mirror of
https://gitea.heck.live/heck/Orca-Workshop.git
synced 2024-11-22 07:49:15 +01:00
247 lines
No EOL
7.7 KiB
Markdown
247 lines
No EOL
7.7 KiB
Markdown
# Orca-Workshop
|
|
|
|
Orca is an esoteric programming language and live editor designed to quickly create procedural sequencers.
|
|
Orca is one of the inventions of Devine Lu Linvega of the small artist collective 'Hundred Rabbits'.
|
|
|
|
In this workshop we will:
|
|
|
|
1. Look at a few orca demos to get an impression
|
|
2. Get an orca setup running on your machine
|
|
3. Get a very quick language overview
|
|
4. Play through some tutorials together
|
|
5. Get hooked and get lost in the rabbithole of orca
|
|
|
|
Please find a collection of orca resources at the end of this document.
|
|
|
|
## Installation
|
|
|
|
### Orca
|
|
|
|
There are many implementations of Orca.
|
|
The ones that work well for this workshop are:
|
|
|
|
* Easy setup: electron/js
|
|
* Advanced setup: ANSI-C implementation
|
|
|
|
#### Easy setup
|
|
|
|
The quickest way to get started on any platform is to just use the 'fancy' electron framework version. I recommend doing that for the workshop, to avoid the "install-party" effect.
|
|
Download and run the binary release. The source link is just for your reference.
|
|
|
|
* Binary release: https://hundredrabbits.itch.io/orca
|
|
* Source/Docs: https://github.com/hundredrabbits/Orca
|
|
|
|
#### Advanced Setup
|
|
|
|
My favourite setup though, is running the ANSI-C version in [Cool-Retro-Term](https://github.com/Swordfish90/cool-retro-term).
|
|
Orca AND Cool-Retro-Term are available in many package managers, have a look in yours. Maybe you are lucky...
|
|
Of course you can run this version of orca in any terminal.
|
|
|
|
* Source/Docs: https://github.com/hundredrabbits/Orca-c
|
|
|
|
### Pilot
|
|
|
|
Orca cant make any sounds on its own, it can only generate MIDI, OSC or UDP output.
|
|
Pilot is a 'companion' program (from hundredrabbits as well) that is a fun little synthesizer and is very easy to use with orca over UDP.
|
|
Download and run the binary release. The source link is just for your reference.
|
|
|
|
* Binary release: https://hundredrabbits.itch.io/pilot
|
|
* Source/Docs: https://github.com/hundredrabbits/Pilot
|
|
|
|
## Language Quick Overview
|
|
|
|
* Esoteric Programming Language
|
|
* 'Frame-Oriented' (execution model)
|
|
* 26 operators `A`-`Z`
|
|
* 1 datatype - Base36
|
|
* Uppercase operators execute on every frame
|
|
* Lowercase operators execute on a 'Bang'
|
|
* Data is just Base36 numbers '0-9' and 'a-z'
|
|
* I/O: no I just O. MIDI/OSC/UDP
|
|
|
|
# Tutorial Main Function
|
|
|
|
This is the Tutorial main function. Return here after every tutorial to decide what you wanna do next.
|
|
Definitely, do the **Tutorial 1: First Bleeps**, first.
|
|
|
|
If you are reading this you must be have completed **Tutorial 1: First Bleeps**. Congratulations! You did so, right?
|
|
|
|
Your next options are:
|
|
1.) You feel like the lazy beaver and just want to improve your bleepyness the easy way, and quickly sound
|
|
like you know what your doing?
|
|
**Tutorial 2a: CakeTracker** is for you
|
|
|
|
2.) You feel more like the clever rabbit, you need the deep dive, and in the end you want to know more about orca than your
|
|
fellow workshop-mates that just bleep-away with their 2 operators?
|
|
**Tutorial 2b: ScopeHero** is for you.
|
|
|
|
## Tutorial 1: First Bleeps
|
|
|
|
In this tutorial we will only learn 2 of the 26 operators, and we will already be making polymetric noise.
|
|
Isn't that great?
|
|
|
|
Have a look into the directory `tutorials/1_first_bleeps/`.
|
|
There is an orca program for each chapter.
|
|
|
|
### 1. Bangs
|
|
|
|
The 'bang' is the trigger that activates lower-case operators.
|
|
There is technically only one operator that directly generates a bang. Its the operator `D`.
|
|
|
|
* `D` - Delay, bang periodically (count / frame-modulo)
|
|
|
|
```orca
|
|
|
|
# tutorials/1_first_bleeps/2_first_bleeps.orca
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### 2. First Bleeps
|
|
|
|
Operators you learn in this chapter:
|
|
|
|
* `;` - Send UDP packet (- / data)
|
|
|
|
for synthesizing the actual waves we are using 'Pilot', a soft-synth which we control with UDP packets.
|
|
So, the commands we send using the UDP output operator are actually Pilot commands, not orca.
|
|
|
|
Pilot commands are 3-5 'bytes' long, where the first 3 are required.
|
|
The format is: `CH` `OCT` `NOTE` [`VOL`] [`DECAY`]
|
|
|
|
Where:
|
|
|
|
* `CH` - Channels 1-f exist, they all sound different (and they are monophonic)
|
|
* `OCT` - Around 8 octaves should definitely exist
|
|
* `NOTE` - Note names where Upper-case are white keys and Lower-case are Black-keys
|
|
* `VOL` - The Volume 0-z (even though the doc says 0-f, but hey we love clipping dont we?)
|
|
* `DECAY` - The 'length' of the note, 0-f (?)
|
|
|
|
Example:
|
|
`;13C` - Pilot plays note 'C' of octave 3 (default volume and length)
|
|
|
|
### Congrats
|
|
|
|
Congratulations you have witnessed the easiest programming language to make a sound. 2 operators are all you need.
|
|
Now return to the **Tutorial main function** to plan your next adventure.
|
|
|
|
## Tutorial 2a: CakeTracker
|
|
|
|
In this tutorial we will learn how, using only 4 more operators, we can melodize beethoven out of the water like a piece of cake.
|
|
|
|
Have a look into the directory `tutorials/2a_caketracker/`.
|
|
There is an orca program for each chapter.
|
|
|
|
### 1. Counter
|
|
|
|
In this chapter you learn 1 of 2 operators that can count.
|
|
|
|
* `C` - Count (rate / modulo)
|
|
|
|
### 2. Track
|
|
|
|
The track lets us store a list and access its elements.
|
|
|
|
* `T` - Track (index, length / list)
|
|
|
|
You guessed it, using a counter you can now iterate the elements of a list
|
|
|
|
### 3. Variables
|
|
|
|
In this chapter you learn all the operators related to variables:
|
|
|
|
* `V` - Variable, r/w single (Write: name / val | Read: - / name)
|
|
* `K` - Kontakt, read multiple (Read: count / names)
|
|
|
|
### 4. CakeTracker
|
|
|
|
**Putting it all together**
|
|
Using the values of our list (in track) as note-numbers, we are now the new-age melody heroes.
|
|
Enjoy the eternal bleeps of the spotless beethoven.
|
|
|
|
### Congrats
|
|
|
|
Congratulations beethoven went home crying.
|
|
Now return to the **Tutorial main function** to plan your next adventure.
|
|
|
|
## Tutorial 2b: Scopehero
|
|
|
|
This is a _very_ **empowering** tutorial with its 13 operators covered.
|
|
|
|
Have a look into the directory `tutorials/2b_scopehero/`.
|
|
There is an orca program for each chapter.
|
|
|
|
### 1. Arithmetic
|
|
|
|
In this chapter you learn (almost) all the operators to generate and manipulate numbers:
|
|
|
|
* `C` - Count (rate / modulo)
|
|
* `I` - Increment (increment / max)
|
|
* `R` - Random (min / max)
|
|
* `A` - Add (operand / operand)
|
|
* `B` - Subtract (operand / operand)
|
|
* `M` - Multiply (operand / operand)
|
|
|
|
### 2. Variables
|
|
|
|
In this chapter you learn all the operators related to variables:
|
|
|
|
* `V` - Variable, r/w single (Write: name / val | Read: - / name)
|
|
* `K` - Kontakt, read multiple (Read: count / names)
|
|
|
|
### 3. Writer
|
|
|
|
There are a number of operators to write data into the grid.
|
|
In this chapter we only look at one:
|
|
|
|
* `X` - Write (x, y / data )
|
|
|
|
### 4. Flying Operators
|
|
|
|
In this chapter you learn about all the _flying_ operators `\o/ \o/ \o/`:
|
|
|
|
* `E` - East
|
|
* `W` - West
|
|
* `N` - North
|
|
* `S` - South
|
|
|
|
### 5. Scope
|
|
|
|
**Putting it all together**
|
|
|
|
Yay, by now we have already learned 15 operators, more than half of them all.
|
|
Now we can combine them to create a 'scope' to visualize and debug any variable values.
|
|
|
|
### 6. ScopeHero
|
|
|
|
**Putting it even togetherererer**
|
|
|
|
What is even more fun than 1 scope, is 3 scopes.
|
|
Let generate 2 'signals', add them together to create a third signal, and use our scope technique to visualize whats going on.
|
|
|
|
### Congrats
|
|
|
|
Congratulations!!! You are hardcore! your mum must be so proud of you! All that bloody brain acrobatics without even one bleep, a real martyr.
|
|
Now return to the **Tutorial main function** to plan your next adventure.
|
|
|
|
## Resources
|
|
|
|
### Orca
|
|
|
|
#### General
|
|
|
|
* Maybe the most official home of Orca: https://100r.co/site/orca.html
|
|
* Docs/Examples: https://wiki.xxiivv.com/site/orca.html
|
|
|
|
#### ANSI-C version
|
|
|
|
* https://github.com/hundredrabbits/Orca-c
|
|
|
|
#### JS/Electron version
|
|
|
|
* Browser/online version: https://hundredrabbits.github.io/Orca/
|
|
* Binaries (js/electron): https://hundredrabbits.itch.io/orca
|
|
* Sources/Docs: https://github.com/hundredrabbits/Orca
|
|
|
|
### Pilot
|
|
|
|
* Source/Docs: https://github.com/hundredrabbits/pilot |