peerSynth: A P2P Multi-User Software Synthesizer with new techniques for integrating latency in real time collaboration
Jörg Stelkens · 2003
In recent years, software instruments have enabled the exchange of musical information over a network and thus, collective music making. Time-dependent delay (latency) occuring between those creating music over asynchronous networks like the Internet presents a pertinent yet, up till now, scarcely examined problem. The author will present a simple process which integrates network latency into the individual musicians ’ collective playing. This process is part of a P2P multi-user software instrument developed by the author called peerSynth. This real time synthesis program runs on standard PC’s, is easily distributed over the Internet and allows a decentralized P2P network to be built up over the Internet. With the help of a specially developed user-interface, the software enables multiple users to collectively make music in both real time and offline sessions independent of time and space. Through these processes, a “boundaryless ” music can occur. 1