See an experimental music system from the 1980's running on today's laptops.
HMSL is a language and interactive tool for music composition and performance. It was recently resurrected using JUCE. The author will describe features of the language and walk through many examples. The author will also discuss the problems encountered and solved during the port to JUCE.
HMSL features abstract multi-dimensional shapes, live-coding, MIDI tools, algorithmic composition utilities, score entry dialect, and a hierarchical scheduler. It also supports a cross-platform GUI toolkit and several editors.
Typical HMSL pieces might involve:
- hyper-instruments with controls for harmonic complexity or density
- MIDI ring networks for ensembles
- dynamic just-intonation using a precursor to MPE
- complex polyrhythms
- algorithmic real-time development of a theme
- real-time audio using a Motorola DSP 56000
HMSL is a set of object oriented extensions to the Forth language.
