Scala Language MIDI Sequencer

This project is:

an experiment in creating music by building monadic transformations on sequences of value data
a programable instrument that generates MIDI note events
a Scala toolchain for MIDI sequencing
a text file drum machine

Getting Started

Build:

zinc -start
sbt start-script

(Zinc is optional.)

Run:

target/start kuhn.UI

References

To-do

chord matrix
Multi-line value entry mode
Change time scale
Don't crash on invalid MIDI (logging?)
git-friendly state persistence
insert cursor mode, cursor position indicator
bring back ABC

Dimensions

time
- midi note
- note
- note of scale
- chord
value
- midi note
- note
- note of scale
- chord root and ranks
duration
- midi note
- note
- note of scale
attack/release
- midi note
- note
- note of scale
accidental
- note of scale
- chord root and ranks

Matrix

rows of cols of integers no
rows col cols of unicode characters
column is always time no
X axis
- beat matrix: beat = X * scale
- mapping matrix: input = X
row semantic is provided by context no, not really
value
- a-f literal value - accidentals on own row as f(lat) n(atural) s(sharp) - cannot represent coincident notes
- 0-9 literal value
- reference
- any char / semantic by context
- an instance of a class

song:
+0,0-------------------
|a

every file defines 1 song matrix a beat matrix may be configured as "start here" the song matrix is used to yield midi notes the minimum viable data is (time,#) pairs therefore a t*1 matrix can only be used 1 way

a a e e f f e   d d c c b b a

song:
+0,0---------------------------------------------
|a a e e f f e   d d c c b b a
|1 1 1 1 1 1 2   1 1 1 1 1 1 2

if song is a t*2 matrix? what does it do with the x dimension?

x=0 # value
x=1 duration
x=2 attack
x=3 release
x=? accidental

absolute pitch = midi note number - middle c note number

triad+0,0
     |111
     |135
     |000

VII:chordspec
   +0,0-
   |1111
   |1357
   |000-

song    +0,0--------------------------
#       |a a e e f f e   d d c c b b a
duration|1 1 1 1 1 1 2   1 1 1 1 1 1 2
triad   |1   1   2   3   1   1 2     1

matrix can be interpreterted as

note
degree of scale
chord
voice
scale

note   cdefgabcdefgabc
octave 444444455555556
attack aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
atfine 000000001122334
release
refine

       0         1
       012345678901
      +------------
scale |101011010101

             +0,0------------
note         |012345601234560
accidental   |             sf
octave       |444444455555556


             +0,0--
rankofscale  |10101
accidental   |    f

voice        +0,0---
value0       |1 1  1
value1       |1  1 1
value2       |1   11

song         +0,0----
             |1415141

triad+-----
     |10101

song         +0,0-----
triad        |1415141
M7           |       5

A Beat Matrix provides a timeseries of values.

A value may be defined in 1-line mode using value C-B, octave, accidental
A value may be defined in manyline mode using value_n rows
1-line and manyline mode may be used in the same matrix; a matrix may produce multiple simultaneous voices

Value Is A or B:

A. Something that can be mapped to an absolute note

- A MIDI note number
- A C4=0 note number (MIDI note number - 60)
- A mapped note

  1. A degree of scale
  2. A degree of chord (which yields a degree of scale)
  3. A degree of n - what is n?

B. Something that can stand for some other sequence of values

- The value used is passed in and can affect values defined therein

  1. Y offset
  2. transpose value (v=v+input_v)

- The values produced by the referenced matrix are triggered

  1. it is a forked line values, concurrent in time to the higher level matrix

A matrix defines a set of values in time.

what is the meaning of the Y axis?
related to value? thinking not. thinking so.
no meaning at all?
meaning in labels/options
Y value can represent degree of chord for defining chord voicing

Mapping Matrix (singleton):

                  0         1         2         3         4         5         6         7
                  01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
                 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ionian           |1010110101011
triad            |10101
7                |1010101

Mapping Matrix Options:

type ___ (scale or chord)
chord only: in reference to scale ___

Beat Matrix (class):

                  0         1         2         3         4         5         6         7
                  01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
hello my name is +--------------------------------------------------------------------------
duration         |
value            |
octave           |
accidental       |
attack           |
attack_fine      |
release          |
release_fine     |
value_n          |
value_n+1        |
value_n+...      |
value_n+m        |
ref_matrix_1     |
ref_matrix_2     |
ref_matrix_...   |
// i don't really|have a comment here, but I could

Options:

name of matrix
X scale
- 1/2 to 1/12 scale for longer/less resolution
- 2x to 12x for short/precise
n = value_by_Y offset
m = value_by_Y count
show/hide rows
add/remove reference rows
start here y/n

for all value rows (value and reference rows): mode:

value mode: 1-line mode, many-line mode (value mode is set per value row)

In many-line mode: also choose meaning of cell:

duration, attack, attack fine, release, release fine
for matrix references: cell value is passed-in and available as ø

A matrix defines a timeseries of notes using a variety of abstractions