cl-collider

A SuperCollider client for Common Lisp. It is an experimental project, so changes to the API are possible.

Videos:

• tempo-clock on cl-collider
• cl-collider on Windows10
• Tutorial - Due to API changes, this video is deprecated. A new tutorial video is coming soon.
• Live Coding Demo 1
• Live Coding Demo 2

Dependencies:

• SuperCollider
• Quicklisp
• ClozureCL or SBCL or ECL
• Jack - Only on GNU/Linux and BSD distributions.
• net-tools - On Windows, scsynth should bind to a port before sending a message to CL.

Contrib:

If you have your own additional libraries, please report me. I will add here.

• sc-extensions - extension library
• cl-patterns - patterns/sequencing library
• bdef - file/buffer management/convenience library
• sc-vst - VSTPlugin support library

Usage:

• package: sc, sc-user (use this package)
• named-readtable: sc

(ql:quickload :cl-collider)

(in-package :sc-user)
(named-readtables:in-readtable :sc)

;; please check *sc-synth-program*, *sc-plugin-paths*, *sc-synthdefs-path*
;; if you have different path then set to
;;
;; (setf *sc-synth-program* "/path/to/scsynth")
;; (setf *sc-plugin-paths* (list "/path/to/plugin_path" "/path/to/extension_plugin_path"))
;; (setf *sc-synthdefs-path* "/path/to/synthdefs_path")

;; `*s*` defines the server for the entire session
;; functions may use it internally.

(setf *s* (make-external-server "localhost" :port 48800))
(server-boot *s*)

;; in Linux, maybe you need to call this function
#+linux
(jack-connect)

;; Hack music
(defvar *synth*)
(setf *synth* (play (sin-osc.ar [320 321] 0 .2)))

;; Stop music
(free *synth*)

;; Quit SuperCollider server
(server-quit *s*)

Create SynthDef

(defsynth sine-wave ((note 60))
  (let* ((freq (midicps note))
         (sig (sin-osc.ar [freq (+ freq 2)] 0 .2)))
     (out.ar 0 sig)))

(setf *synth* (synth 'sine-wave))
(ctrl *synth* :note 72)
(free *synth*)

Create Proxy

(proxy :sinesynth
  (sin-osc.ar [440 441] 0 .2))

(proxy :sinesynth
  (with-controls ((lfo-speed 4))
    (sin-osc.ar (* [440 441] (range (lf-pulse.ar [lfo-speed (+ lfo-speed .2)]) 0 1)) 0 .2))
  :fade 8.0)
   
(ctrl :sinesynth :lfo-speed 8)
(ctrl :sinesynth :gate 0)

Create Musical Sequence

(defsynth saw-synth ((note 60) (dur 4.0))
  (let* ((env (env-gen.kr (env [0 .2 0] [(* dur .2) (* dur .8)]) :act :free))
         (freq (midicps note))
    	 (sig (lpf.ar (saw.ar freq env) (* freq 2))))
	(out.ar 0 [sig sig])))

(defun make-melody (time n &optional (offset 0))
  (when (> n 0)
    (at time (synth 'saw-synth :note (+ offset (alexandria:random-elt '(62 65 69 72)))))
      (let ((next-time (+ time (alexandria:random-elt '(0 1 2 1.5)))))
        (callback next-time #'make-melody next-time (- n 1) offset))))

(make-melody (quant 4) 16)
(make-melody (+ 4 (quant 4)) 16 12)

Non-real-time Rendering to File

(setf *synth-definition-mode* :load)

;; Redefine the saw-synth ugen
;; The SynthDef file will be written to the *sc-synthdefs-path*
(defsynth saw-synth ((note 60) (dur 4.0))
  (let* ((env (env-gen.kr (env [0 .2 0] [(* dur .2) (* dur .8)]) :act :free))
         (freq (midicps note))
         (sig (lpf.ar (saw.ar freq env) (* freq 2))))
    (out.ar 0 [sig sig])))

;; We can use a similar function to make a melody, but we don't need to schedule the callbacks
(defun make-melody (time n &optional (offset 0))
  (when (> n 0)
    (at time (synth 'saw-synth :note (+ offset (alexandria:random-elt '(62 65 69 72)))))
      (let ((next-time (+ time (alexandria:random-elt '(0 1 2 1.5)))))
        (make-melody next-time (- n 1) offset))))
	
;; Render audio file
(with-rendering ("~/Desktop/foo.aiff" :pad 60)
  (make-melody 0.0d0 32)
  (make-melody 8.0d0 32 12)
  (make-melody 16.0d0 32 24))

Record Audio Output

;;; write a single channel to disk

;; we can write to buffer number out_buf_num by reading in from the 0 bus
(defsynth disk_writer ((out_buf_num 99))
    (disk-out.ar out_buf_num (in.ar 0)))

(setf mybuffer (buffer-alloc (expt 2 17))) 
mybuffer

;; start a disk_writer synth
(setf writer_0 (synth 'disk_writer))

;; make it output to buffer you allocated
(ctrl writer_0 :out_buf_num (bufnum mybuffer))

;; continuously write the buffer contents to a file
(buffer-write mybuffer "/tmp/foo.aiff" :leave-open-p t)

;; now play whatever sounds you like

;; e.g.
(proxy :blah (sin-osc.ar 440))
(free :blah)

;; then when you are done

;; stop the disk_writer synth
(free writer_0)

;; close and free the buffer
(buffer-close mybuffer)
(buffer-free mybuffer)

;; then you can play what you recorded with a utility like mpv:
;;     mpv /tmp/foo.aiff