Percussion Programme Generator for Sonic-Pi 2.1 VERSION 2

percussiongeneratorprogram2.rb

#Percussion track generator by Robin Newman, 4th December 2014 VERSION 2
#Inspired by an article http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb98/articles/rythm.html
#This program generates a percussion programme defined over two bars quantised to 32 pulses per bar
#up to 10 instruments can be incorporated
#any instrument can sound on any pulse
#one of three volumes can be chosen for each instrument for each pulse
#a variable p sets the pulse tempo for each programme
#a variable n sets the number of bars the track will play for in 2 bar increments
#In this example six drum programmes are defined num = 1 to num = 6. num=0 plays silence
#These can be chosen in a live_loop by changing the variable num
use_debug false
tr=Hash.new #define the hash array to contain all the information required
n=2 #number of 2 bar repeats to play
noplay="00000000000000000000000000000000" #no sound in the 2 bar cycle

slist=[:drum_bass_hard,:drum_bass_soft ,:drum_snare_hard,:drum_snare_soft,:drum_cymbal_open,:drum_cymbal_closed,:drum_cymbal_pedal,:drum_tom_lo_soft,:drum_heavy_kick]
load_samples slist #preload samples


define :sp do |s| #used to test a particular sample: amend and uncomment lines after definition to use
  sample s
  sleep sample_duration s
end
#sp(:drum_cymbal_hard)
#sleep 1000

lev=[1,0.6,0.3] #volume levels for h,m and s

live_loop :playdrums do
  num = 0 #select programme 0 (silence) or 1 to 3
  puts num #print program number at the start

  case num #use case statement to choose programme to play
  when 0 #play silence
    p=0.02 #pulse time for each element
    tr[[0,1]]=tr[[1,1]]=tr[[2,1]]=tr[[3,1]]=tr[[4,1]]=tr[[5,1]]=tr[[6,1]]=tr[[7,1]]=tr[[8,1]]=tr[[9,1]]=noplay
    tr[[0,0]]=tr[[1,0]]=tr[[2,0]]=tr[[3,0]]=tr[[4,0]]=tr[[5,0]]=tr[[6,0]]=tr[[7,0]]=tr[[8,0]]=tr[[9,0]]=:ambi_glass_rub

  when 1 #define program one
    p=0.15 #pulse time for each element
    #grid when instrument sounds, and volume it plays h,m or s 0 is silent
    # beats:    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
    tr[[0,1]]= "h0000000h0000s00h00000h000000000"
    tr[[1,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[2,1]]= "0000h0000000h0000000h0000000h000"
    tr[[3,1]]= "0000s0000000s0000000s0000000s000"
    tr[[4,1]]= "000000000000000000000000000000h0"
    tr[[5,1]]= "h0s0h0s0h0s0h0s0h0s0h0s0h0s0h000"
    tr[[6,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000sss"
    tr[[7,1]]= "m0000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[8,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[9,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"

    #define sample names to play for each track
    tr[[0,0]]= :drum_bass_hard
    tr[[1,0]]= :drum_bass_soft
    tr[[2,0]]= :drum_snare_soft
    tr[[3,0]]= :drum_cymbal_open
    tr[[4,0]]= :drum_cymbal_closed
    tr[[5,0]]= :drum_cymbal_pedal
    tr[[6,0]]= :drum_tom_hi_hard
    tr[[7,0]] =:drum_tom_lo_hard
    tr[[8,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[9,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick

  when 2 #define program two
    p=0.12 #pulse time for each element
    #grid when instrument sounds, and volume it plays h,m or s 0 is silent
    # beats:    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
    tr[[0,1]]= "h000000000h00000h0h000h000000000"
    tr[[1,1]]= "0h0000hh000h000h000000000h0h0000"
    tr[[2,1]]= "0000s0000s00s0s00000s00s00s0s0s0"
    tr[[3,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[4,1]]= "h0h0hh00h000h00h0000h00h00h0h0h0"
    tr[[5,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[6,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[7,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[8,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[9,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"

    #define sample names to play for each track
    tr[[0,0]]= :drum_bass_hard
    tr[[1,0]]= :drum_bass_soft
    tr[[2,0]]= :drum_snare_hard
    tr[[3,0]]= :drum_cymbal_open
    tr[[4,0]]= :drum_cymbal_pedal
    tr[[5,0]]= :drum_tom_hi_hard
    tr[[6,0]]= :drum_cymbal_closed
    tr[[7,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[8,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[9,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick

  when 3 #define program three
    p=0.16  #pulse time for each element

    #grid when instrument sounds, and volume it plays h,m or s 0 is silent
    # beats:    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
    tr[[0,1]]= "h00m0000h00h00smh0m0000sh0h00000"
    tr[[1,1]]= "0000000000000m00000000s000000m00"
    tr[[2,1]]= "0000m0000m0sh0000000m0000s00m000"
    tr[[3,1]]= "00m0000000000000m000000000000000"
    tr[[4,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[5,1]]= "mh00m0m0m0s0sms000msm0m0s0mss0sm"
    tr[[6,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[7,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[8,1]]= "0000h0000000000000000h0000000000"
    tr[[9,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"

    #define sample names to play for each track
    tr[[0,0]]= :drum_bass_hard
    tr[[1,0]]= :drum_snare_hard
    tr[[2,0]]= :drum_snare_soft
    tr[[3,0]]= :drum_cymbal_open
    tr[[4,0]]= :drum_cymbal_closed
    tr[[5,0]]= :drum_cymbal_pedal
    tr[[6,0]]= :drum_tom_hi_hard
    tr[[7,0]] =:drum_tom_lo_soft
    tr[[8,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[9,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick

  when 4 #define program three
    p=0.14  #pulse time for each element

    #grid when instrument sounds, and volume it plays h,m or s 0 is silent
    # beats:    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
    tr[[0,1]]= "h0000000h0s000s0h0000000h00000m0"
    tr[[1,1]]= "0000h0000000h0000000h0000000h000"
    tr[[2,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[3,1]]= "h000h00s0h00h000h000h000m0sm0h00"
    tr[[4,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[5,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[6,1]]= "h0hm0hm0hmhmhmhhhm0hm0hm0hh0hmhm"
    tr[[7,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[8,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[9,1]]= "00m000s000m000s000m000s000m000s0"

    #define sample names to play for each track
    tr[[0,0]]= :drum_bass_hard
    tr[[1,0]]= :drum_snare_hard
    tr[[2,0]]= :drum_snare_soft
    tr[[3,0]]= :drum_cymbal_open
    tr[[4,0]]= :drum_tom_hi_hard
    tr[[5,0]]= :drum_cymbal_pedal
    tr[[6,0]]= :drum_cymbal_closed
    tr[[7,0]] =:drum_tom_lo_soft
    tr[[8,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[9,0]] =:elec_chime

  when 5 #define program three
    p=0.16  #pulse time for each element

    #grid when instrument sounds, and volume it plays h,m or s 0 is silent
    # beats:    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
    tr[[0,1]]= "hs0000m000hm000mh0h000h00m0s0000"
    tr[[1,1]]= "000000000h00h0s00000h0000000hmmm"
    tr[[2,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[3,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[4,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[5,1]]= "h0h0hh00h000h00h0000h0s0h0s0h0s0"
    tr[[6,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[7,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[8,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[9,1]]= "mshsmshsmshsmshsmshsmshshsmshsms"

    #define sample names to play for each track
    tr[[0,0]]= :drum_bass_hard
    tr[[1,0]]= :drum_snare_hard
    tr[[2,0]]= :drum_snare_soft
    tr[[3,0]]= :drum_cymbal_open
    tr[[4,0]]= :drum_cymbal_closed
    tr[[5,0]]= :drum_cymbal_pedal
    tr[[6,0]]= :drum_tom_lo_hard
    tr[[7,0]] =:drum_tom_lo_soft
    tr[[8,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[9,0]] =:elec_twip
  when 6 #define program three
    p=0.12  #pulse time for each element

    #grid when instrument sounds, and volume it plays h,m or s 0 is silent
    # beats:    1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
    tr[[0,1]]= "h0000000m0000000s000m000h0000000"
    tr[[1,1]]= "0h0000000m0000000s000m000h000000"
    tr[[2,1]]= "00h0000000m0000000s000m000h00000"
    tr[[3,1]]= "000h0000000m0000000s000m000h0000"
    tr[[4,1]]= "0000h0000000m000000000000000h000"
    tr[[5,1]]= "00000h0000000m000000000000000h00"
    tr[[6,1]]= "000000000000000h0000000000000000"
    tr[[7,1]]= "0000000h00000000000000000000000h"
    tr[[8,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"
    tr[[9,1]]= "00000000000000000000000000000000"

    #define sample names to play for each track
    tr[[0,0]]= :drum_tom_mid_soft
    tr[[1,0]]= :drum_tom_mid_hard
    tr[[2,0]]= :drum_tom_lo_soft
    tr[[3,0]]= :drum_tom_lo_hard
    tr[[4,0]]= :drum_tom_hi_soft
    tr[[5,0]]= :drum_tom_hi_hard
    tr[[6,0]]= :drum_splash_soft
    tr[[7,0]] =:drum_splash_hard
    tr[[8,0]] =:drum_heavy_kick
    tr[[9,0]] =:elec_twip

  end

  define :perc do |track,sn| #play a given track with sample sn
    track.to_s.split("").each do |pl| #extract each of the 32 values
      if pl!="0" #ignore if pl=0
        #puts sn #uncomment for testing
        #puts pl #uncomment for testing
        sample sn,amp: lev["hms".index(pl)] #lev array contains volume. "hms".index(pl) determines element to use
      end
      sleep p #sleep pulse value
    end
  end

  n.times do #repeat for number of 2 bars required
    0.upto(9) do |n| #set up required number of threads to play all the tracks.
      in_thread do
        perc(tr[[n,1]],tr[[n,0]])
      end
    end
    sleep p*32 #sleep for 2 bar duration
  end
end

Use this new version instead of the original one, which had some errors in it, and which was also unnecessarily tedious and complex to set up new percussion programs. This version has 6 choices pre-programmed, and the sample volume information is now placed directly the grid which specifies when an instrument should play. Symbols h,m and s are used to specify the volume to use. You MUST specify 10 instruments and use 10 tracks in the grid, but unwanted tracks can have all 32 values set to 0 (when they won't sound), and you can specify and even duplicate any valid sample name for each of the 10 instruments.