Re: [microsound] how to use raw data?

[derek holzer <derek@xxxxxxx>]

Howdy,

D Sutorus wrote:

> i've heard about using "raw data" or "pure data" to generate really interesting sounds. 
> can anyone here tell me how i would go about doing this? please give me specifics if possible.
> i'm pretty computer-literate, and i've done some very basic C++ and assembly language programming--so don't be afraid to be "too technical". thanks.

I think I got a handle on what you mean, and it has nothing specific to 
do with the application Pure Data. What you are talking about is the 
sonification of data streams. I have seen a lot of interesting work done 
with this.

For example, during the Acoustic.Space.Lab projects, we gathered data on 
the Sun and Jupiter with a 32m radiotelescope. This data can be rendered 
on a 2D plane into a kind of "planetary map", but that is just one kind 
of visualization approach. The data itself was gathered by leaving the 
dish stationary and allowing the chosen celestial body to pass accross 
it, and then measuring the dish's radio "temperature". So the actual 
data, before being parsed into an XY grid of a map, is actually a 
sequential collumn of four sets of numbers: azimuth [0-360 degrees], 
elevation [0-90 degrees], universal time code [0:00.00-23:59.59 GMT] and 
dish temperature [can't remember the scale! ;-) ].

A few artists involved sonified this data by either seperating the 
different collumns and assigning each stream of numbers to one part of a 
Pure Data, Max/MSP or Reaktor patch, or by running them all together and 
extracting [hopefully] meaningful information from that stream. [c.f. 
http://acoustic.space.re-lab.net/lab ]

There are some experiments by Andrea Polli in a similar vein with 
hurricane weather data, for example, and the history of computer music 
is full of examples of deriving sound-controlling numbers from 
accumulations of data. [c.f. 
http://www.andreapolli.com/studio/atmospherics/framewind.html ]

The main thing is to be able to parse the data into various different 
components, and then to assign each parsed section to a parameter of 
your composition. Start with a simple synth patch, for example, and 
assign the temperature from each 100 miliseconds to the main oscillator, 
the baromteric pressure to the LFO, the windspeed to the envelope 
length, the humidity to the amount of randomization of your pattern 
generator and the time of day to the filter cutoff, and you *might* have 
an interesting algorithmic composition by the end of it all. [c.f. Chaos 
Theory, Lorenz attractors, etc.]

The data could be fed through a human agent as well, which allows for 
much a more interpretive approach. Show a violin player a line graph of 
the value of the Euro against the US dollar over the last few years and 
ask her to play it, and I guarentee you that the result will be 
culturally determined! ;-) [c.f. the graphical scores of John Cage]

Best,
D.


--
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl
---Oblique Strategy # 46:
"Disconnect from desire"


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