spatial-sound

spatial sound starter patches for TriTriangle workshop November 2023. Prepared by Kim Nucci and Garrett Laroy Johnson.

getting started

Software

• To run this code, you will need MaxMSP. -Examples using p5*js and OSC communication will require a current installation of node.js.
• For p5*js OSC examples, you may find it handy to run the bridge server through Microsoft Visual Studio.

Library Dependencies

MAX/MSP packages

These should be installed via the via the Max Package Manager, unless otherwise specified.

• ICST ambisonic tool kit
• CNMAT Externals for Max/MSP. A collection of useful externals ranging from utilities to synths from the folks at CNMAT in Berkeley.
• CNMAT ODOT. A great OSC handling library for Max/MSP.
• Ease by Cycling74 for Max/MSP. The [ease.xfade~] object might be of use.
• Jasch Objects for Max/MSP. Mostly formulas and functions, has a nice cartesian <> polar coodinate conversion tool set.
• Petra by circuit.music.labs the granular synth in Kim's demo patch.

Included Dependencies

• Some examples also use p5*js. These examples will link to p5 using a CDN, so there is no need to download.
• The p5*js OSC bridge uses Gene Kogan's p5js-osc repository. That code is include here for convenience, and you do not need to download or install.

architecture

The code is structured in the following way. there are multiple synthesis patches, which constitute the various examples. There is a single multichannel-output.maxpat patch, which is used in conjunction with all patches.

multichannel-output.maxpat receives multiple audio streams via receive~ that are send via send~ from synthesis example patches.

Each synthesis patch also contains its own spatialization schema. This data is sent over to the multichannel-output.maxpat patch via Max's send ambienencode and receive ambiencode. Ambi here refers to ambisonics.

These messages are formatted to be legible to ICST objects. multichannel-output.maxpat routes these messages to ICST, which calculates the mix for the number of channels.

Usage

multichannel-output.maxpat

You will need to have multichannel-output.maxpat open to send audio out to speakers.

Note the presets for different "standard" channel configurations. You can also edit the patch and store your own, for instance in the coll object.

max synthesis patches

[forthcoming]

p5js / maxmsp connections

To use these examples, you need to Node.js installed (see above).

getting started pt. 1 OSC bridge:

1. open terminal in MS visual code (ctrl+j).
2. navigate to the directory p5-to-max (e.g. cd /p5-to-max).
3. run the OSC bridge program by typing node bridge.js. If nothing happens, it's working. you will see the text connected when you open a sketch later.

getting started pt. 2 P5*js

1. run the index.html file inside p5-to-max by right clicking in MS visual code and selecting "run live server". The example sketch should pop up in your browser.
2. You should see a connected message back in your terminal inside your MS visual code.

getting started pt. 3 maxmsp

1. open p5-node-bridge.maxpat and multichannel-output.maxpat. The first will receive location messages from p5 via the OSC bridge and pass them over to the multichannel output patcher.
2. (note the OSC code inside the sketch. You can study other examples here: https://github.com/genekogan/p5js-osc/blob/master/Applications.md)
3. So far, there is no sound source. Code up your own that sends audio to the multichannel-output.maxpat via send~.