[chuck-users] live coding: methods and motivations

Scott Wheeler wheeler at kde.org
Tue Sep 18 14:51:29 EDT 2007


robin.escalation wrote:
> Like a previous writer, I am interested in how ChucK can be used for
> "live coding". From my limited explorations I have discovered some of
> the same limitations, but in this thread would prefer to ask "How do
> you  use ChucK for live coding?" And: "What techniques are there to
> facilitate the process?"
>
> Further: "How has ChucK informed your practice? What attributes of
> the language and environment have changed your sound production?"
>   

I'll go ahead and chime in here, as I suspect my usage of ChucK is 
rather different than others:

I use ChucK mostly for MIDI-based automation.  I send a note out of my 
sequencer (Live) over a virtual MIDI cable that usually trigger a series 
of MIDI CCs (and less often notes -- usually all of my audio is 
pre-rendered to save on CPU cycles during performances) sent back to the 
sequencer.

The main thing this boils down to from my side is doing controlled 
randomization, parameter envelopes or event sequences that are too 
complicated or tedious to do directly in the sequencer.

I've written some stuff doing audio processing in ChucK, but I've only 
ever used that once in a track, and that was mostly just for running 
some random number generators into the envelopes of a few oscillators.  
I don't do live coding with ChucK at all.

 From what I gather on the list, I'm also different from most of the 
crowd here in that I've defected from the artsy world (to the general 
direction of repetitive dance music with lots of beeping sounds) and 
performances tend to be in warehouses or bars rather than conservatory 
concert halls.  :-)

-Scott


More information about the chuck-users mailing list