Kyma (sound design language)
Encyclopedia
Kyma is a visual programming language for sound design used by musicians, researchers, and sound designers. In Kyma, a user programs a multiprocessor DSP by graphically connecting modules on the screen of a Macintosh
or Windows
computer.
i) a Sound atom
ii) a unary transform T(s) where s is a Sound
iii) an n-ary transform T(s1, s2,.., sn), where s1,s2,..sn are Sounds
A Sound atom is a source of audio (like a microphone input or a noise generator), a unary transform modifies its argument (for example, a LowpassFilter might take a running average of its input), and an n-ary transform combines two or more Sounds (a Mixer, for example, is defined as the sum of its inputs).
was written in the Smalltalk
programming language in 1986 by Carla Scaletti
in Champaign, Illinois
. In May 1987, Scaletti had partitioned Kyma into graphics and sound generation engines and ported the sound generation code to a digital signal processor called the Platypus designed by Lippold Haken and Kurt J. Hebel of the CERL Sound Group.
In 1987, Scaletti presented a paper on Kyma and demonstrated live digital sound generation on the Platypus at the International Computer Music Conference
where it was identified by electronic synthesis pioneer Bob Moog
as a technology to watch in his conference report for Keyboard Magazine
:
When the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
eliminated the funding for the PLATO laboratory in 1989, Scaletti and Hebel formed Symbolic Sound Corporation
in order to continue developing Kyma and digital audio signal processing hardware.
For additional films where Kyma has been used for sound design, please see the Eighth Nerve in external links below
For additional albums and artists using Kyma, please see the Eighth Nerve in external links below
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
or Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
computer.
Background
Kyma has characteristics of both object-oriented and functional programming languages. The basic unit in Kyma is the "Sound" object, not the "note" of traditional music notation. A Sound is defined as:i) a Sound atom
ii) a unary transform T(s) where s is a Sound
iii) an n-ary transform T(s1, s2,.., sn), where s1,s2,..sn are Sounds
A Sound atom is a source of audio (like a microphone input or a noise generator), a unary transform modifies its argument (for example, a LowpassFilter might take a running average of its input), and an n-ary transform combines two or more Sounds (a Mixer, for example, is defined as the sum of its inputs).
History
The first version of Kyma, which computed digital audio samples on a Macintosh 512KMacintosh 512K
The Macintosh 512K Personal Computer, also known as the "Fat Mac", is the second of a long line of Apple Macintosh computers, was the first update to the original Macintosh 128K. It was virtually identical to the previous Mac, differing primarily in the amount of built-in memory , which quadrupled...
was written in the Smalltalk
Smalltalk
Smalltalk is an object-oriented, dynamically typed, reflective programming language. Smalltalk was created as the language to underpin the "new world" of computing exemplified by "human–computer symbiosis." It was designed and created in part for educational use, more so for constructionist...
programming language in 1986 by Carla Scaletti
Carla Scaletti
Carla Scaletti is an American harpist, composer and music technologist.-Biography:Carla Scaletti was born in Ithaca, New York. She graduated from the public schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico, then completed a bachelor's of music from the University of New Mexico, a masters of music from Texas...
in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
. In May 1987, Scaletti had partitioned Kyma into graphics and sound generation engines and ported the sound generation code to a digital signal processor called the Platypus designed by Lippold Haken and Kurt J. Hebel of the CERL Sound Group.
In 1987, Scaletti presented a paper on Kyma and demonstrated live digital sound generation on the Platypus at the International Computer Music Conference
ICMC
ICMC may refer to:* International Catholic Migration Commission* International Computer Music Conference* The Indiana College Mathematics Competition...
where it was identified by electronic synthesis pioneer Bob Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
as a technology to watch in his conference report for Keyboard Magazine
Keyboard Magazine
Keyboard Magazine is a magazine that originally covered electronic keyboard instruments and keyboardists, though with the advent of computer based recording and audio technology, they have added digital music technology to their regular coverage, including those not strictly pertaining to the...
:
One new language that acknowledges no distinction between sound synthesis and composition is Kyma, a music composition language for the Macintosh that views all elements in a piece of music, from the structure of a single sound to the structure of the entire composition, as objects to be composed.
When the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
eliminated the funding for the PLATO laboratory in 1989, Scaletti and Hebel formed Symbolic Sound Corporation
Symbolic Sound Corporation
Symbolic Sound Corporation was founded by Carla Scaletti and Kurt J. Hebel in 1989 as a spinoff of the CERL Sound Group at the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Originally named Kymatics, the company was incorporated as Symbolic Sound...
in order to continue developing Kyma and digital audio signal processing hardware.
Selected filmography
- Wall-EWALL-EWALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
- War of the Worlds (2005)War of the Worlds (2005 film)War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
- Revenge of the Sith
- Finding NemoFinding NemoFinding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
- Attack of the Clones
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the WorldMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the WorldMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir, starring Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey, with Paul Bettany as Stephen Maturin and released by 20th Century Fox, Miramax Films and Universal Studios...
For additional films where Kyma has been used for sound design, please see the Eighth Nerve in external links below
Selected discography
- On An IslandOn an IslandOn an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as vocalist and lead guitarist for Pink Floyd. It was released in the UK on 6 March 2006, Gilmour's 60th birthday, and in the United States the following day. It was Gilmour's first new solo album in 22 years...
- Today (Junkie XL album)Today (Junkie XL album)Today is the fourth album by electronic music producer Junkie XL . It was released in 2006 and features vocals by Nathan Mader and acoustic guitar by Holkenborg on several tracks....
- The ThunderthiefThe ThunderthiefThe Thunderthief is John Paul Jones's second solo album.-Track listing:#"Leafy Meadows" – 5:10#"The Thunderthief" – 5:58#"Hoediddle" – 7:00#"Ice Fishing at Night" – 4:31#"Daphne" – 4:50#"Angry Angry" – 5:54...
- Emotional TechnologyEmotional TechnologyEmotional Technology is the fourth album by electronica artist BT. Transitioning towards a poppier sound, the album features some of BT's well-known hits, including "Somnambulist", "The Force of Gravity" and "Superfabulous". "Somnambulist", also known as "Simply Being Loved", holds the Guinness...
- Movement in Still LifeMovement in Still LifeMovement in Still Life is the third album by electronica artist BT. Released, in the United Kingdom in 1999, with a modified version for the United States in 2000...
- ZoomaZoomaZooma is the 1999 instrumental debut solo-album by former Led Zeppelin bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones.It showcases his acoustic abilities along with his composing abilities...
- Recombinant Art 01
- Unidentified Sound Object
- The Never Engine
For additional albums and artists using Kyma, please see the Eighth Nerve in external links below