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Raphaël Forment
2023-11-18 20:40:52 +01:00
parent 9161d6f9ee
commit 41df296319
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src/documentation/engine.ts
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@ -4,179 +4,8 @@ import { makeExampleFactory } from "../Documentation";
export const sound = (application: Editor): string => {
const makeExample = makeExampleFactory(application);
return `
# Audio engine
The Topos audio engine is based on the [SuperDough](https://www.npmjs.com/package/superdough) audio backend that takes advantage of the [Web Audio API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Audio_API). The engine is capable of many things such as playing samples, synths and effects all at once. It is a very powerful and almost limitless tool to create complex sounds and textures. A set of default sounds are already provided but you can also load your own audio samples if you wish!
## Sound basics
The basic function to play a sound is... <ic>sound(name: string)</ic> (you can also write <ic>snd</ic> to save some precious time). If the given sound (or synthesizer) is already declared, it will be automatically queried/started and will start playing. Evaluate the following script in the global window:
${makeExample(
"Playing sounds is easy",
`
beat(1) && sound('bd').out()
beat(0.5) && sound('hh').out()
`,
true
)}
In plain english, this translates to:
> Every beat, play a kick drum.
> Every half-beat, play a high-hat.
Let's make it slightly more complex:
${makeExample(
"Adding some effects",
`
beat(1) && sound('bd').coarse(0.25).room(0.5).orbit(2).out();
beat(0.5) && sound('hh').delay(0.25).delaytime(0.125).out();
`,
true
)}
Now, it reads as follow:
> Every beat, play a kick drum with some amount of distortion.
> Every half-beat, play a high-hat with 25% of the sound injected in
> a delay unit, with a delay time of 0.125 seconds.
Let's pause for a moment and explain what is going on:
- If you remove <ic>beat</ic> instruction, you will end up with a deluge of kick drums and high-hats. <ic>beat</ic> in that case, is used to filter time. It is a very useful instruction to create basic rhythms. Check out the **Time** page if you haven't read it already.
- Playing a sound always ends up with the <ic>.out()</ic> method that gives the instruction to send a message to the audio engine.
- Sounds are **composed** by adding qualifiers/parameters that will modify the sound or synthesizer being played (_e.g_ <ic>sound('...').blabla(...)..something(...).out()</ic>. Think of it as _audio chains_.
${makeExample(
'"Composing" a complex sonic object by making a sound chain',
`
beat(1) :: sound('pad').n(1)
.begin(rand(0, 0.4))
.freq([50,52].beat())
.size(0.9).room(0.9)
.velocity(0.25)
.pan(usine()).release(2).out()`,
true
)}
## Audio Sample Folders / Sample Files
When you type <ic>kick</ic> in the <ic>sound('kick').out()</ic> expression, you are referring to a sample folder containing multiple audio samples. If you look at the sample folder, it would look something like this:
\`\`\`shell
.
├── KICK9.wav
├── kick1.wav
├── kick10.wav
├── kick2-1.wav
├── kick2.wav
├── kick3-1.wav
├── kick3.wav
├── kick4.wav
├── kick5.wav
├── kick6.wav
├── kick7.wav
└── kick8.wav
\`\`\`
The <ic>.n(number)</ic> method can be used to pick a sample from the currently selected sample folder. For instance, the following script will play a random sample from the _kick_ folder:
${makeExample(
"Picking a sample",
`
beat(1) && sound('kick').n([1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8].pick()).out()
`,
true
)}
Don't worry about the number. If it gets too big, it will be automatically wrapped to the number of samples in the folder. You can type any number, it will always fall on a sample. Let's use our mouse to select a sample number in a folder:
${makeExample(
"Picking a sample... with your mouse!",
`
// Move your mouse to change the sample being used!
beat(.25) && sound('numbers').n(Math.floor(mouseX())).out()`,
true
)}
**Note:** the <ic>sound</ic> function can also be used to play synthesizers (see the **Synthesizers** page). In that case, the <ic>.n(n: number)</ic> becomes totally useless!
## Learning about sound modifiers
As we said earlier, the <ic>sound('sample_name')</ic> function can be chained to _specify_ a sound more. For instance, you can add a filter and some effects to your high-hat:
${makeExample(
"Let's make something more complex",
`
beat(0.25) && sound('jvbass')
.sometimes(s=>s.speed([2, 0.5].pick()))
.room(0.9).size(0.9).gain(1)
.cutoff(usine(1/2) * 5000)
.out()`,
true
)}
There are many possible arguments that you can add to your sounds. Learning them can take a long time but it will open up a lot of possibilities. Let's try to make it through all of them. They can all be used both with synthesizers and audio samples, which is kind of unconventional with normal / standard electronic music softwares.
## Orbits and audio busses
Topos is inheriting some audio bus management principles taken from the [SuperDirt](https://github.com/musikinformatik/SuperDirt) and [Superdough](https://www.npmjs.com/package/superdough) engine, a WebAudio based recreation of the same engine. Each sound that you play is associated with an audio bus, called an _orbit_. Some effects are affecting **all sounds currently playing on that bus**. These are called **global effects**, to distinguish from **local effects**:
- **global effects**: _reverberation_ and _delay_.
- **local effects**: everything else :smile:
There is a special method to choose the _orbit_ that your sound is going to use:
| Method | Alias | Description |
|----------|-------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| <ic>orbit</ic> | o | Orbit number |
## Amplitude
Simple controls over the amplitude (volume) of a given sound.
| Method | Alias | Description |
|----------|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| <ic>gain</ic> | | Volume of the synth/sample (exponential) |
| <ic>velocity</ic> | vel | Velocity (amplitude) from <ic>0</ic> to <ic>1</ic>. Multipled with gain |
| <ic>dbgain</ic> | db | Attenuation in dB from <ic>-inf</ic> to <ic>+10</ic> (acts as a sound mixer fader) |
${makeExample(
"Velocity manipulated by a counter",
`
beat(.5)::snd('cp').vel($(1)%10 / 10).out()`,
true
)}
## Amplitude Enveloppe
**Superdough** is applying an **ADSR** envelope to every sound being played. This is a very standard and conventional amplitude envelope composed of four stages: _attack_, _decay_, _sustain_ and _release_. You will find the same parameters on most synthesizers.
| Method | Alias | Description |
|---------|-------|-----------------------------------------------|
| <ic>attack</ic> | atk | Attack value (time to maximum volume) |
| <ic>decay</ic> | dec | Decay value (time to decay to sustain level) |
| <ic>sustain</ic> | sus | Sustain value (gain when sound is held) |
| <ic>release</ic> | rel | Release value (time for the sound to die off) |
Note that the **sustain** value is not a duration but an amplitude value (how loud). The other values are the time for each stage to take place. Here is a fairly complete example using the <ic>sawtooth</ic> basic waveform.
${makeExample(
"Simple synthesizer",
`
let smooth = (sound) => {
return sound.cutoff(r(100,500))
.lpadsr(usaw(1/8) * 8, 0.05, .125, 0, 0)
.gain(r(0.25, 0.4)).adsr(0, r(.2,.4), r(0,0.5), 0)
.room(0.9).size(2).o(2).vib(r(2,8)).vibmod(0.125)
}
beat(.25)::smooth(sound('sawtooth').note([50,57,55,60].beat(1))).out();
beat(.25)::smooth(sound('sawtooth').note([50,57,55,60].add(12).beat(1.5))).out();
`,
true
)};
## Sample Controls
There are some basic controls over the playback of each sample. This allows you to get into more serious sampling if you take the time to really work with your audio materials.
@ -244,47 +73,6 @@ beat(.5) && snd('sawtooth')
true
)};
## Reverb
A good sounding reverb. This reverb unit is using a convolution that gets updated everytime you change a parameter.
For that reason, it is often a good idea to set fixed reverb values per orbit. Do not try to pattern the reverb too much.
| Method | Alias | Description |
|------------|-------|---------------------------------|
| <ic>room</ic> | rm | Reverb level (between <ic>0</ic> and <ic>1</ic> |
| <ic>size</ic> | sz | Reverb room size of the reverb, between <ic>0</ic> and <ic>n</ic> |
| <ic>roomfade</ic> | | Reverb fade time, in seconds |
| <ic>roomlp</ic> | | Reverb lowpass starting frequency (in hertz) |
| <ic>roomdim</ic> | | Reverb lowpass frequency at -60db (in hertz) |
${makeExample(
"Clapping in the cavern",
`
beat(2)::snd('cp').room(0.5).size(4).out()
`,
true
)};
## Delay
A good sounding delay unit that can go into feedback territory. Use it without moderation.
| Method | Alias | Description |
|------------|-----------|---------------------------------|
| <ic>delay</ic> | | Delay _wet/dry_ (between <ic>0</ic> and <ic>1</ic>) |
| <ic>delaytime</ic> | delayt | Delay time (in milliseconds) |
| <ic>delayfeedback</ic> | delayfb | Delay feedback (between <ic>0</ic> and <ic>1</ic>) |
${makeExample(
"Who doesn't like delay?",
`
beat(2)::snd('cp').delay(0.5).delaytime(0.75).delayfb(0.8).out()
beat(4)::snd('snare').out()
beat(1)::snd('kick').out()
`,
true
)};
## Compression
@ -299,24 +87,5 @@ This effect is leveraging the basic WebAudio compressor. More information can be
| <ic>compRelease</ic> | cmpr | In seconds, time to increase the gain by 10db |
## Distorsion, saturation, destruction
Three additional effects that are easy enough to understand. These effects are deteriorating the signal, making it easy to get digital or gritty audio sample playback or synthesizers destroyed beyond recognition. Be careful with your signal level!
| Method | Alias | Description |
|------------|-----------|---------------------------------|
| <ic>coarse</ic> | | Artificial sample-rate lowering |
| <ic>crush</ic> | | bitcrushing. <ic>1</ic> is extreme, the more you go up, the less it takes effect. |
| <ic>shape</ic> | | Waveshaping distortion (between <ic>0</ic> and <ic>1</ic>) |
${makeExample(
"Crunch... crunch... crunch!",
`
beat(.5)::snd('pad').coarse($(1) % 16).clip(.5).out(); // Comment me
beat(.5)::snd('pad').crush([16, 8, 4].beat(2)).clip(.5).out()
`,
true
)};
`;
};