rand

Return a random number between -1 and 1.


Synopsis

value = rand()


Description

Call rand to get a random number between -1 and 1, inclusive.

It’s a good idea to call srand once to seed the random number generator before using rand. Otherwise, a seed of 1 will be used.

There are no arguments to rand.


Examples

   srand(1)
   for (i = 0; i < 20; i = i + 1) {
      randval = rand() * 10
      print(randval)
   }

prints 20 random numbers having values between -10 and 10.

The following complete CMIX script plays repeated notes of the same pitch. The attack times of the notes vary randomly from an even grid whose lines are spaced 0.14 seconds apart, and the amplitudes range from 400 to 3600.

   rtsetparams(48000, 1)
   load("WAVETABLE")

   ampenv = maketable("line", 1000, 0,0, 1,0, 20,1, 40,0)
   wavetable = maketable("wave", 1000, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)

   srand(0)
   smear = 0.12
   amp = 2000
   dur = 0.06
   for (start = smear; start < 10; start = start + 0.14) {
      randval = rand()
      st = start + (randval * smear)
      randval = rand()
      a = amp + (randval * (amp * 0.8))
      WAVETABLE(st, dur, a*ampenv, freq = 1200, 0, wavetable)
   }

The basic strategy is to multiply the return value of rand, which falls between -1 and 1, by some factor that modifies this range. You could randomize the frequency in the same manner.


See Also

irand, srand, trand, random, pickrand, pickwrand, spray_init, get_spray, maketable(“random”)