M4C and SNDAN upgrades available

[James Beauchamp <jwb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is to announce upgrades to two software packages available for ftp at our
site:
        SNDAN, an spectral analysis/synthesis package, and

        Music 4C, an event-structured sound synthesis package.

Both are designed to run on Unix workstations.

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SNDAN is a Unix-based software package for spectral analysis, display,
modification, and synthesis of musical sounds. It uses EPS graphics for display
under X Windows or NextStep. Both fixed filter bank harmonic analysis with
arbitrary base frequency and tracking analysis with possibilities for pitch
detection and reduction to harmonics are available. Recently SNDAN's display
repertoire has been upgraded for improved 3D graphics. monan's 'pp' command now
allows arbitrary orientations of the 3D spectrum with optional hidden line
removal and color or grey scale. In addition, there is a 2D "spectrogram"
command, 'ftc', which uses color or grey scale to indicate amplitude.

Documentation for the various SNDAN commands are contained in the sndan/doc
subdirectory.

To obtain a copy of SNDAN, login to sndan@cmp-nxt.music.uiuc.edu and follow the
instructions for ftp back to your machine. pw is 'cnmat.12'. Then follow the
simple instructions for installation.

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Music 4C (M4C) has recently been upgraded to version 1.5.

Music 4C has the following features:

1) Sonic events are given by I statements which give instrument name, start
   time and duration (in seconds) and numerical parameter values or strings
   peculiar to the instrument.

2) Function statements work the same as I statements except no duration is
   given. Their purpose is to create tables.

3) Instrument definitions are written in C. Separate code is written for
   piece initialization, note-on, note-off (optional), and sample computation.

4) Each instrument is compiled as a separate C module and several modules can
   be linked together with the M4C library to form an orchestra.

5) Once the orchestra is compiled it is run with the score in the background
   to produce a sound file. The sound files can be NeXT, headerless short int,
   or headerless floating point.

6) ascii pseudo-music notation and score processor software is part of the
   package. A midi file preprocessor is avaiable.

A "class orchestra", consisting of 9 instruments, is set up for beginner use.
Its use is discussed in M4C_intro.txt in the m4c/doc directory.

With version 1.5 Music 4C includes unit generator functions for handling sound
files and doing reverberation. In addition, several example instruments are
given which illustrate FM modulation (1 and 2 carriers); additive synthesis
based on analysis files produced by SNDAN; ghost instruments for amplitude
control and reverberation; several examples of simple and complex
reverberation; some sample instruments; and a trumpet instrument which uses
Spectral Dynamic Synthesis.

To obtain a copy of Music 4C, login to m4cguest@cmp-nxt.music.uiuc.edu and
follow the instructions for ftp back to your machine. pw is same as the login
name. Then follow the simple instructions for installation.

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Please let me know if you have any problems with these procedures.

Jim Beauchamp
j-beauch@uiuc.edu