| Introduction
MPEG-4 Structured Audio (MP4-SA) is an ISO/IEC standard (edited by
Eric Scheirer) that specifies sound not as audio data, but as a
computer program that generates audio when run.
 
One implication of this design is that
encoding content in MP4-SA is a creative act,
not an automatic one. Or more specifically,
two creative acts: 
  
Sound modeling. In MP4-SA, sound happens because a program
written in the SAOL (pronounced "sail") computer language outputs
audio samples. The algorithms coded in SAOL may model how musical
instruments (like a piano or the human voice) create sound, or may
process sounds (tasks like adding reverberation or mixing instrument
sounds together).
 
Sound sequencing.
Performance is sound moving in time: notes play in sequence to make a
melody, faders sweep across a mixing console to blend a performance,
etc. In MP4-SA, the score language SASL (pronounced "sassil"), the
MIDI standard, and the SAOL language itself are all available to
support sound sequencing.
 
The goal of this book is to show how to use SAOL,
SASL, and the other MP4-SA tools to create these
two types of content. We assume some familiarity
with computer programming and algorithms, audio
signal processing, and music and sound. 
 
Next:A Tutorial Introduction.
 | Table of Contents
Numbers and Variables
Expressions and StatementsSimple Core OpcodesWavetablesBuses and Execution Order 
The SASL Score LanguageMIDI Instrument ControlSAOL Instrument Control 
Sound Synthesis Core OpcodesFilter Core OpcodesSignal Processing Core OpcodesUser-Defined Opcodes 
Debugging SAOL ProgramsTemplatesThe Slib LibraryAudioUnit Plug-Ins 
Acknowledgements and 
BibliographyCore Opcode Sorted Alphabetically
Core Opcode Sorted by Opcode Type
Core Wavetable Generators
Standard Names
Language Elements
Language Rules
 
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