I recently read over both my undergraduate AND graduate theses. Yes, both. I did them a day or so apart, and took notes during the entire process.

The writings appear to be worlds apart. My undergraduate work is stuffy; it doesn’t sound like me writing, perhaps more like a professor or two being channeled as I pushed that project out the door. My graduate thesis – although under greater technical restraints – reads as more relaxed, conversational dive into a niche audio programming/designing topic. I’m glad to have a “professional” outlet for my thoughts (this blog!), and to see that my writing style doesn’t pass away with my last thesis.

Anyway, back to the recent thesis, which has raised a few questions about how to proceed in my non-freelance, non-otherpeoplework life:

1. Working with Flash, Java, and Javascript concurrently isn’t wise.  It worked in most browsers for the most part, but it’s begging to break if I’m not babysitting it every time a new major browser is released or something changes with one of the three languages.
2. Flash or Unity?  I’m still torn on which to develop side projects in seriously.  I’m always working in Flash, but after developing two simple games in the medium, I’m not sure that it’s the way to go anymore.
3. JMSL and JSyn have my hands tied.  Moving solely to Flash or Unity makes using either library quite difficult, if not impossible.   Therefore… should I consider translating the aspects I like into a new audio library?  Unlike these existing libraries, I could gear it towards the specific needs of a reactive or interactive soundtrack.
4. If I make a new library, I will also need MIDI supported tools to quickly import composition ideas.  This, to me, is a must for getting what I want working/out the door in a reasonable amount of time.  I’ll be making these tools myself, though, on top of whichever methods I develop.

I suppose these are the big questions I need to pan out for the near future.  I’m feeling better about taking a break from my thesis/kicking myself about the millions of things I didn’t solve with it.  It’s easy to get lost with so many different kinds of technology coming about every day.  Dare I say it… there may be too many imagined possibilities, freezing the average sound designer in an icycle of indecision.

My thesis was an audio engine that used Flash, Javascript, and Java all at once… on one page! Essentially, there was a very smart Java library that I wanted to use, but I wasn’t savvy enough to port it into Flash.  On the one side, it was better for Flash – no slow-downs due to processing my crazy sound layering/grouping/composition demands, but on the other… well, let’s say that testing wasn’t pleasant.  It eventually worked, but it’s not ideal to have multiple conduits between your game and the sound that sound be occurring at about the same time.

In other words, I felt like my thesis was scrappable not long after I completed it.  In the future, I don’t know if I want to gear an audio engine like the one I am envisioning towards Flash or, well… Unity.

Yes, Unity.  I’m trying to pick that language up in my “spare” time.  There’s a possibility that a certain artist I know will create gorgeous 3D objects if I make a game that is ready to receive it.  I know this is possible in Flash, but I’m already seeing full-screen 3D browser games in Unity that have me floored.  Gorgeous rendering… in a browser.  I almost can’t handle it.

In a totally different area of my brain, I also completed an undergraduate thesis in Greek music theory a few years ago.  I think it’s worth looking over that for some usefulness, too.