Jean-Francois Charles

In 2008, I shared a number of Max patches for live audio freeze, using the techniques described in the Computer Music Journal article A Tutorial on Spectral Sound Processing Using Max/MSP and Jitter . These patches use the FFT - Fast Fourier Transform in Max to achieve a vivid, alive spectral freeze. The links mentioned in the 2010 post Max patches back online are not valid anymore, so I revamped a first series of patches to ease the learning process. They are now available on this Download page . Contents for the pack Max Patches Spectral Freeze Part 1 : 01-freeze-spectrum: analysis/re-synthesis of one spectrum 02-stocha-freeze: analysis/stochastic re-synthesis of n successive spectra 03-denoised-freeze: add rough denoiser 04-ar-freeze: add attack/release smoothing 05-harmonic-freeze: freeze successive "notes" or sounds to build harmony

The Prisma group of composers & researchers met again at Ircam in the Summer of 2019. As per usual, the initial spark was lit by composer Jacopo Baboni Schilingi. This year, the conference featured the following presentations: Alessandro Ratoci : New composition for electric guitar and live computer based on Sonic Youth's Confused Idols and Sexy Killers Nicolas Jacquot : Metalepsis - reflection of the figure in the field of composition Jacopo Baboni Schilingi : 25 years of aesthetic research: the Idio-spheres, and the introduction of Für Hans , a sonata for piano and live computer Johannes Kretz : String quartet using real time composition with 5 tablet computers Jean-François Charles: From Magma (2003) to Petrified (2019): the evolution of a composition for instruments and live electronics Örjan Sandred : Using PMC in Max Mauricio Valdés San Emeterio : current research This meeting is always the occasion of learning a lot from each other: every composer/researcher c...

I've been honored to collaborate on two creations for the University of Iowa Dance Gala 2019 . (dis)APPEAR(d)ances This has been a true collaboration with choreography by Jennifer Kayle live video and media design by Daniel Fine , and music created with Joseph Norman & Jonathan Wilson. We play live to the show: Jonathan on tenor sax & Buchla analog synthesizer, Joseph on electric guitar, and me on custom live electronics. Struggle for Pleasure For this piece, choreographer Armando Duarte invited Joseph Norman to compose a new score for the Laptop Orchestra at the University of Iowa. The composition is a kind of concerto for double bass and soprano: the soloists are LIGAMENT . The orchestra features setar, laptop-based synthesizer, electric violin, bass, live electronic processing of the soloists. Before the curtain lift, dress rehearsal #2. I hope you can make it to the Hancher auditorium tonight for the second show!

Tonight 8pm and tomorrow 4pm! Stream live from Iowa Public Radio . The original commission, The Grant Wood Operas: Strokes of Genius , was premiered in April 2019 by the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre . Enjoy these three one-act operas — one each by composers Robert Lindsey-Nassif , Jean-François-Charles, and Michael Ching . Each opera highlights strong threads between the paintings and the life of Grant Wood . The Grant Wood operas are: American Gothical by Robert Lindsey-Nassif Grant Wood in Paris by Jean-François Charles Eight Woods and a Van by Michael Ching

To cap a great day with two performances of the Scientific Concert, the clock greeted the audience with the top of its hour: the minutes column is reset while the hours display is incremented from 3 to 4 bulbs. The clock was built by Benjamin Revis at the University of Iowa . It was invented by French artist Bernard Gitton .

Last week, I gave a workshop at the University of Iowa College of Engineering , introducing students to the Sonic Pi language and environment. This music-oriented programming language is designed for live coding . It can also be used to introduce text-based coding to people with no programming experience. The students were very curious and active: we had the time to go through all of the examples and to introduce what live coding is in the electronic music community. Find below the code excerpts I used for this one-hour workshop. Play a note play 70 Cmd-R to run the code Chord play 72 play 75 play 79 Melody play 72 sleep 1 play 75 sleep 1 play 79 Play with durations & pitch Duration is in “beats”. Default BPM is 60, i.e. 1 beat is 1 second. Pitch is the MIDI note number. Try 60.25 if you like eighth tones. First option: amp play 50, amp: 0.1 sleep 0.25 play 55, amp: 0.2 sleep 0.25 play 57, amp: 0.4 sleep 0.25 play 62, amp: 1 Using synthesizers use_synth :saw p...

Come and let yourself be enchanted by the water clock built by Benjamin Revis after French artist Bernard Gitton's design: it's going to be live on stage this Sunday, October 27, 2019. Scientific Concert at the University of Iowa School of Music . 2 performances: 3pm & 5 pm.