Scorefile Commands and Functions

RTcmix scorefile commands are used to set up and control the execution of RTcmix. They also include a number of utility commands for algorithmic music-creation work using the default Minc scorefile parser. RTcmix commands generally return values that are Minc type float, but others return strings or lists. Descriptions below ending in “(legacy)” indicate older, replaced commands with newer equivalents described along with the command.

Although these commands are designed to be used within an RTcmix scorefile, they can also be used as part of an embedded application, working in conjunction with the RTcmix object.

Listed by Topic

General

Minc — overview of the default Minc scorefile parsing language
len — return the length of the argument
index — return the index of an item in a list
print — print values
makeinstrument - create an instrument handle for CHAIN
printf — print formatted values
stringcontains — return true if a string contains a specified substring
stringify — return a pointer to a string argument (legacy)
stringtofloat — convert the numerical portion of a string into a float
type — return the Minc data-type of its argument
rtoffset — run the score in “fast forward” to a time and then begin playback
tempo — create a tempo map for a score

System Functions (Affect the overall behavior of RTcmix)

rtsetparams — set basic audio parameters (sampling rate, number of channels, etc.)
load — load an instrument into RTcmix for use
rtinput — open a soundfile or input device for reading
rtoutput — open a soundfile for writing
set_option — turn on and off various RTcmix options
bus_config — configure and connect the inputs and outputs of RTcmix instruments
reset — set the control function/envelope update rate
control_rate — set the control function/envelope update rate
include — embed one scorefile within another
error — generate an RTcmix error
exit — terminate RTcmix
f_arg — return a floating-point argument to the CMIX (legacy) command
i_arg — return an integer argument to the CMIX (legacy) command
n_arg — return the number of arguments to the CMIX (legacy) command
s_arg — return a string argument to the CMIX command (legacy)
print_off — stop printing of RTcmix stats to the screen
print_on — allow printing of RTcmix stats to the screen
system — execute Terminal or Shell commands from within RTcmix

Information Functions (Retrieve information about sound and data files)

CHANS — return # of channels of current input soundfile
DUR — return duration of current input soundfile
LEFT_PEAK — return peak amplitude for left channel of current input soundfile
PEAK — report peak amplitude for current input soundfile
RIGHT_PEAK — return peak amplitude for right channel of current input soundfile
SR — return sampling rate of current input soundfile
filechans — return # of channels of a named soundfile
filedc — return the averaged DC level of a named soundfile
filedur — return duration of a named soundfile
filepeak — return peak amplitude of a named soundfile
filerms — return RMS amplitude of a named soundfile
filesr — return sampling rate of a named soundfile
LPC Datafile Functions
- lpcgetamps — retrieve amplitude values from a named LPC analysis file
- lpcgetpitches — retrieve pitch values from a named LPC analysis file
PVOC Datafile Functions
- pvinput — open the specified PVOC file and make it the current data file
- pvgetbin — retrieve the complete amplitude and frequency bin values for a given frame in the current PVOC data file
- pvgetbincount — return the number of frequency/amp pairs per bin in the current PVOC data file
- pvgetframerate — return the frame rate for the current PVOC data file
- pvgetframeamps — retrieve the amplitude bin values for a given frame in the current PVOC data file
- pvgetframefreqs — retrieve the frequency bin values for a given frame in the current PVOC data file

Math/Data/Numerical Conversion

abs — absolute value of argument
ampdb — convert decibels to amplitude
dbamp — convert amplitude to decibels
boost — return amplitude multiplier for stereo compensation
ln — return the natural log of the argument
log — return the log10 of the argument
pow — raise (exponentiate) one argument by the other
sqrt — return the square root of the argument
max — return maximum value of params
min — return minimum value of params
mod — return result of modulus operation
round — return nearest integer to the argument
trunc — truncate a value to integer portion
wrap — modulus-like command
fwrap — return the wrapped float value within a float range
translen — calculate duration from a transposition interval (oct.pc)

Pitch-Specification Conversion

cpslet — convert from text-string note letter representation to frequency (Hz)
cpsmidi — convert from MIDI note # to frequency (Hz)
cpsoct — convert from linear octaves to Hz specification
cpspch — convert from oct.pc to Hz specification
midipch — convert oct.pc to MIDI note #
octcps — convert from Hz specification to linear octaves
octlet — convert from text-string note letter representation to linear octaves
octmidi — convert from MIDI note # to linear octaves
octpch — convert from oct.pc to linear octaves
pchcps — convert from Hz to oct.pc specification
pchlet — convert from text-string note letter representation to oct.pc specification
pchmidi — convert from MIDI note # to oct.pc
pchoct — convert from linear octaves to oct.pc

Random-Number Commands

irand — return a random number within a specified range
pickrand — return a random choice from a specified set of numbers
pickwrand — return a weighted random choice from a specified set of numbers
rand — return a random number between -1.0 and 1.0
random — return a random number between -0.0 and 1.0
srand — set the initial seed value for the RTcmix psuedo-random number generator
trand — return a random integer within a specified range
chance — return true or false based on fractional odds
spray_init — initialize a random number “spray can”
get_spray — retrieve a value from a “spray table”

Envelope/Control (Function tables, Interface connections, PField variables)

makeconnection — create PField connection to an interface or device:
- mouse — connect to the mouse position
- midi — connect to MIDI controller
- datafile — open and read data from an existing file
- inlet — connect to a Max or Pd rtcmix~ object inlet
maketable — create a table using the table-handle scheme:
- textfile — fill a table with values from a text file
- soundfile — fill a table with samples taken from a sound file
- literal — fill a table with specified values
- datafile — fill a table with values from a binary data file
- curve — fill a table using line segments with adjustable curvature
- expbrk — fill a table using exponential line segments
- line — fill a table using straight line segments
- linebrk — fill a table using a linear break-point function (value/#-of-points/value)
- spline — fill a table using a spline curve
- wave3 — fill a table with 1 cycle of a waveform specified using partial-#/amplitude/phase
- wave — fill a table with 1 cycle of a waveform using harmonic amplitudes
- cheby — fill a table using a Chebyshev polynomial
- random — fill a table using random numbers
- window — fill a table with a Hanning or Hamming window function
modtable — modify a table given a table-handle:
- concat — concatenate two tables
- draw — insert new values into a table at run-time
- normalize — scale table to fit within a peak value
- reverse — reverse the order of values within a table
- shift — shift the order of values within a table
add — add to a table-handle table given constant or another table-handle table
copytable — copy and optionally resize a table from a table-handle
div — divide the values in a table-handle table by a constant or another table-handle table
dumptable — print the contents of a table given a table-handle
makeLFO — set up a low-frequency oscillator for PField control use
makeconverter — use a conversion program to change PField data format
makefilter — establish a filter to transform PField variable data:
- clip — limit data to a specified range
- constrain — use pfield data values to select within a table-handle table
- delay — delay data values by a specified amount
- fitrange — expand data to a specified range
- invert — invert (mirror) data around an axis of symmetry
- map — modify data through a transfer-function table
- quantize — round data to nearest integer multiples of a quantum value
- smooth — apply a simple averaging filter to an incoming data stream
makemonitor — display or record PField control data
makerandom — set up a periodic random-number generator for PField control use
Table Utilities
- tablelen — return the size of a table from a table-handle
- tablemax — return the maximum value stored in a table from a table-handle
- tablemean — return the mean (average) of all values stored in a table from a table-handle
- tablemin — return the minimum value stored in a table from a table-handle
- plottable — plot the contents of a table given a table-handle
- samptable — return a value (specific or interpolated) from a table given a table-handle
- mul — multiply a table given a table-handle by a constant or another table-handle table
- sub — subtract values from a table-handle table given a constant or another table-handle table

There are a few older, disk-based cmix commands that are not documented here (commands like open, input, output, etc.). They have all been superceded by RTcmix commands, and it isn’t guaranteed that they work very well. See the source code if you are Seriously Interested.