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About the Masterclasses

First part: James Holden's workshop with his own Benny

Join us for a hands-on exploration of Benny, the open-source modular playground for live music created by James Holden. Benny is designed to seamlessly integrate hardware and software, MIDI and audio, and offers a flexible, distraction-free environment for live coding and algorithmic composition.

James Holden, known for his innovative approach to electronic music, developed Benny as a personal project to bridge the gap between modular synthesis and live coding. Since early 2023, he has used Benny in his own live sets, and it continues to evolve as an open-source tool for the community.

• Get hands-on with the alpha version of Benny (lighter and more accessible than ever).
• Learn how to create modular but patternable music structures.
• Experiment with live coding techniques and leave with your own patches.
• Connect with a community of like-minded artists and producers.
  
  

Benny bridges the gap between live coding and modular synthesis, offering a playful yet powerful toolkit for algorithmic music. Whether you’re a seasoned Max/MSP user or a modular synth enthusiast, this masterclass will expand your creative toolbox.

Second part: Programming music on the fly with Pharo, the Coypu's gnawing patterns, and Phausto's turbo sounds.

Pharo is free, open source, pure object-oriented, and multi-platform. It comes with its own IDE, a living environment where code and tools breathe together. It is not just a language but a world you inhabit. You will learn just enough of its syntax to make music. Its reflectivity will do the rest. Then you meet Coypu, a dialect for real-time rhythm and melody, designed to be rewritten while it runs. With Coypu you build patterns using its built-in world rhythms, with Hexbeat notation, string structures, and stochastic operations. Coypu speaks to the outside. It can send patterns to SuperDirt over OSC. Or it can talk to external MIDI hardware, letting you play and sequence synthesisers and drum machines from your live-coded patterns. Or it can work with Phausto, which embeds the Faust DSP language inside Pharo for custom synthesis and effects. You will leave with working code, working instruments, and a clear sense of how Pharo, Coypu, and multiple audio servers fit together. The tools are free. No prior experience with Smalltalk or Faust is required

What you should know
These masterclasses assume familiarity with the following concepts:

• Live coding: Creating and modifying music or visuals in real-time using code.
• Modular synthesis: Connecting different modules (oscillators, filters, effects) to create sound.
• MIDI and audio routing: Basic understanding of how MIDI messages and audio signals flow between devices/software.
• Max/MSP basics: While not required, experience with Max/MSP (or similar visual programming environments) will be helpful, as Benny can host Max/MSP patches. (no need for a license)

What to bring

• Your laptop (setup instructions provided in advance).
• Headphones
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for live coding and electronic music!

Links:
https://playbenny.github.io/benny_manual/

https://github.com/lucretiomsp/Coypu