SP with sync'd graphics?

Educators
1

Wondering if there’s a way to do this with my students. I realize there is a Minecraft API in SP, but it’s a bit limiting. I’m inspired by some of the stuff I’ve seen with Clojure/Processing/SuperCollider/Idon’tknowwhatelse, and I’m wondering if there is a way to do it that would be accessible to middle school students on their first time through SP.

2

You can use OSC messags from Sonic Pi to affect graphic displays in other scripts. I have done so using processing and p5.js in various projects which I have reported on this site, and also recently (more easily controlling the display in TouchVIZ on an iPad. Search for Visualiser and for TouchVIZ on this site. In each case Sonic Pi is playing music and sending osc messages.

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3

When you say “on their first time through SP”, do you literally mean Day 1 of learning Sonic Pi?

Speaking as a middle school teacher who has taught Sonic Pi, I personally haven’t come across anything that is so user friendly that you could give it a go with beginners. Robin has done some great stuff, but I don’t think it is accessible to the average middle school student with a very limited understanding of coding.

I have had some success routing the audio from Sonic Pi into p5.js and using some basic commands to make shapes and colors react to either the volume or a frequency spectrum. But even this requires some front loading in regards to using p5.js, which is not hard for a middle schooler to learn, but certainly not something you could get up and running in the first few classes. I have also only don this on a mac which required downloading an additional software program (Soundflower) to which I am not sure if a equal substitute exists on other platforms.

Here are some links to a couple things I did with visuals using p5 and SP to give you an idea. Let me know if it sounds/looks interesting and I’d be happy to give you some resources. I just know that middle schoolers enjoy instant gratification and working with visuals in Sonic Pi takes a bit of patience that they might not have, at least early on.

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4

Thanks! I’ll search those out. Hope you’re ok with followup questions! I can guarantee I’ll have them.

5

Thanks! You speak my language! And you also “get” middle schoolers and desire for instant gratification! So yes, I am definitely interested, and I’ll check out your stuff. Followup questions incoming!

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6

OK, I’ve been playing with Processing and Sonic Pi a bit, just trying to get Processing to output anything graphically in response to SonicPi. Got some code or tutes to help point me in the right direction? Thanks!