[chuck-users] Granular synthesizer - Chuck language

[mike clemow]

Hi Wolfgang,

I really like your instrument!  I had to change a few things to get it
running: the file name strings ended in ".ch" rather than ".ck", which threw
me for a minute.  Also, there are obviously somethings that are
un-implemented (e.g. reverb in Global, etc.)  But I really like the use of
the interface to spawn grain-producing shreds.  It gives you some ad hoc
control over the grain cloud.

One bit of feedback I will give you is that the most inefficient part of
your granular implementation is the sample-level intervention in the Grain
class.  The way you're doing it at each sample, the chuck language has to do
a bunch of math to calculate the gain for the next sample in order to do
your enveloping.  This does work, however, there are UGens that will do this
much more efficiently (as they are written in C).  One of them is Envelope,
another is ADSR.  These will work more efficiently, however, they have
drawbacks.  Namely, the amount of work you have to do to use these UGens
doesn't really yield (no pun intended) much more flexibility in particle
design.  Envelope style makes a huge difference in the spectral
characteristics of individual grains.

There is one UGen, however, which I have found to be extremely flexible,
efficient, and generally under-used: CurveTable.  Attached is a the basis
(and some simple tests) for a granular synthesis implementation using
CurveTable as an envelope.  I find this to be quite elegant and useful.  You
may too.

CurveTable allows you to specify a curve using coefficients to build
segments of the curve and fills a buffer with those curve segments.  The
segments are specified by three coefficients each, [ time, amplitude,
curvature ] and you can have as many segments as you want: [ time,
amplitude, curvature, time, amplitude, curvature, time, amplitude,
curvature, time, amplitude, curvature... ]

some documentation:

http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/doc/examples/special/GenX-CurveTable-test.ck

http://www.music.columbia.edu/cmc/Rtcmix/docs/scorefile/maketable.html#curve


Anyway, take a look at the attached code and run it / play with it a little
bit.  I find this to be a much more efficient and flexible way to envelope
grains in Chuck.  I find that I can get a lot more bang for my buck
performance-wise.  In this implementation, Chuck only intervenes once per
grain (to initiate it).  We get to take advantage of a variable control rate
implementation that the Chuck system affords us and we also get to lean on
the UGens for the heavy lifting.

That said, I really like the direction you're taking this instrument.  Keep
it up!

Mike



2010/10/23 Wolfgang Gil <wolfgang.gil at gmail.com>

> Hello,
>
> I'm working on a granular synthesizer using the language of Chuck (using
> miniAudicle). I would like to share the code with the desire to receive
> feedback from you.
>
> Please take a look at it if you like and feel free to modify it, use it,
> etc. ..
> I am also looking for an open-source pulse synthesizer and other
> microsound-based instruments.
>
> Thanks, open to collaborate.
>
> --
> Wolfgang Gil
> http://www.wolfganggil.com
>
>
>
> --
> Wolfgang Gil
> http://www.wolfganggil.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> chuck-users mailing list
> chuck-users at lists.cs.princeton.edu
> https://lists.cs.princeton.edu/mailman/listinfo/chuck-users
>
>


-- 
http://michaelclemow.com
http://semiotech.org
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