my right eye very close to
> the monitor.  The max/msp manuals are long - 371 pages in tutorials alone.
> 
> I am not planning to throw away all my other equipment and use only a laptop,
> though I'd like to be able to work while I travel - I have always played
> guitar and want to include that as a controller and acoustic source still - I
> like microsound and experimental 20th century music more than dance/"techno"
> music in general (but have no grudge against dance-related stuff - love it!) -
> so maybe that gives you an idea of what might be suitable.
> 
> I like the Nord editor, and can use it.   I've also tried software synths for
> the Mac a little (Propellerheads and NI) and own a P2 but prefer the Macs. My
> eyes are not as bad as some folks with this affliction - and if you feel, for
> example, that a particular hardware tool has a great visual interface (like
> the su700?) please mention it, even if in usage it is kind of non microsound
> typically.
> 
> Thanks in advance for those who choose to help me, and reply off line if
> appropriate.
> 
> Cheers,
> Tim
> 
> 
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