Programming (music)

Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These musical sounds are created through the use of music coding languages. There are many music coding languages of varying complexity. Music programming is also frequently used in modern pop and rock music from various regions of the world, and sometimes in jazz and contemporary classical music. It gained popularity in the 1950s and has been emerging ever since. Music programming is the process in which a musician produces a sound or "patch" (be it from scratch or with the aid of a synthesizer/sampler), or uses a sequencer to arrange a song. Music coding languages are used to program the electronic devices to produce the instrumental sounds they make. Each coding language has its own level of difficulty and function. Alda The music coding language Alda provides a tutorial on coding music and is, "designed for musicians who do not know how to program, as well as programmers who do not know how to music". The website also has links to install, tutorial, cheat sheet, docs, and community for anyone visiting the website. LC LC computer music programming language is a more complex computer music programming language meant for more experienced coders. One of the differences between this language and other music coding languages is that, "Unlike existing unit-generator languages, LC provides objects as well as library functions and methods that can directly represent microsounds and related manipulations that are involved in microsound synthesis." Music programming has had a vast history of development leading to the creation of different programs and languages. Each development comes with more function and utility and each decade tends to favor a certain program and or piece of equipment. The first digital synthesis family of computer programs and languages being MUSIC-N created by Max Mathews.