SPORCH: An Algorithm for Orchestration Based on Spectral Analyses of Recorded Sounds.

SPORCH (SPectral ORCHestrater) is a Lisp based computer program that provides orchestrations for any ensemble of acoustic instruments based on any arbitrary sound file input. The result, when played, approximates the sound source in timbre and sound quality. The amount of approximation depends on the nature of the source material, the instruments specified, and other controlling parameters. SPORCH is a compositional tool for composers who wish to work directly with complex timbres or sonorities when composing for acoustic instruments. Since it is able to detect the presence of specific instruments and pitches within a complex chordal structure, it also has potential as an analytical tool.