Quick Start

Patch max

Quick Start

Introduction

Compatibility

Live 10
Max 8

Configuration

In order for the Live and Max examples to load sounds properly, please first copy the SKataRT folder into any location subscribed in your Max’s Search Path, or add the SKataRT folder to Max’s Search Path using the File Preferences pane under the Options menu of Max.

First launch

Structure of the folders

Skarart folders

There are two ways of testing SKataRT

A Live project: inside SKataRT For Live folder, launch SKataRT For Live.als file.
A Max project: inside SKataRT For Max folder, launch SKataRT For Max.maxproj file.

Max project

Patch max

The different panels

XY mode

The panels in white boxes, the letters in white

Common panels

A. Control Mode: selection between XY control and Live Audio modes
B. Open the Corpus Editor
C. Trigger mode and grain playback parameters like Duration, Attack, Release
D. Effects like Filter, Transposition
E. Output: Direct level, spatialization (pan, multicanal spread, variation rate, ... )

F. Specific panel for Live Audio mode

Audio Type
Descriptors weights
Descriptor Analysis
Calibrate

The XY mode

Control Mode panel: select XY mode
Open B. the Corpus Editor
Grains are played in the 2D controller shown above (orange circle) and can be mapped with midi controller.
Select X and Y axes descriptors (See section about Audio Descriptors)

Corpus editor

The Live Audio mode

Control Mode panel: select Live Audio Mode mode
Play an audio sample (in Live or Max)
Select calibrate (now in orange) to calibrate the Descriptor Analysis after a few seconds deselect.
Try different Audio Type depending on your audio sample.
Enjoy !

The Audio Descriptors

The descriptors that are analyzed within SKataRT are briefly explained. However, you can skip this section for the beginning and just try them out, for some are very easily understood by exploring them interactively. Keep in mind that some descriptors make little sense for certain types of sound, e.g. Pitch for unpitched, noisy sounds.

Pitch: Estimation of the pitch
Periodicity estimation based on Zero Crossing. The zero-crossing rate is a measure of how many times the waveform changes sign (i.e., crosses the zero axis). In general, periodic sounds have a smaller zero-crossing rate than noisier sounds, so the zero-crossing rate can be used in voice activity detection, voiced-unvoiced decisions for speech, and even in the classification of percussive sounds.
Loudness: Estimation of the perceived level
Brightness: The spectral centroid is the amplitude-weighted mean frequency. It is measured in Hertz (Hz) and is analogous to the center of mass, so it can be interpreted as the center of balance of spectral energy distribution or the frequency that divides the spectrum into two regions with equal energy.

References

Pipo Acoustical Descriptors