SuperCollider for the Creative Musician (PDF)

SuperCollider, an open-source, cross-platform software program for real-time sound synthesis and algorithmic composition, was created by James McCartney in 1996 and has evolved to become a powerful tool for music composition and research. Written by composer and sound artist Eli Fieldsteel, who has almost two decades' experience of using SuperCollider for a variety of creative audio projects, SuperCollider for the Creative Musician is a comprehensive tutorial and reference guide for students, composers, and practitioners seeking a structured educational tour through this unique and flexible software.

The book begins with platform-specific fundamentals, explores a large family of creative techniques, and then guides the reader through the nuances of assembling, navigating, and performing large-scale projects. Key topics include synthesis, sampling, sequencing, signal processing, external control, and graphical user interface design. Written with both beginners and intermediate practitioners in mind, this book is an invaluable resource for sound creators whose background falls anywhere on the spectrum between musician and computer programmer, and who seek to add new and innovative code-based techniques to their skill set. The companion website has an extensive collection of detailed code examples, which can be downloaded for exploration, experimentation, and hands-on learning.