Supercomputing and sound synthesis

SISD machines call for the concept of sequential programming in which a program consists of a list of instructions to be executed one after the other. Although such machines may now work so fast that they appear to be executing more than one instruction at a time, the sequential programming paradigm still remains for most techniques and tools for software development, including sound synthesis. 

The sequential paradigm works well for most of the ordinary tasks for which we need the computer but scientists are very aware of the limitations of current computer technology. For example, if computers were programmed to display intelligent or customary behaviour the 

As far as sound synthesis is concerned, parallel supercomputing is commonly associated with the possibility of breaking the speed limits imposed by SISD machines. However much faster sequential computers become, parallel computing will still offer interesting programming paradigms for the development of new synthesis techniques. From a composer s perspective, it is this latter aspect of parallel computing that excites interest. 

Two main approaches are used to build parallel supercomputers SIMD (for Single Instruction Multiple Data) and MIMD (for Multiple Instructions Multiple Data). Whilst the former employs many processors simultaneously to execute the same program on different data, the latter employs several processors to execute different instructions on different data. Both approaches underpin different programming paradigms and have their own strengths and weaknesses. 

SIMD computers are essentially synchronous models because all PEs execute the same instruction at the same time. The only control the programmer has over an individual PE is to allow or prevent it from executing the instruction. This makes SIMD computers easier to program than MIMD computers (see below) because the control of different programs 

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