LoopToys

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LoopToys is a stand-alone application project based on the freeware SuperCollider 3 (v. 3.3.1) for OSX from 10.4 (please read 18th and 21th March 2018 notes below concerning OSX versions compatibility with LoopToys). It is highly recommended to use an Intel based computer as LoopToys Works, the developing version, becomes more and more powerful with the time (nevertheless some corrections or modifications make it work more fluently too sometimes, compared to previous versions).
I’s an all-in-one granulator-looper-disk rec/player.
To start LoopToys Works just unzip the downloaded file and double-click on the application, then when opened, cmd-r to run it (that second step won’t be necessary, of course, within the finalized version).

Download the last update (unless you need to come back to an old version for some reason) of LoopToys Works whether you want to use it or develop it (depending on the knowledge you get from SuperCollider 3 : if it’s null then you still can go and watch the comments (//) in the last «part/LoopToys X.x part.rtf» and use it as a partial help, find some things «manually» too... But if you want, for example, to be able to modify the application, then you’ll have to get a real understanding of SC3 and LoopToys). Go to http://supercollider.sourceforge.net/ if you want to know a little about SC3.

I’ll make a finalized version (not «Works» anymore) when I feel it can pretend to be a really complete program.

If you own an iPad (or an iPhone, with a little adaptation), it is recommanded to download a TouchOSC layout (last one for the last LoopToys version and some previous) which is really adapted to LoopToys and allows you to send commands via MIDI (using Audio Midi Setup’s WIFI «Network», TouchOSC Bridge app., or a ‘MIDI Mobilizer’ interface, or any other way you find).

Using Jack (http://www.jackosx.com/) will allow you to use any sound application output as an (mic/line) input into LoopToys (and vice-versa). But strangely, in OSX 10.6.8 at least, it won’t work if you don’t select Jack as input/output into the System Preferences’ «Sound» preference, due to the way SC 3.3.1 was implemented. So choose «System» in the «Settings» -> «Audio Device» menu in LoopToys in that case.
Using the DAW Ardour (http://ardour.org) as a multi-tracks mix player from which you’ll make, using a track or another alternatively, some loops in real time into LoopToys, is possible using Jack. Ardour indeed, if you choose (in its own «Audio/MIDI setup» menu) «Jack» as its «Audio System», will create an output from every track’s channel into Jack so that you can select precisely what Ardour channel to route to what application’s channel, and vice-versa.

Be careful to follow each new update from the one you started with, to understand the global evolution, adds, corrections, otherwise you’d have to read the whole Manual to know what’s new at each new LoopToys release. And if you make setups be careful to download and run all updates (from your last version) that need a «Save All Setups» process to be done. Knowing that if missing, a «Default» setup is automatically created (and opened) when running, if you don’t need to keep any setup (including «Default») from an update to another distant one (with a «Save All Setup» in between), you don’t need to download (-> Run -> Save All Setups) each intermediate version (needing a «Save All Setup») : just delete, at least, the «Default» setup and a new one will be created, adapted to the last update you’re running. So be aware that if you go directly from an old version (not the previous one) to the last update, unless no «Save All Setups» has to be done in between, your setups may not be able to work anymore in any version after a «Save All Setups» (or single setup savings with «H» key) ! Apart from that it’s always good to keep a copy of your setups (just make a compressed (like «.zip») version of the ~/Music/LoopToys folder before any «Save All Setups»), because in case of errors it won’t always be easy to build them back !

You can email me at : looptoys(at)sfr.fr if you’ve got changes, updates, proposals, ideas, remarks etc. to make. I can also inform you of updates releases regularly, just ask for it (don’t change the header)

Notes (reading, at least from about the LoopToys release you use, is necessary, not optional) :

- 6 April 2019 : A bad news I didn’t notice until I use Mavericks : it’s not possible to recompile (cmd-k) anymore from this OS (I made the test in MacOS 10.11 and I get the same result) because of the MIDI initialization that crashes the app if running (cmd-r) afterward. Ordinary users shouldn’t need to recompile anyway, but if needed, just quit & restart the app.

- 21 March 2018 : I’ve just upgraded to OSX 10.9.5 (Mavericks) and LoopToys runs well on it !

- 18 March 2018 : Since I (recently) installed OSX 10.8.5, I realized (after some topics viewing) that LoopToys won’t work (because of the «scroll view» included in SCView.sc and whose C(++) basis is compiled and not modifiable unless you recompile everything) at least on some versions of 10.7 (Lion) and probably never on 10.8.. (Mountain Lion). This was not predictable and very strange though because I installed OSX 10.11 (El Capitan) a couple of years ago and LoopToys worked on it (since now I essentially use 10.6.8 nevertheless, and I think I’ll continue for using / implementing LoopToys at least, because of problems of 10.11 compatibility with other surrounding softwares, hardware (the Mbox 2 I still use), System booting and Finder’s relative slowness... but I won’t forget to regularly continue verifying LoopToys works well in 10.11). I don’t know how a SC 3.3.1 class is no more compatible from 10.7.. and compatible at new in 10.11, but it’s like that ! And it would be quite long and complicated to adapt LoopToys to more recent SC 3 versions because of some deprecated classes, and knowing that compatibility is finally maintained with 10.11 ... Concerning other OSX’s like Maverick, Yosemite, Sierra (etc.) : I didn’t try any of these yet (no time for taking the risk of new software incompatibilities...), but if some of LoopToys users did, let them email it to me at looptoys(at)sfr.fr, I’ll share the infos. Thanks.

- 23 May 2017 : A new crucial LoopToys (updated 8 June 2017) release (and TouchOSC layout) with bugs fixed and important improvements, especially now settings (prefs) are saved within the newly (automatically) renamed directory «~/Music/LoopToys» (replacing the old «.../LoopToys_Setups»), app. crashing after too many runs fixed, sound editing etc. Check last (and following) release(s) for details below.

- 6 December 2016 : At last, the LoopToys version (improved and debugged, see below in Downloads) finally including the Help (Manual), is released ! A new menu named «LoopToys» replaces the old «Run» menu now, containing the «Run» and the «Manual» sub-menus at the same time.

- 17 June (& 2 Aug.) 2016 : I’m allowing myself a break (but (2 August add) found a stupid bug in the last LoopToys version, updated at last, see last release below) in all (important) activities around the electroacoustic thing at the moment, maybe some non planned performance from time to time but no more programming untill the end of the summer, I would say. I’m realizing I really need this stop as I nearly continuously implemented LoopToys since so many years from now, and I had some long and sometimes difficult work to do to for the last LoopToys release. Making an Help file for LoopToys is complicated because of the number of possibilities of the freeware, and I need a rest before finishing the programming for the next release which should accompany this Help file.
So all of you, have a good summer time and sure we’ll get back to it in some months,
Cheers,
T.

- 25 Oct. 2015 & 11 Feb. & 30 (updated 14) March 2016 & 16 May 2016 : new LoopToys and TouchOSC layout versions released. Were needed because of too many bugs finally (14 March : essentialy a very important and old bug concerning automatically starting manual recording in Trace, see below), but were the occasions of improvements and modifications too. It doesn’t stop me from continuing working on the Help, which will (still !) be released someday in the future... See you !

- 10 16 Oct. 2015 : still working on the help, but I’ve noticed some important bugs (fixed), e.g. in Granulators concerning the multi selection (some unchosen Aux-Input parameters may be included if you activated «Set 1 & 2», since a long time, so I must apologize...), or in Trace concerning playing files in the Sound Lirary (interfering withs spls), speed automation in mode 2 creating much «extra» noise and «extra spls» etc. Quite important improvements and adds too, and code optimization to decrease CPU use, I’m working on both help and application sides. So still some time to pass before I can release both the last application version (but I’ll finally release an intermediate debugged and improved version as soon as possible, still a little time needed) and the first help file, some months I guess (hope not too many but lots of things to be written still...). Cheers to all !

- 8 Aug. 2015 : working on the first help file at new, no LoopToys update before its first release.

- 2 July 2015 : from now error messages are disabled, except for those I created myself.

- 9 May 2014 : to download LoopToys versions and TouchOSC layouts, a unique link from now : http://soulthom.com/spip/spip.php?article1