What are the minimum system requirements for using Csound?
Csound runs on many different operating systems and platforms. It would be difficult to specify the
requirements exactly. A non-real-time, command-line Csound can be compiled on just about any platform that
is supported by libsndfile. Requirements for the pre-compiled binary packages vary:
Windows: Windows 95 or later ??
Linux: The best advice here is to simply try the appropriate pre-compiled package (either i386 or
64-bit x86 &ndash you can choose either the "d" of "f" version) and see if it works with your Linux distro.
These packages are (I believe) compiled on a SUSE system. If they fail to work, you may wish to try one
of the Debian or RPM packages but they may be a little out-of-date. If neither of these options work, then
compiling your own copy of Csound is certainly possible. See the reference manual for compilation instructions.
MacOS X: Csound 5.06 and later are pre-compiled for MacOS X 10.4 or later. Be sure to download the
correct package for your CPU architecture (Intel or PowerPC). Older pre-compiled versions are available
for 10.3 and 10.2 but the latest sources should compile on any version of MacOS X.
MacOS "Classic": Runs under any version from System 7.5 to OS 9.2. May work with System 7.1 if version
3.0 or later of the Sound Manager is installed (included with QuickTime).
Do I need to install Python to run Csound?
No. However, on Windows a copy of the Python opcode library (py.dll) is installed by default, so Csound
will complain about Python not being installed on that platform. Solutions to this problem are being
considered.
For now, you can workaround this problem by moving the py.dll file (located within the opcode plugin
directory) to some other location if you do not plan on using the Python opcodes. Otherwise, install
the correct version of Python (see the next question).
Which version of Python do I need to use the Python opcodes or interface?
Windows: For Csound 5.06 and later, Python 2.5 is required. For Csound 5.05 and earlier, Python 2.4
should be used instead.
Linux: Recent binary installers for Linux are linked to Python 2.5. If compiling your own
Csound, it should be possible to use older versions of Python.
MacOS X: On OS X 10.3 and 10.4, Csound uses Python 2.3 by default because
this is what is supplied by Apple. However, with version 5.07 of Csound,
the OSX-10.4 Intel installer is also supplying an experimental
Python 2.4 csnd module, which gets installed with the MacPython 2.4
framework. Python opcodes, however, are currently only linked to Apple's supplied
Python 2.3 framework for all OS X binary installers.
The 10.2 installer (for Csound 5.01) does not include functional versions
of the Python extras since there is no default Python installation on OS X 10.2.
MacOS "Classic": Python 2.2.x "Classic". The "Carbon" version will not work. You can run the
ConfigurePythonClassic applet to switch to the correct version if both Classic and Carbon are
installed.
What is the difference between the "d" and the "f" versions?
(Adapted from an answer by Michael Gogins on the Csound mailing list)
Installers with 'f' in the filename (short for "float") contain a Csound compiled so that audio samples are internally
represented using single-precision (32-bit) floating-point numbers. This results in about 15% faster
performance relative to the "d" versions on Windows and should have similar performance gains on other
platforms.
Installers with 'd' in the filename (short for "double") contain a Csound compiled so that audio samples are internally
represented using double-precision (64-bit) floating-point numbers. This results in about 15% slower
performance relative to the single-precision version, but will give greater precision for calculations,
especially in filter performance. (Note though that many filters have recently been changed to always use
double-precision calculations where they are critical).
The float version is probably better for real-time performance although the double version is OK for "light"
real-time usage. The double version is to be preferred for non-real-time rendering where it is available,
especially for producing a "finished" rendition of a work.
Does a 64-bit CPU require the 64-bit "doubles" version and a 32-bit CPU the "floats" version?
No. The bit width of your CPU is an indication of the native size used for integer calculations by your
computer. This is not related to the size of floating-point calculations and all modern CPUs can use either
32-bit or 64-bit floating-point numbers.
Is there a Universal Binary for MacOS X?
No. In general, you should download the package that matches your CPU architecture (either Intel or
PowerPC). However, to use some "third-party" programs, you may need the package that matches the
architecture of that program.
As of June 19, 2007, MacCsound requires the PowerPC package. This may change very soon though...
Do I need to download the manual or is it included?
The manual is included with all of the binary packages except those for MacOS Classic.
What is included in each of the packages?
Coming soon ...
What is the Loris_STK_src_5.xx.zip file for?
The Loris_STK_src_5.xx.zip files on the Csound Sourceforge site are source code-only packages
containing the Loris and STK libraries. They are needed to compile the optional opcode plugins based
on these libraries but are otherwise unnecessary. The libraries are provided as a separate download
because they are not a part of Csound itself, but their licenses require that we provide the source
code alongside of our binaries.