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Bath Ruby 1: Xavier Riley - Rocking out in Ruby, a playful introduction to Sonic Pi

11 Mar, 2016
1 minute read
  • The first time you enjoyed writing code: it’s an important feeling - an important step on the way to becoming a programmer
  • Sonic Pi - cross-platform and preinstalled on every raspberry pi
  • API:
    • Synths
    • Samples
    • Effects
  • Uses Ruby internally - responds to RUBY_VERSION
  • Zero set-up: getting started is very quick, and the feedback loop is very small
  • Gold standard:
    • “If a 10 year old can’t use it and understand it, it’s not going in the API”
  • Default - all notes happen at time zero - to make a scale, put sleeps between the notes
  • The play command takes either a number (pitch) or a symbol (note name)
  • Synths - just a symbol saying what synth the following notes should be played through
  • Samples: Can be slowed down and sped up with a rate argument
  • use_sample_bpm - changes sleep 1 to be the length of one beat - means you don’t have to specify the length of the sleep
  • Live loops: continually plays and updates in realtime
  • play(scale :c, :minor_pentatonic).choose - random notes from a scale
  • Multiple live_loops in a program - each one is a thread and they’re in time with each other (!)
  • He learned to use it while studying for a music degree :)
  • 3000 words of tutorial - step by step through the whole thing
  • A ‘ring’ is an array which loops around.
  • A slice is a section of a sample - from a start time to an end time
  • Played the Mario theme with NES synths :D
  • Markov chains: train on some real music and it can generate similar music :D
  • There’s no concept of time in webservers - speed is all that matters. Music is a very different challenge. It’s a different interaction with code. You can edit code in a way similar to playing a musical instrument: responding to what’s happening in a direct way.