19_Scheduling

Routines and clocks

Use clocks to create automated, algorithmic scheduling. Among the things that clocks "play" are routines, tasks, and patterns.

To see how a clock "plays" a routine, first examine how a function works in a routine.

The first argument (and usually the only argument) to a routine is a function.// template for a routine Routine({ ".... code within curly braces is a function .... "});

A .yield message to an expression in a function (in a routine) returns a value.r = Routine({ "hello, world".yield.postln }); // to evaluate a routine, send a .next message // it will "hand over" the value of the expression to which the .yield message is attached r.next;

Evaluate (again)r.next;

The routine above returns nil when its evaluated a second time. This is because once a routine "yields" and if there's no additional code after the .yield message, the routine is finished, over, and done - unless it receives a reset message. Then it can start over again.r.next; // returns nil r.reset; // reset the routine r.next; // it works!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////( r = Routine({ "hello, world".yield; "what a world".yield; "i am a world".yield; }); )

The first three .next messages return a string. The fourth .next message returns nil.r.next; // returns a string r.next; // returns a string r.next; // returns a string r.next; // returns nil

Reset the routine.r.reset; r.next; r.next; r.next; r.next;

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Use a .do message in a routine to make a loop.( r = Routine({ // setup code var array; array = [ "hello, world", "what a world", "i am a world" ]; // the loop 3.do({ array.choose.yield }) }); )

Evaluate the routine one more time than the loop in the routine allows.4.do({ r.next.postln });

The routine returned three strings followed by nil.

Scheduling routines

Rewrite the routine so that it includes a .wait message.( r = Routine({ var array; array = [ "hello, world", "what a world", "i am a world" ]; 3.do({ 1.wait; // pause for 1 second array.choose.postln; }) }); )

Then "play" the routine, eg, send it a .play message.r.play;

Append a .reset message to the routine so that it can start over.r.reset.play;

Clocks and the convenience of .play

When a routine receives a .play message, control (of the routine) is redirected to a clock. The clock uses the receiver of the .wait message as a unit of time to schedule ("play") the routine.

SuperCollider has three clocks, each of which has a help file.SystemClock // the most accurate AppClock // for use with GUIs TempoClock // to schedule in beats

The .play message is a convenience that allows one to writer.reset.play; // reset the routine before playing it

instead ofSystemClock.play(r)

Scheduling synths with routines

Enclose synths within routines. It's often the case that the synthdef used by the synth in routines should have an envelope with a doneAction parameter set to 2 (to deallocate the memory needed for the synth after its envelope has finished playing).( // DEFINE A SYNTHDEF SynthDef("fm2", { arg bus = 0, freq = 440, carPartial = 1, modPartial = 1, index = 3, mul = 0.2, ts = 1; // index values usually are between 0 and 24 // carPartial :: modPartial => car/mod ratio var mod; var car; mod = SinOsc.ar( freq * modPartial, 0, freq * index * LFNoise1.kr(5.reciprocal).abs ); car = SinOsc.ar( (freq * carPartial) + mod, 0, mul ); Out.ar( bus, car * EnvGen.kr(Env.sine(1), doneAction: Done.freeSelf, timeScale: ts) ) }).add; ) ( // DEFINE A ROUTINE r = Routine({ 12.do({ Synth( "fm2", [ \bus, 2.rand, \freq, 400.0.rrand(1200), \carPartial, 0.5.rrand(2), \ts, 0.5.rrand(11) ] ); s.queryAllNodes; "".postln.postln.postln.postln.postln; 2.wait; }) }); ) // PLAY THE ROUTINE r.reset.play;

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Process synths spawned in a routine through effects that run outside of the routine.( // DEFINE A SYNTHDEF SynthDef("echoplex", { ReplaceOut.ar( 0, CombN.ar( In.ar(0, 1), 0.35, [Rand(0.05, 0.3), Rand(0.05, 0.3)], // generate random values every time a synth is created 7, 0.5 ) ) }).add; // DEFINE GROUPS TO CONTROL ORDER-OF-EXECUTION // attach a ~source group to the head of the rootnode and // an ~effects group to the tail of the rootenode ~source = Group.head(s); ~effect = Group.tail(s); // DEFINE A ROUTINE r = Routine({ // loop is the same as inf.do, eg, create an infinite loop that runs forever loop({ Synth.head( // attach the synth to the head of the ~source group ~source, "fm2", [ \outbus, 0, \freq, 400.0.rrand(1200), \modPartial, 0.3.rrand(2.0), \carPartial, 0.5.rrand(11), \ts, 0.1.rrand(0.2)] ); s.queryAllNodes; 2.wait; }) }); // TURN ON EFFECTS Synth.head(~effect, "echoplex"); Synth.tail(~effect, "echoplex"); ) // PLAY THE ROUTINE r.reset.play;

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