Coleoptera LC

Performed @ CCAM May 2, 2019

This live performance was dedicated to the memory of composer Allan Schindler and represents an organic eventualization of the impact Allan has had on my life and music. Coleoptera LC is the live-coding performance of a feedback-based synthesis instrument, coded in the SuperCollider programming language [see below], named Coleoptera. Every sound in the piece is generated from the same few lines of code by varying the input parameters to each new incarnation of the virtual sound creature. The total number of individual voices and all values supplied as input parameters are derived from the date of Allan Schindler’s birth.

The starter code is shown below and exists because I prioritize sound starting <1' into a performance over coding everything from scratch.  

// numbers derived from the date of Allan Schindler’s birth.
~divValueArray = [0.000514, 0.0016, 0.00497664, 0.008, 0.0248832, 0.124416, 0.2, 0.4, 0.62208, 1, 3.1104, 8.037551, 15.552, 25, 40.187757, 77.76, 125, 388.8, 625, 1944, 3125];


~dec = ~divValueArray[0..7];
~spd = ~divValueArray[7..11];
~val = ~divValueArray[5..9];
~freq = ~divValueArray[15..21]

(// this will record my session
FreqScope.new; // we can see sound!
r = Recorder.new(s);
r.recHeaderFormat = “WAV”;
r.recSampleFormat = “float”;
r.prepareForRecord((“coleoptera_L_C_live” + “date”.unixCmdGetStdOut + “.wav”).resolveRelative, 2);
)

(
~coleoptera = {|freq = 388.8 spd = 1 val = 0.2 imp = 0.0125
dec = 0.00497664 whit = 0.12446 q = 0.2 cut = 5 mul = 0.82208|

var lfo, source, local;
lfo = LFNoise1.kr(spd, val, val);
source = Decay.ar(Impulse.ar(imp), dec) * WhiteNoise.ar(whit);
local = LocalIn.ar(2) + [source, 0];
local = RLPF.ar(DelayC.ar(local, val, lfo), freq + (lfo * cut), lfo + q); // delay sound
LocalOut.ar(local.reverse.clip * mul);
local
};
)