computer science

Sonic Pi

Sonic Pi is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sonic Pi rather than just read about it. In short: Sonic Pi is a free open-source live coding environment based on Ruby, originally designed to support both computing and music lessons in schools, developed by Sam Aaron initially in the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory in collaboration with Raspberry Pi Foundation, and now independently funded primarily via donations from users. Uses Thanks to its use of the SuperCollider synthesis engine and accurate tim…

Key takeaways

Sonic Pi belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sonic Pi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sonic Pi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sonic Pi is a free open-source live coding environment based on Ruby, originally designed to support both computing and music lessons in schools, developed by Sam Aaron initially in the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory in collaboration with Raspberry Pi Foundation, and now independently funded primarily via donations from users.

Uses

Thanks to its use of the SuperCollider synthesis engine and accurate timing model, it is also used for live coding and other forms of algorithmic music performance and production, including at algoraves. Its research and development has been supported by Nesta, via the Sonic PI: Live & Coding project.

See also

Pure Data Algorithmic composition List of MIDI editors and sequencers List of music software

Further reading Aaron, Samuel; Blackwell, Alan F.; Burnard, Pamela (2016). "The development of Sonic Pi and its use in educational partnerships: Co-creating pedagogies for learning computer programming". Journal of Music, Technology & Education. 9 (1): 75–94. doi:10.1386/jmte.9.1.75_1. Retrieved 11 December 2019. Aaron, Sam. (2016). "Sonic Pi–performance in education, technology and art". International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media. 12 (2): 17–178. doi:10.1080/14794713.2016.1227593. S2CID 193662552. Sinclair, Arabella (2014). "Educational Programming Languages: The Motivation to Learn with Sonic Pi" (PDF). PPIG: 10. Retrieved 11 December 2019. Aaron, Samuel; Blackwell, Alan F. (2013). "From sonic Pi to overtone". Proceedings of the first ACM SIGPLAN workshop on Functional art, music, modeling & design. Farm '13. ACM. pp. 35–46. doi:10.1145/2505341.2505346. ISBN 9781450323864. S2CID 18633884. Retrieved 11 December 2019. Aaron, Samuel; Blackwell, Alan F.; Hoadley, Richard; Regan, Tim (2011). A principled approach to developing new languages for live coding (PDF). International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME). Oslo, Norway. Retrieved 16 September 2021. Aaron, Samuel; Blackwell, Alan F. (2013). "From sonic Pi to overtone: Creative musical experiences with domain-specific and functional languages". Proceedings of the first ACM SIGPLAN workshop on Functional art, music, modeling & design. pp. 35–46. doi:10.1145/2505341.2505346. ISBN 978-1-4503-2386-4. S2CID 18633884.

References

External links

Sonic Pi Official Website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sonic Pi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sonic Pi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sonic Pi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sonic Pi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sonic Pi

In research: Sonic Pi appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sonic Pi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sonic Pi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Algorave, Audio programming languages, Computer programming, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sonic Pi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sonic Pi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sonic Pi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sonic Pi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sonic Pi in simple terms?

Why does Sonic Pi matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sonic Pi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sonic Pi.