Call for Max device: Musinum

Learn about building and using Max for Live devices.
Post Reply
pepezabala
Posts: 3501
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 4:29 pm
Location: In Berlin, finally

Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by pepezabala » Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:16 pm

About 25 years ago I ran into this mathematician who told me a lot of super interesting stuff about sound and music. His name was Lars Kindermann, and one of his inventions was a litttle windows program called Musinum that made fractal melodies that played on your windows pc.

I experimented quite a bit with the program and created lots of weird little tracks, recorded them, and now most of them are lost on unlabelled cassette tapes.

This is what the program did: It basically counted from one to eternity and each number gets represented in binary, then you take the sum of the binary digits and trigger a correlating note. He explains it even better here https://reglos.de/musinum/

Code: Select all

     decimal  binary  sum of
     number   number  digits    Tone    2nd 4th   
	1       1       1       c 
	2       10      1       c       c   
	3       11      2       d       .
	4       100     1       c       c   c
	5       101     2       d       .   .
	6       110     2       d       d   .
	7       111     3       e       .   . 
	8       1000    1       c       c   c 
	9       1001    2       d       .   .
	10      1010    2       d       d   .
	11      1011    3       e       .   .
	12      1100    2       d       d   d
	13      1101    3       e       .   .
	14      1110    3       e       e   .
	15      1111    4       f       .   .
	16      10000   1       c       c   c
	...     ...     ...     ...     ... ...
So, my question: Is there someone out here who would give it a tray and program a max device that does exactly what musinum did?

chapelier fou
Posts: 6011
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by chapelier fou » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:10 pm

I’m interested ! This is the sort of stuff I do with monome Teletype eurorack module. I’ll have a look.
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

pepezabala
Posts: 3501
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 4:29 pm
Location: In Berlin, finally

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by pepezabala » Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:01 am

chapelier fou wrote:I’m interested ! This is the sort of stuff I do with monome Teletype eurorack module. I’ll have a look.
Oh, what an honour, Monsieur Fou! Thanks for being interested.

Herei s a track I made with musinum in 1999 using the synth on the soundblaster soundcard on a windows pc:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bf3007lbqi14y ... D.aif?dl=0


Send me a pm if you want to discuss details. :-)

chapelier fou
Posts: 6011
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by chapelier fou » Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:18 pm

Cool sounds ! Thanks for sharing.

What would be the rule for the timing/length of notes ?
The algorithm seems quite easy to code in Max (even if it would be more meaningful in "real" code).
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

chapelier fou
Posts: 6011
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by chapelier fou » Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:28 pm

This would be the counter core :

<pre><code>
----------begin_max5_patcher----------
1461.3oc0assiahDD8Y6uBKdXeYch56zjGhT9NVEEg8vlPjArvP1Y2n7uubc
GO6XfZTU3o6W7Hyf4zmh5TcQUE+b6lfCEOlbIX2G18G61r4ma2ro6PsGXyv2
2DjE+3wSwW5NsfiEYYI4UA66+eUIOV0c7xjK0m9uCeNt532Ry+5WJSNV0e44
L46Y62ohzs+QyZ+Tz74tOO7axqyRyOkT0gCe3foOzc0KN782EpCd5LKpqFOU
V6A+01sserGIKNVTmOGIhrsKaNuiCJ0qmCB53Pdxe0bIeAE98YV9JVT6RVZ6
tUHhdut4SwTqewKW+F0sW+iTs+PU+84jd.CRaLm6978gcRUHR1ocX1IrFjry
3xrSnQxtPGlcbiBI6rtL65irifcQNL6TBbjKj8FStO9wcb0hDTn64Y2FDKSv
+rHu5R5+zsl4s+xWva8BtrsWg73rtqPvmJSiOEPuEoN6PR4xb2dcNIhk1OG.
2idByxFNVkT9kj73Cm59MraZWDud6Rv9cAGhy+JotK+VSzJoEfCCuyUQKoxg
wvb.GlokPxki.RtFxv8.MzH4oVDYD9rHxxiD.LZ8hn9DWIwiQ5zhHwxIIQ+F
QZePDMPdx2Ix3yhnlmW0.vnQsHRG5zhH9xOG0nHxRlIQ3AhnQxStHR5yhHAS
YAXzHWDobZQDa4RsP9NQpHePDMPdxEQLu9YhXBE.iF4hHtKKhhVtXriZHxdJ
QkwCzPijmZMjJzm0P5YS+ezlMHgXj4vXcYIjc4t0PuDR5CUlaf7jKgTdctbZ
C.aF4RHs2TJ2m2dYwqn0rJDka59b6ettTXMH6Aizk6AikwPxNWt+YgRjc1U5
x89zDxQxNWtu0FF16ct7LGnw17SoKOuHpPjybfT912Z2vYI3ypntlp7ADJeH
efv0oh5BsWWGCgEfMaHARAYNLFW9YvLyFAjuNRHenytijmbIjW2YWiBfIqWA
Qn+hS2WW8rYHoWEED2GlunQxSsBh60CXjT.vjQtBxoGuH0rOAEacTP9PYcFI
O4JHieOhd.LYTqf3N8XQHmsBKqzdP9vTQLRdxUPd8TQXAXwFDPBXEF.fEyoG
Ih41TNLJZUDP9v.QLxcx0Od8.Qn.XwHW+3zSCAe11yHVE8iO7LPibmZ8iWOK
DB.FLpkO9vjyDsVivoWmsO.CF0NKRuok+CuM1H8UZNyzr5rqcGtt3AugtOcz
I3TZ9++E0uyhzd7maCuTTWdb7RNr328jQ4gjKUo4wUoE4WcNsu7UWcREkOzX
4asPpadiiTnkS.sb0gtcP+uIzh0GZ0DPyWen4S.Ma0gtcX7tEzQqOx5airEE
xgLHPOr9PgT6qT5hHMtbPgjAjnMhBNYffjkBjjPPJjBjf3QXLDfjJDBRZBPR
Bx50FPiikSJnHg1KWA05gkSFMTOBzHYf5kiFoPnJWzHYgFMBMRfivhEIMDNo
oHBqARzHMEQXMbH2mnXmPCnnQbJhkCQ4poHVtFhdRSQrbMnLDkTfDjHrZJ7H
TPTtZJxMRCwKWQgxUAIFghj7HfrqghhbiTPTtJJ1cWAQ4pnvKW.AIIEHIUPQ
B69SBHwHjTbeRpghDVNwgDiPRR1xFnHglSfPhhXDxPnHglSPhQHoHZjzBEIz
bBRVXRJxBSFAEIrbBjCAIEI.JPXYDDGOJhO.J35sKV05WfNyDkFDWF6..lBu
eHBZJhbvgjEHE99PTyb1cxmjOQYiwUqbNjrZ3T7TBbPjTdurlST+ebM8fCIr
LmhnXbHwk4l6k0bhF4fr6UP12lSQjKNjPW7n6j0TLQy.03PFxFrBJpai.R7Y
g3dYMmXyby5i7D6lGhCYHamKn3oCEP1aP7xnY8cLO974ejTdY3r6.IHK96E8
s8a+19l92+0tV3GTl7izwyuabABhKO9szpjiU0k8Mv+wg29mfrhFiYdc5P1Q
MzqAxtYWnsY+WNG2yjtQbX6u19uvlAwpU
-----------end_max5_patcher-----------
</code></pre>
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

pepezabala
Posts: 3501
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 4:29 pm
Location: In Berlin, finally

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by pepezabala » Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:20 am

interesting.

Did you see the image of the original program UI?

Image


There is a setting for "speed" - which lets you select the note length.

Have you been able to run the program on a computer?

Also, see this part of his description "Beside playing this basic sequence, there are many possibilities to experiment around. Interesting effects are generated when the computer does not count simply 1,2,3... but is calculating different 1x1's. For example 3, 6, 9, 12... or the multiples of 5. Very interesting are the multiples of powers of two minus or plus one, the baroque integers! Completely different melodies are generated! To hear what happens if we leave the binary system behind and write down these numbers in ternary, hexadecimal, our well known decimal-system or do other transformations, download the windows program!"

So in the interface you have more settings, which are "Step", "Base" and "Start". If I remember right they will be variables a multiplicator and an addition or subtraction.

carrieres
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:54 am
Location: Poissy, France
Contact:

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by carrieres » Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:23 am

Nice project !
Yamaha CS-30, Roland SH-1 and MKS70, Focusrite Scarlett 18i6, Yamaha FS1R, Oberheim Matrix 1000, Novation Remote 37SL, Alesis M1Active 520, Novation Launchpad PRO
Intel i7-7700HQ, Windows 10, Ableton Live 10 Suite
http://soundcloud.com/ccarrieres

chapelier fou
Posts: 6011
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 12:15 pm

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by chapelier fou » Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:07 am

Ok, so different voices, each with a constant and selectable speed.

Different ways to count, per voice :
- Step : a step of would would count 1, 2, 3, 4..... a step of 3 would count 1, 4, 7, 10....
- Base : np clue what it does.
- Start : starting point for the counter.
- Modulo : a way to make the counter loop.

Am I correct ?

I am on a Mac and no way to test on Windows so it's hard to really get how it should work.
MacBook Pro 13" Retina i7 2.8 GHz OS 10.13, L10.0.1, M4L.
MacStudio M1Max 32Go OS 12.3.1

pepezabala
Posts: 3501
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 4:29 pm
Location: In Berlin, finally

Re: Call for Max device: Musinum

Post by pepezabala » Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:26 pm

Hi Monsieur Fou,

Hm, I need to see where I possibly could install this. I am on a mac as well :-)

OK, I think you have it right with your explanation:

- Step : a step of would would count 1, 2, 3, 4..... a step of 3 would count 1, 4, 7, 10....
- Base : np clue what it does.
- Start : starting point for the counter.
- Modulo : a way to make the counter loop.


And Base - I believe this is a number that gets added/subtracted to the step.


paul

Post Reply