Today’s version includes some output from the preprocessor that is more helpful to understand the choices it has made. It also makes extensive use of the p0 randomization pattern, which causes the preprocessor to go through a list and pick the item that has been least often played. As a result, in this version, there are many sections of the piece that were previously unplayed. I had never used this before, and completely forgot that I had included the code to support such a feature. I’ve been playing with the preprocessor for nearly 23 years, and have no idea when I added the p0 pattern, but there it was in the source code, and I used it in this version of the piece.
I added code to the macro source file to list the choices made at different points in the piece. Here’s an example at the beginning of the piece:
- 1 vamp, bridge, m
- ch2 r=10
- ch3 r=06
- ch4 r=10
- ch5 r=04
- ch6 r=04
- 16th = 6 – 10 per measure
- 9:8 uton c a
- loud = mp
- a tetrad bridge
- 4:3 oton d a
- 8:5 oton d a
- 16:9 oton d a
- 1:1 oton d a
- 4:3 oton d a
The text is in code to help me debug, but it shows what the preprocessor chose. 1 vamp of 480 beats, made up of 8 60 beat measures, played at medium volume. The density is such that channel 2’s notes are played 62% of the time they are called, and silent the remaining 38% of the time. Channel 3 is played only 38% of the time called, and channels 5 & 6 are played only 25% of the time. A sixteenth note gets 6 beats, and there are 10 of them per measure, which is fairly slow. The 16-tone scale is the 9:8 utonality, and the tetrad derived from that scale is primarily the “a” tetrad, with slides from the “c” to the “a”. The “a” tetrad in the utonal scale is 12/12:10:8:7. It makes a sweet minor triad with a sharp 7th. The “c” tetrad is more challenging, with ratios of 46/46:38:31:27. It’s way down in the subharmonic series. The loudness of the bridge is medium. This is an “a” tetrad bridge. The bridge is F major, Ab major, Bb major, C major, F major, which coincidentally is the bridge for Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin'”. Go figure. Here’s the next few measures to get an idea of what you may be hearing.
- 1 vamp, bridge, f
- ch2 r=08
- ch3 r=08
- ch4 r=04
- ch5 r=10
- ch6 r=06
- 16th = 5 beats – 12 per measure
- 8:5 oton c d
- loud = f
- b tetrad bridge
- 4:3 oton a b
- 8:5 oton a b
- 16:9 oton a b
- 1:1 oton a b
- 4:3 oton a b
- 1 vamp, bridge, m
- ch2 r=10
- ch3 r=10
- ch4 r=06
- ch5 r=04
- ch6 r=08
- 16th = 6 – 10 per measure
- 9:8 uton c a
- loud = mf
- c tetrad bridge
- 4:3 oton b c
- 8:5 oton b c
- 16:9 oton b c
- 1:1 oton b c
- 4:3 oton b c
- 5 vamps, bridge, f
- ch2 r=08
- ch3 r=04
- ch4 r=08
- ch5 r=10
- ch6 r=10
- 16th = 5 beats – 12 per measure
- 8:5 oton c d
- loud = ff
- b tetrad bridge
- 4:3 oton a b
- 8:5 oton a b
- 16:9 oton a b
- 1:1 oton a b
- 4:3 oton a b
All in good fun.
or download here:
Machine 2 – v15
