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Originally Posted by zmix  Discovering object oriented DSP construction software which allowed me to quickly test theories and produce the 'echos in my head' that had eluded me until then. |
What software? I have played around with a bunch of different environments (MAX/MSP, Pd, Supercollider, Reaktor), and haven't found anything that really does what I need it to do, except for my own C++ modules.
As far as my own background, I am kind of a mutt. Studied at CCRMA as an undergraduate, but majored in Anthropology, so I would not describe myself as a "techie" by any stretch of the imagination. Did the Seattle guitar slacker thing, got obsessed with fuzz boxes, started putting together circuits. Later came techno, started playing with synths and trying to build them (unsuccessfully). Computer music seemed like a more fruitful path, so talked my way into a year long course at the University of Washington. Did really well from a technical perspective, for some unknown reason. Ended up getting a job in the Bay Area with some CCRMA PhDs, which led me down my current career path, as well as being a great way to learn on the job from some really smart guys.
I first worked with reverbs as it seemed like a good way of getting some complex sounds with minimum CPU cycles. I could matrix together 4 modulated delay lines with near-infinite gain, and get sounds almost identical to granular textures using 100 grains, at about 1/100th of the DSP of the granular processes. I tracked down every paper I could read on the subject. Many of them took me a few years to digest, but I think I get the gist now. 1998 and 1999 were spent learning the basics, the early 2000's were spent on developing different structures, and the late 2000's have been spent learning how to make the structures sound good.