Tango: Software for Computer-Human Improvisation

This demonstration describes Tango, software for Computer-Human Improvisation developed for more than 25 years by Henning Berg. Tango listens to an improvising musician, analyses what it hears and plays musical responses which relate directly to the musical input. If the improviser in turn reacts to these answers, a musical loop between the human and the machine can emerge. The way input and reaction correlate and the predictability of Tango's responses can be defined by the user via a setup of improvising environments, called Rooms. Real-time sampling with knowledge of the musical content behind the samples and Midi-handling are unified via Tango's own monophonic audio-to-Midi, time stretching and pitch shifting algorithms. Both audio and Midi can be used by Tango's modules (e.g. Listeners, Players, Modifiers, Metronomes or Harmony) for input and output. A flexible real time control system allows for internal and external remote control and scaling of most parameters. The free software for Windows7 with all necessary folders, English and German manuals, many example-Rooms and a few videos can be downloaded at www.henning-berg.de.