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Help with seed and semi-colons


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Hi

I'm starting to loose the will to progress.

So I just spent an hour trying to evaluate this and getting errors and thinking I'd got the wrong number of brackets and yet it looks fine.

 

(setf motifx12 (rnd-order (gen-repeat 12 (list motif)))) :seed3) 

 

And then I realise that I have to place the cursor not on the final bracket but on the one before :seed3)

Nowhere does it say this in the manual as far as I can tell.

And why?

I think it's something to do with the : colon that I don't understand in the language. And I still don't understand seed.

I'm really trying to get to grips with lisp but my hair is on fire. 😞

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Thanks both.

 

I have done some basic lisp tutorials but I have to ask the question:

 

"Is Opusmodus meant for computer programmers who are also composers?

       or composers who are also computer programmers?

                  or composers with some slight knowledge of code?"

                     or academics?

 

 

I have to say I am in the "composers with slight knowledge of code" category and right now the demo is expiring and I've barely got to grips (see above) and 300 euros seems like a lot of money when I'm not able to be sure...I've spent most of my time doing Lisp tutorials and not making music. I spent £30 on a book "Parametric Composition" which is great, but I'm not sure whether to follow the examples in that..or the Tutorials in Opusmodus or the Language Lessons or Lisp tutorials or...

 

30 days is not long enough in my opinion to demo this software. And there is no option to extend the demo which is a huge oversight in my opinion.

 

Sorry to rant slightly but I'm giving you my heartfelt feedback as I really want Opusmodus to work for me...

 

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in my personal view:

 

- for algorithmic composition ...you have first to be a composer/musician - because it's a lot more about music then about code (i learned a little bit to code, because i was interested in this "kind of thinking" about art and music

 

- so, i think, if you want to work with algorithms you have to handle some code (like in music you have to handle some pitches/sound/rhythms)

 

- when you have a look to the history of algorithmic composition you see some software like: common music, open music, pwgl, patchwork, also supercollider or MAX etc, it has always to do with computer/code/algorithm. also PWGL, commonmusic, openmusic... are working with LISP (or parts of it), so i think, that's the thing. mostly i like in OPUSMODUS the direct connection to the SCORE etc... i like it also because it's very OPEN for some own things/code/ideas (because it's close to the basic COMMON LISP)...

 

- you could work with all the EXAMPLES in the library, take it, do some smooth changes and have a look what happens...

 

greetings

andré 

 

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Hi Andre

 

Thanks for this considered answer..it helps.

Of course you are right and yet I just wish code was more human friendly and less computer friendly!  High level is not high enough for me 🙂

There seems to be a gap between a DAW, which is based on the paradigm of a multitrack recorder, and Opusmodus, common music, open music, pwgl, patchwork etc that are based on the language of the computer.

And I was hoping Opusmodus might fill that gap and it almost does...but (((((((  ))))))))) drives me nuts! But that's coding.

I too love the 'direct connection to the score'  as you say.

I will persevere. I have had great fun with Live Coding in the past so this can't be so difficult.

 

Best

 

Andy

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Ah Achim you are correct! Thanks. Well that code as I had it came direct from the Parametric Composition ebook first chapter. 

I couldn't understand why I had to evaluate it not at the last bracket...but now I do. Thanks

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Yes,  the learning curve is high, but there are a lot of benefits in this way of thinking music, specially if You work with notated music. This is where Opusmodus fill the gap, making  a Bridge between code, algorhythms and notation in a desktop work flow, where you can organize all your files and stuff without distractions. 

Best, 

Julio 

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I think the best idea is to test musical ideias from annotated scores. Here are an example of a parametric composition  with  step by step decisions documented. Hope it can help you. 

The Nigel Morgan book is also very useful as well as the tutoriais by Janusz  here in the fórum. 

The best is read the book testing the code in Opusmodus at the same time. 

Best Julio 

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The best way to progress quickly is to test and play with each of the examples in the 'How To' section which you will find in Utilities.

You will see the omn form expression (scoring like on paper) and some simple self explanatory algorithms.

Examine the input and output in the Listener.

Snippet will help as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

but (((((((  ))))))))) drives me nuts!

 

Actually, the editor helps you there. Just place the cursor directly before an opening or after a closing parenthesis, and the matching parenthesis is shown.

 

Now, I am probably biased after using Lisp for quite some time, but I actually appreciate this simple syntax. I also programmed in various other languages, and I meanwhile prefer the Lisp syntax...

 

Best,

Torsten

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Forget to mention: for better readable code you should indent your code appropriately, but again, the editor does that automatically for you. Just hit ENTER where you want to insert a line break and then press TAB, and the editor does then context-dependent indenting for you.

 

Best,

Torsten

 

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