  The representation of basic elements of music in terms of discrete audio
signals is often used in software for musical creation and design.
Nevertheless, there is no unified approach that relates these elements to the
discrete samples of digitized sound. In this article, each musical element is
related by equations and algorithms to the discrete-time samples of sounds, and
each of these relations are implemented in scripts within a software toolbox,
referred to as MASS (Music and Audio in Sample Sequences). The fundamental
element, the musical note with duration, volume, pitch and timbre, is related
quantitatively to characteristics of the digital signal. Internal variations of
a note, such as tremolos, vibratos and spectral fluctuations, are also
considered, which enables the synthesis of notes inspired by real instruments
and new sonorities. With this representation of notes, resources are provided
for the generation of higher scale musical structures, such as rhythmic meter,
pitch intervals and cycles. This framework enables precise and trustful
scientific experiments, data sonification and is useful for education and art.
The efficacy of MASS is confirmed by the synthesis of small musical pieces
using basic notes, elaborated notes and notes in music, which reflects the
organization of the toolbox and thus of this article. It is possible to
synthesize whole albums through collage of the scripts and settings specified
by the user. With the open source paradigm, the toolbox can be promptly
scrutinized, expanded in co-authorship processes and used with freedom by
musicians, engineers and other interested parties. In fact, MASS has already
been employed for diverse purposes which include music production, artistic
presentations, psychoacoustic experiments and computer language diffusion where
the appeal of audiovisual artifacts is exploited for education.
