[linux-audio-user] Common Music vs Open Music

[Dave Phillips]

Hi Jamie:

  OM is effectively unsupported. In its Mac incarnation it's an 
ultra-cool graphic environment for the development of musical ideas and 
forms; unfortunately, the Linux port is incomplete and cannot be 
considered fully operational. It is usable, but it's quite limited 
compared to the original. Btw, if you do decide you want to try it, I 
suggest using the package from either AGNULA/Demudi or Planet CCRMA.

  CM is incredible. IMO it ranks among the best music software available 
for any platform, but it is not an essentially graphics-based 
environment. The latest versions do include a nice GTK-based front-end 
for rendering CM code to its various targets. That GUI also includes the 
Plotter, a sort of graphic output display that can be edited for 
interactive use with your code. Output targets include MIDI (files and 
realtime streaming via MidiShare), Common Music Notation (if you'd like 
to experiment with algorithmically produced scores), and score formats 
for Common Lisp Music and Csound (with realtime audio output if 
desired). Documentation is very good, and you can purchase the author's 
book (Notes From The Metalevel) for in-depth explication and exercises.

  Both OM and CM are Lisp-based environments, so you'll have to learn 
some Lisp-ish ways. Fortunately that's not too difficult, and you really 
only need to familiarize yourself with some basics before you can dive 
deeply into the environments. I advise getting Rick's book if you really 
want to get into Common Music, it's an excellent introduction not only 
to CM but to the domain of computer-assisted algorithmic music composition.

HTH,

dp



Jamie Bullock wrote:

>Dear list,
>
>Could anyone who has used both of the above pieces of software give a
>brief comparison, or point to an appropriate url? Aside from the fact
>that OM is graphical, what are the functional differences? Which offers
>the broadest range of features, and which is more widely used/better
>supported?
>
>Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, as I don't particularly want
>to install and learn both just to find out which I prefer!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Jamie 
>
>
>  
>