Tutorials and Topics - Peabody Computer Music

Tutorial 23Analysis:Viewing signal dataThis object is useful for seeing precisely what has occurred in a signal over time. (4096samples is about 93 milliseconds at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz.) You can type in anargument to specify how many samples you want to view, and capture~ will store thatmany samples (assuming there is enough RAM available in Max. There are variousarguments and messages for controlling exactly what will be stored by capture~. See itsdescription in the MSP Reference Manual for details.SummaryThe capture~ object stores a short excerpt of a signal to be viewed as text. The meter~object periodically displays the peak level of a signal and sends the peak level out its outletas a float. The snapshot~ object sends out a float to report the current value of a signal.snapshot~ reports the signal value once when it receives a bang, and it can also report thesignal value periodically if it receives a non-zero interval time in its right inlet.The number~ object is like a combination of a float number box, sig~, and snapshot~, all atonce. A signal received in its left inlet is sent out the right outlet as a float, as withsnapshot~. A float or int received in its left inlet sets the value of the signal going out its leftoutlet, as with sig~. Both of these activities can go on at once in the same number~ object,although number~ can only display one value at a time. When number~ is in SignalMonitor Mode, it displays the value of the incoming signal. When number~ is in SignalOutput Mode, it displays the value of the outgoing signal.number~ can also function as a signal ramp generator, like the line~ object. If a non-zeronumber has been received in the right inlet (representing interpolation time inmilliseconds), whenever number~ receives a float, its output signal interpolates linearlybetween the old and new values.These objects (along with a few others such as sig~, peek~ and avg~) comprise the primarylinks between MSP and Max. They convert signals to numerical Max messages, or viceversa.See Alsocapture~meter~number~snapshot~Store a signal to view as textVisual peak level indicatorSignal monitor and constant generatorConvert signal values to numbers191