Introduction
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## Introduction

Michael Gogins

Csound is a unit generator-based, user-programmable computer music system. It was originally written by Barry Vercoe at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984 as the first C language version of this type of software. Since then Csound has received numerous contributions from researchers, programmers, and musicians from around the world.

Around 1991, John ffitch ported Csound to Microsoft DOS. Csound currently runs on many varieties of UNIX and Linux, Microsoft DOS and Windows, all versions of the Macintosh operating system including Mac OS X, and others.

There are newer computer music systems that have graphical patch editors (e.g. Max/MSP, PD, jMax, or Open Sound World), or that use more advanced techniques of software engineering (e.g. Nyquist or SuperCollider). Yet Csound still has the largest and most varied set of unit generators, is the best documented, runs on the most platforms, and is the easiest to extend. It is possible to compile Csound using double-precision arithmetic throughout for superior sound quality. In short, Csound must be considered one of the most powerful musical instruments ever created.

To make music with Csound:

1. Write an orchestra (`.orc` file) that creates instruments and signal processors by connecting unit generators (also called opcodes, in Csound-speak) using Csound's simple programming language.
2. Write a score (`.sco` file) that specifies a list of notes and other events to be rendered by the orchestra.
3. Run Csound to compile the orchestra and score, run the sorted and preprocessed score through the orchestra, and write digital audio out to a soundfile or sound card.

CsoundVST is an extended version of Csound that adds a graphical user interface, C++ and Python APIs, Python scripting, a library of Python extension modules for algorithmic composition, a VST plugin interface, and a Mathematica interface.

In addition to this "canonical" version of Csound and CsoundVST, there are other versions of Csound and other front ends for Csound, many of which can be found at http://csounds.com.

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