Funny, I tend to recommend two books to people: the Dodge/Jerse one for those who aren't mathematical (like myself), and the Roads one (the "CMT") for those who are. Keeping in mind that whole chapters of the revised Dodge/Jerse--basically all the chapters on anything which are contemporary like granular synthesis--have been lifted almost verbatim from Curtis Roads' works, the Dodge/Jerse book is an excellent introduction. I still find that the "CMT" is like a bible, and when I'm scratching my head I can browse through it to find the right starting point. But it would be much more incomprehensible without the headstart I got from the Dodge/Jerse book.
best, d.
Frank Barknecht wrote:
I think, without some abstraction (sic!) one wouldn't get far with Pd. It's just not a tool for ignoring certain rather abstract issues. But I don't think you're looking for such a tool anyways. So for starters I would recommend "Computer Music" by Dodge/Jerse. It doesn't skip the necessary math, but has a good way of explaining it and illustrating its use from a practical POV. It's definitly a book every aspiring Pd user should read. I won't say the same of the "Computer Music Tutorial", which IMO often is a bit to, uhm, referential: It's very complete in its scope, but too often just directs you to a paper or another book if you want to know the real details. And it's too heavy to carry around in your bag.