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Getting started making machines.

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 4:59 pm
by onecircles
I've always dreamed of making machines, but I've never gotten off the ground coding. The most complex thing I ever made was a program that found prime numbers. I'd love to learn though. I'd love to know more about how buzz machines work, and I'd feel way proud if I could drop a synth of my own making into the machines view B)

Any recommendations on how to get started?

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:48 pm
by Zephod
Depends a bit on what you want to achieve... You need to know quite a bit of C/C++ to move around the plugin interfacing system.

After that there will be lots of math to deal with DSP. Do you have anything specific in mind?

But.. to get started -> download the Visual Studio 2015 community edition for a nice C++ environment

Then search the buzz wiki for some examples of working buzz machine code and try to read it/understand the lifecycle of a plugin

Then.. visit musicdsp.org or #buzz #musicdsp on IRC - the rabbit hole is quite deep.....

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:51 pm
by Zephod

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 12:56 am
by onecircles
Thanks Zephod! I love your machines!

I guess my biggest goal would be to attempt to make synths using novel forms of tone generation. I'd love to learn DSP. I have math phases I go through maybe once a year. I just took the accuplacer, which is a college entrance exam in USA. I got a perfect score in algebra, which just means I'm solidly college level. I've never done calculus or trigonometry, but I'm very interested in trigonometry. I also am fascinated by linear algebra, probability, non-euclidean and higher dimensional geometries and combinatorics! I keep trying to learn programming, but sadly I never get far off the ground.

I'd also love to just have a better grasp of how computers generate audio, and a better understanding of sound itself.

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:58 am
by IXix
onecircles wrote:I've always dreamed of making machines,
DON'T DO IT!!! IT WILL EAT YOUR LIFE! :lol:

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:25 pm
by onecircles
hahaha!

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 10:01 am
by ags
Many machines on IXix. New machines.

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 11:09 am
by IXix
ags wrote:Many machines on IXix. New machines.
Well, one new one coming soon. PatchBay 3 is almost ready. :)

Making machines isn't very difficult. The hard part is making machines that always work as intended and never crash.

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 6:17 pm
by Zephod
this is tempting me to make a cymbal plugin that always crashes, like intended.

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 8:31 am
by IXix
Zephod wrote:this is tempting me to make a cymbal plugin that always crashes, like intended.
You should give up your high-flying super-programmer day job and become a comedian. :mrgreen:

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 3:17 am
by mute
Zephod wrote:this is tempting me to make a cymbal plugin that always crashes, like intended.
:lol:

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:42 pm
by AndersBrontosaurus
Zephod wrote:this is tempting me to make a cymbal plugin that always crashes, like intended.
:lol: :lol: :P :P :lol: :lol:

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 12:36 pm
by mcbpete
onecircles wrote:I'd also love to just have a better grasp of how computers generate audio, and a better understanding of sound itself.
I'd suggest getting hold of the book Electronic Music & Sound Design ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Musi ... 8890548401 ), it mainly focusses on Max (which might be a good introduction rather going directly into C++, PureData is a good free alternative to Max) but goes right back to the very basics of sound design and effects which can apply to any environment

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 5:51 pm
by nathansnider
There is also an introductory DSP class on Coursera right now, if you're looking for a structured format to learn the basics. It uses Python, but the principles are the same no matter what language you're using.

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:53 am
by IXix
I started by hacking away at the cheapo template but that's very old now and probably not as good a starting point as it was.

If you decide to dive in it might be easier to try making a managed (.NET) machine first. I haven't tried that yet but I suspect it might be a less hair-pulling experience, plus if you want any kind of fancy GUI you won't need to mess around communicating between two dlls.

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:10 am
by onecircles
Spent the last year building electronic assemblies for the US military as per ipc/j-std, quit that because I'm a peaceful person. Have an electronics lab in my home now. Back in school for electrical engineering. Intending to build audio equipment. have to learn C and python. Can C be used to write buzz machines, or is c++ necessary?

Re: Getting started making machines.

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 8:58 pm
by IXix
onecircles wrote:Can C be used to write buzz machines, or is c++ necessary?
Don't quote me but I think it has to be C++ compiler. In fact I seem to recall that it has to be Visual Studio or at least the compiler.

How much actual ++ is necessary I'm not sure. Machine building is pretty simple, not much need for arcane knowledge.