ixiQuarks is a software environment for live improvisation enabling user interaction at hardware, GUI, and code levels. It is well suited for real-time live performances and installations.
ixiQuarks comes in three different forms: ixiQuarks, ixiQuarks Pro, and ixiQuarks as Quarks library for SuperCollider. The software is written in the SuperCollider programming language. ixiQuarks is best suited for non-programmers, while ixiQuarks Pro is recommended for people who enjoy experimenting with programming and writing their own instruments. For SuperCollider users, ixiQuarks is readily available for installation from the repository.
ixiQuarks' tools are classed into basic utilities, instruments, effects, and filters. Interestingly, all these tools are designed to manipulate audio on audio channels, much like connecting effects pedals in a guitar system. ixiQuarks has 52 Audio Channels as a default, which can be easily changed in the preference file. The preference file has options to select between stereo or mono sound channels via the radio buttons found at the bottom of the quarks browser.
The quarks browser is where you get to see the different categories of tools, with lines separating them. By pressing the 'open' button or hitting 'Return', you can open the tool of your choice. Most of the instruments in ixiQuarks have support for Wacom tablets, which can be used to sense pressure for better performance. The ixiQuarks team is working on the support of all hardware interfaces for instrument functionality.
Some of the key features of ixiQuarks include basic utilities such as AudioIn, Recorder, Player, BufferPool, PoolManager, FreqScope, WaveScope, EQMeter, MixerNode, Amplifier, ChannelSplitter, and TrigRecorder. The instruments available are SoundScratcher, StratoSampler, Raindrops, Mushrooms, Predators, Gridder, BufferPlayer, GrainBox, PolyMachine, Quanoon, and ScaleSynth. The audio effects are Delay, Freeverb, AdCVerb, Distortion, ixiReverb, Chorus, Octave, Tremolo, Equalizer, CombVocoder, RandomPanner, MRRoque, MultiDelay, Cyberpunk, and Moog. The filters are Bandpass, Lowpass, Highpass, Resonant Lowpass, Resonant Highpass, Resonant, and Klanks. The spectral features include SpectralEQ, MagClip, MagSmear, MagShift, MagFreeze, RectComb, BinScramble, and BinShift. Finally, there are generators such as Noise and Oscillators available for use.
Version 5.0: N/A