What is Csound?What is Csound?What is Csound?What is Csound?

• a programming language for sound generation a programming language for sound generation • uses software synthesis to compile user-defined uses software synthesis to compile user-defined

orchestras and scores to produce music orchestras and scores to produce music • allows users to program whatever synthesis allows users to program whatever synthesis

method or tuning they like method or tuning they like • challenges users to harness its power to produce challenges users to harness its power to produce

music music • no built-in instruments no built-in instruments • only the basic building blocks, just like the C only the basic building blocks, just like the C

programming languageprogramming language

The Csound OrchestraThe Csound OrchestraThe Csound OrchestraThe Csound Orchestra• contains the instrument designs contains the instrument designs • naming convention: the naming convention: the .orc.orc file contains file contains

Csound orchestra Csound orchestra • begins with four header statements, most begins with four header statements, most

commonly the following:commonly the following:

sr = 22050sr = 22050 kr = 2205kr = 2205 ksmps = 10ksmps = 10 nchnls = 1 nchnls = 1

The Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header Statements sr = 22050sr = 22050

kr = 2205kr = 2205

ksmps = 10ksmps = 10

nchnls = 1 nchnls = 1 • first header line sets sampling rate first header line sets sampling rate

• number of digital samples for each second of sound number of digital samples for each second of sound • 44100 Hertz — high quality sampling rate of CDs 44100 Hertz — high quality sampling rate of CDs • 22050 Hertz — medium quality sampling rate 22050 Hertz — medium quality sampling rate • 8192 Hertz — low quality telephone sampling rate 8192 Hertz — low quality telephone sampling rate

The Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header Statements sr = 22050sr = 22050

kr = 2205kr = 2205

ksmps = 10ksmps = 10

nchnls = 1 nchnls = 1 • second header line sets control rate for more second header line sets control rate for more

slowly varying functions such as amplitude slowly varying functions such as amplitude envelopes envelopes

0

iamp

iattack isustain idecay

The Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header Statements sr = 22050sr = 22050

kr = 2205kr = 2205

ksmps = 10ksmps = 10

nchnls = 1 nchnls = 1 • third header line sets number of samples for third header line sets number of samples for

one control period one control period • control period = sampling rate/control rate control period = sampling rate/control rate

• number of digital samples for each second of sound number of digital samples for each second of sound • specifying it makes it easier to remember this requirement specifying it makes it easier to remember this requirement

The Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header StatementsThe Header Statements sr = 22050sr = 22050

kr = 2205kr = 2205

ksmps = 10ksmps = 10

nchnls = 1 nchnls = 1 • last header line sets number of audio channels last header line sets number of audio channels

• 1 — mono soundfiles 1 — mono soundfiles • 2 — stereo soundfiles 2 — stereo soundfiles