1.3 Practice Paragraph 1.

3 - Envelopes and glissandi

In the upper part we see a new graphic object: function (f igure 1.37 ).

Fig. 1.37 The function object in the palette

The function object generates envelopes, g lissand i, and more generally any
series of points connected by line segments, th rough t he use of an onscreen
graphical edito r. As you have probably guessed, it is a graph ical way to con-
st ruct the "routes" that we previously built and sent to line- using message
boxes. It is possible, wh ile in performance mode,31 to modify points and to
create new ones by using t he mouse. It is also possible to delete them by using
<Shift-Cl ick> (pressing <Shift> whi le clicking the mouse on t he po int to delete).
The "clear" message (sent using a message box) w ill delete all of the points.

This object has fou r o utlets (w hich we won't occupy ourselves w ith now ), and
when it receives a bang, it immediately emits fro m its second out let (not t he
first' ) a list of values for use by line- . The value of a point depends upon its
vertical position, and varies betw een O (w hen it is at the bott om) and 1 (when
it is at the top). The horizontal distance between point s represents the time
needed to travel t he segment that con nects them in milliseconds. If we create
or move a point, we see a legend appear inside the function object that
indicates t he new value of the point: t he letter 'X' designates the hor izontal
position, and the lett er 'Y' designates the vertical posit ion.
Try modifying th e envelope and listen to its actions on the sound. It is very
important that the last po int be in the lowest posit ion, corresponding to O (you
wi ll know when it is there, because t he appearance of the point changes from
a solid disc into an empty circle), or else the sound wi ll not fade away. We've
connected a print object to the second outlet of function , in o rder to see th e
list that is generated .

In the patch, the list generated by function fo r line- is set to have a

maximum durati on of o ne second. Is it possible to change t his durat ion? Of
course!

31 It is of ten dif fi cult for new users to understand w hich operations must be perform ed in edit
mode, and whi ch in performan ce mode. Remember that edit mode is for creati ng, adjusti ng, and
deleting objects, and also for connecting t hem using patch cords. It is, in oth er words, the mode
to use when assembling patches. On the othe r hand, all operations that manipulate data, such as
modifying numbers by sliding the mouse over a number box, or moving a signal level fader, or even
creating and modi fying points w it hin a fu nction object, are done in performa nce mode.
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