mtmccrea / ctk

Composer\'s Tool Kit - objects for real-time and NRT composition

CTK

The Composer's Tool Kit

Introduction

CTK - The Composer's Tool Kit - is a set of Object classes to aid specifically in the creation of fixed pieces through the use of a Score-like structure. To make general usage easier, the CTK Objects also support real-time control through the .play method. The objects included in the CTK are:

• CtkScore
• CtkSynthDef
• CtkProtoNotes
• CtkNote
• CtkBuffer
• CtkControl
• CtkAudio
• CtkEvent
• CtkGroup

The CTK Objects can be used as a replacement for the object oriented classes in the standard SuperCollider distribution (Synth, Buffer, Group, and Bus). The main difference is that these classes can easily be used to populate a CtkScore for non-real-time (NRT) synthesis.

CTK classes were originally developed by Josh Parmenter. Other contributors include Michael McCrea, Daniel Peterson, and Marcin Pączkowski.

Disadvantages to the standard object classes:

• Since the classes can operate in both modes, CtkNotes (the CTK equivalent of a Synth) needs to be explicitly told to 'play'. Synthesis does not begin automatically.
• CtkNotes are prototyped according to an actual SynthDef, as a result some of the objects syntax is a little different. Arguments are passed to the CtkNote instance in a different way than Synth and may take some getting used to (though the syntax is more in line with the getter and setter methods of other SC objects... more below).
• To make these Objects as flexible as possible with other Ctk objects, the classes check for quite a bit internally. This of course adds some overhead to the language side of SuperCollider, though performance problems generally have not been noticed by the users.

Advantages to the standard object classes:

• Very easy to use in both real-time and non-real-time mode.
• Arguments to instances of CtkNote are set through more traditional getter and setter methods. When a CtkNoteObject is created, methods are added to its instance that correspond with the Control parameters of a SynthDef (including array parameters).
• In real-time mode, the change of an argument's value will be reflected in the running synth.
• Better support for playing CtkScore in real-time. Instances of CtkBuffer will be allocated before the score is played, allowing for loading of large buffers before notes are played. CtkBuffers also de-allocate themselves after the CtkScore finishes playing.