mioSynth
April 26, 2020 · View on GitHub
Welcome to mioSynth a simple way to build an orchestra for cSound and play your favorite melody. Run it in Cabbage, standalone, or as VST plugin within your own DAW. Listen to the demo.
Programming '70 synths
It took me a great deal of time to learn about analog synth programming, if you are like me and you know little on how to make your own patches check out videos from New York School of Synthesis and the accompanying book, also the video Secrets of Analog an Digital Synthesis and the accompanying book, and finally Roland's synthesizer books. (Here i won't be quoting the main literature on the subject but i highly recommend it if you wish to take the next level)
Front panel
At a first glance you see immediately the classic analog setting, check the schema for more details.
Run in your DAW
Say you like Ableton Live, here a screenshot with mioSynth playing out of the box. You can export it as VST instrument or as standalone application.
Logic schema
Here every sub-panel is connected according to this diagram.
Midi
Connect your midi keyboard and control in realtime mioSynth, use your DAW's midi learn feature. If you need more control or your DAW doesn't work as you expect, use the midi button on the panel and customize the .csd source code file; starting from line 103 near iMid.
Mono
Selecting the mode you choose between monophonic or polyphonic. If you playback with mioSynth_player, it will run always polyphonic.
Show
Let you copy the string to add in your score and play the selected patch, check the console log for a line starting with f1 0 33 -2 or i1 0 1. Open mioSynth_player and paste the code in the score section, add notes as usual. Remember to use p6 to specify the ftable (actually it's your patch) you just added.
You may have as many patch as you like, just give the proper ftable number. That would be:
<CsScore>
;brass ensamble
f01 0 33 -2 0.225 0.388 0.694 0.347 0.500 0.200 0.500 0.300 0 19 -1 1 3388.290 0.6040.246 0.510 0.694 0.327 1.000 0.500 2 0.140 0.000 0.452 1.000 1 2 0 1 1 0 2.000 2.000;p1 p2 p3 p4 p5 p6
i1 0 1 8.00 .9 1
i1 + . 8.08 .9 1
e
</CsScore>
mioSynth_player
There is more in the player, an arpeggiator and a chords player! Yes, you can play your synth patches right away and create your own set of chords and scales. By the way if you feel to experiment, say you want to go beyond tonality, just fill the tables with frequencies thus they will be added to p4.
So how to use the arpeggiator or the chord player?
Say you want to play the I-VI-II-V progression on the guitar playing strings in different directions, just set repetition as negative and it will read table p7 right to left. Listen to the arpeggio.
| p1 | p2 | p3 | p4 | p5 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | p10 (add any override) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ;intr | ;str | ;dur | ;pitch | ;amp | ;wav | ;arp | ;rep | ;pos | ;pan |
| i2 | 0 | 2 | 6.00 | .5 | 3 | 11 | -10 | 22 | .9 |
| i2 | + | . | 5.09 | . | . | 12 | 8 | 12 | . |
| i2 | + | . | 6.02 | . | . | . | -10 | 22 | .85 |
| i2 | + | . | 6.07 | . | . | 13 | 8 | 12 | . |
| i2 | 0 | 2 | 5.00 | .5 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 12 | .1 |
| i2 | + | . | 4.09 | . | . | 12 | -4 | 22 | . |
| i2 | + | . | 5.02 | . | . | . | 5 | 12 | .15 |
| i2 | + | . | 5.07 | . | . | 13 | -4 | 22 | . |
- p1 i2=arpeggiator, i3=chord player
- p4 may be pitch-class (middle C=8.00, C#=8.01, D=8.02..) or frequency
- p6 ftable containing synth patch or wave form
- p7 ftable of chord/arpeggio
- p8 repetition (how many notes in p3 time), loops if end of p7 is reached, + goes -->, - goes <--
- p9 position of ftable p7
- p10 and so on for override (check source code for pan)
In the source code you find an example with more instruments, listen to the demo.
Avaliable chords
| chord name | notes | range | middle | items | table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| maj7 | 1 3 5 7 | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f11 0 25 -2 -3 -2.04 -2.07 -2.11 -2 -1.04 -1.07 -1.11 -1 -0.04 -0.07 -0.01 0 0.04 0.07 0.11 1 1.04 1.07 1.11 2 2.04 2.07 2.11 3 |
| min7 | 1 3b 5 7b | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f12 0 25 -2 -3 -2.03 -2.07 -2.10 -2 -1.03 -1.07 -1.10 -1 -0.03 -0.07 -0.01 0 0.03 0.07 0.10 1 1.03 1.07 1.10 2 2.03 2.07 2.10 3 |
| dom7 | 1 3 5 7b | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f13 0 25 -2 -3 -2.04 -2.07 -2.10 -2 -1.04 -1.07 -1.10 -1 -0.04 -0.07 -0.01 0 0.04 0.07 0.10 1 1.04 1.07 1.10 2 2.04 2.07 2.10 3 |
| min75b | 1 3b 5b 7b | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f14 0 25 -2 -3 -2.03 -2.06 -2.10 -2 -1.03 -1.06 -1.10 -1 -0.03 -0.06 -0.01 0 0.03 0.06 0.10 1 1.03 1.06 1.10 2 2.03 2.06 2.10 3 |
| dim7 | 1 3b 5b 7bb | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f15 0 25 -2 -3 -2.03 -2.06 -2.09 -2 -1.03 -1.06 -1.09 -1 -0.03 -0.06 -0.01 0 0.03 0.06 0.09 1 1.03 1.06 1.09 2 2.03 2.06 2.09 3 |
| maj6 | 1 3 5 6 | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f16 0 25 -2 -3 -2.04 -2.07 -2.09 -2 -1.04 -1.07 -1.09 -1 -0.04 -0.07 -0.01 0 0.04 0.07 0.09 1 1.04 1.07 1.09 2 2.04 2.07 2.09 3 |
| min6 | 1 3b 5 6 | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f17 0 25 -2 -3 -2.03 -2.07 -2.09 -2 -1.03 -1.07 -1.09 -1 -0.03 -0.07 -0.01 0 0.03 0.07 0.09 1 1.03 1.07 1.09 2 2.03 2.07 2.09 3 |
| maj9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | -3,+3 | 15 | 31 | f18 0 31 -2 -3 -2.02 -2.04 -2.07 -2.11 -2 -1.02 -1.04 -1.07 -1.11 -1 -0.02 -0.04 -0.07 -0.01 0 0.02 0.04 0.07 0.11 1 1.02 1.04 1.07 1.11 2 2.02 2.04 2.07 2.11 3 |
| 9 | 1 3 5 7b 9 | -3,+3 | 15 | 31 | f19 0 31 -2 -3 -2.02 -2.04 -2.07 -2.10 -2 -1.02 -1.04 -1.07 -1.10 -1 -0.02 -0.04 -0.07 -0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.07 0.10 1 1.02 1.04 1.07 1.10 2 2.02 2.04 2.07 2.10 3 |
| min9 | 1 3b 5 7b 9 | -3,+3 | 15 | 31 | f20 0 31 -2 -3 -2.02 -2.03 -2.07 -2.10 -2 -1.02 -1.03 -1.07 -1.10 -1 -0.02 -0.03 -0.07 -0.02 0 0.02 0.03 0.07 0.10 1 1.02 1.03 1.07 1.10 2 2.02 2.03 2.07 2.10 3 |
| sus | 1 4 5 | -3,+3 | 9 | 19 | f21 0 19 -2 -3 -2.05 -2.07 -2 -1.05 -1.07 -1 -0.05 -0.07 0 0.05 0.07 1 1.05 1.07 2 2.05 2.07 3 |
| 7sus | 1 4 5 7b | -3,+3 | 12 | 25 | f22 0 25 -2 -3 -2.05 -2.07 -2.10 -2 -1.05 -1.07 -1.10 -1 -0.05 -0.07 -0.02 0 0.05 0.07 0.10 1 1.05 1.07 1.10 2 2.05 2.07 2.10 3 |
| 9sus | 1 4 5 7b 9 | -3,+3 | 15 | 31 | f23 0 31 -2 -3 -2.02 -2.05 -2.07 -2.10 -2 -1.02 -1.05 -1.07 -1.10 -1 -0.02 -0.05 -0.07 -0.02 0 0.02 0.05 0.07 0.10 1 1.02 1.05 1.07 1.10 2 2.02 2.05 2.07 2.10 3 |
Patches
To manage your patches edit the file mioSynth.snaps, you can rename or delete patches easily.
Internals
This synth operates setting 33 parameters from the GUI, here you find every parameter explained. Generally speaking when you create a score in cSound at least you will use p1 (instrument), p2 (start time), p3 (duration), p4 (frequency or note), p5 (amplitude).
| variable name | p-var | function | module | range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iAat | p6 | attack | VCA | 0.002, 1 |
| iAde | p7 | decay | VCA | 0, 1 |
| iAsu | p8 | sustain | VCA | 0, 1 |
| iAre | p9 | release | VCA | 0, 1 |
| kPw1 | p10 | duty cycle | OSC1 | 0.05, 0.95 |
| kPw2 | p11 | duty cycle | OSC2 | 0.05, 0.95 |
| kMx1 | p12 | volume | OSC1 | 0, 1 |
| kMx2 | p13 | volume | OSC2 | 0, 1 |
| kOc1 | p14 | octave | OSC1 | -36, 36 semitones |
| kOc2 | p15 | octave | OSC2 | -36, 36 semitones |
| kFn1 | p16 | fine tuning | OSC1 | -25, 25 cents |
| kFn2 | p17 | fine tuning | OSC2 | -25, 25 cents |
| kCut | p18 | cut off | VCF | 0, 22050 |
| kRes | p19 | resonance | VCF | 0, 1 |
| iFat | p20 | attack | VCF | 0.001, 1 |
| iFde | p21 | decay | VCA | 0, 1 |
| iFsu | p22 | sustain | VCA | 0, 1 |
| iFre | p23 | release | VCA | 0, 1 |
| kVol | p24 | main volume | VCA | 0, 1 |
| kPan | p25 | panning | VCA | 0, 1 |
| kNse | p26 | selector | NOISE | 1, 2 |
| kMx3 | p27 | volume | NOISE | 0, 1 |
| kSiz | p28 | room size | REVERB | 0, 1 |
| kMx4 | p29 | dry/wet | REVERB | 0, 1 |
| iRev | p30 | switch | REVERB | 0, 1 |
| iWf1 | p31 | selector | OSC1 | 1, 3 |
| iWf2 | p32 | selector | OSC2 | 1, 3 |
| iL1t | p33 | switch | OSC1 | 0, 1 |
| iL2t | p34 | switch | OSC2 | 0, 1 |
| iL1v | p35 | switch | OSC1 | 0, 1 |
| iL2v | p36 | switch | OSC2 | 0, 1 |
| kTrm | p37 | tremolo rate | REVERB | 0.5, 20 |
| kVbr | p38 | vibrato rate | REVERB | 0.5, 20 |