HITHER GATE MUSIC

Starting Point (varied inputs)

A fairly complex input sound such as asrcmix.wav, our basic complex input soundfile, gives this Sound-Builder Template plenty to work with when it creates internal glissandi with FOCUS ACCU. The blurring, stretching and filter sweeps then draw out all these internal motions. A simpler input sound would create smoother, possibly less interesting results, but this is for you to explore and relate to your compositional goals at the time.

The MS-DOS Batch File that can be used to run this Template is glissswp.bat, with glisssdel.bat as its accompanying deletions file. In the Sound Loom GUI, the processing sequence can be constructed as an Instrument. Otherwise, you can run each process one at a time.

The output file names are built from abbreviations of the processes used.

Step 1: Copy

Make a copy of the input soundfile, giving it a single letter name.

Here we use the letter 'd' because this is the 4^th Template in the current series.

It is presumed that the input is mono and begins and ends smoothly, i.e., without a click or being suddenly cut off. We only have to name the outfile. The default values for the copy procedure are used. because no change to the format is being made, i.e., sampletype = 1, header = 0 and formatout = 0. The outfile name is specified. The .wav extension is added automatically.

Dialogue box:

Default parameters

New name is 'd.wav'

Command:

rem function infile outfile
copysfx asrcmix.wav d.wav

Step 2: Analyse

Analyse soundfile to create an analysis file

We now move from a time amplitude file format (time domain, normal sample data) to a frequency amplitude format (Spectral Domain). Now we can use some of the Spectral Domain functions.

Dialogue box:

Convert to analysis data format

Command:

rem function mode insoundfile outanalfile
pvoc anal 1 d d.ana

Note that the .wav extension is not needed for the input soundfile. The CDP soundfile extension has been set as an environment variable, so it is picked up automatically. The same would be true if the soundfile were in .aif format and the soundfile extension had been set to .aif. The analysis file sounds exactly like the original soundfile.

Step 3: Accumulate

Create internal glissandi by accumulating analysis data

Here we use FOCUS ACCU, which sustains analysis data across several analysis 'windows'. This is mainly achieved with the decay parameter, the rate at which the sustained data fades away (Default = 1, but it can be as low as 0.001: lower values slow down the decay rate. Here we use 0.9.

There is also a glissando parameter that introduces a glissando at gliss octaves per second. Large values create big sweeps, but here we use a value just under 1: 0.9, because it produces slow internal glissandi. Values less than 1, such as -0.9, produce even slower glissandi, but here the plan is to create a churning effect and introduce slow glissandi with FILTER SWEEP. Gliss values above 2 start to produce unpredicable results.

Dialogue box:

Internal glissandi

Command:

rem function mode inanalfile outanalfile
focus accu d.ana daccu.ana -d0.9 -g0.9

PLAY daccu.ana (now seething and churning)
New name: 'd+accu' (Note that the full batch file has resynthesised the analysis file so that you can play this sound from the HTML file.)

Step 4: Blur

Reduce recognisability by blurring

Too much blurring and we will counteract the churning effect just created. Here blur 100 windows to draw out some features of the sound and reducing our ability to identify the source material, while retaining a fair amount of the churning in the original source, and enhanced by FOCUS ACCU.

Dialogue box:

Blur

Command:

rem function inanalfile outanalfile blur_factor
blur blur daccu.ana daccubl100.ana 100

PLAY daccubl100.ana (analysis data is blurred)
New name: 'd accumulate blur_by_100_windows'

Step 5: Stretch Time

Lengthen internal features by time-stretching.

We now take the previous input and literally stretch out this now churning sound, so that all the changes taking place happen more slowly.

Dialogue box:

Time-stretch

Command:

rem function mode inanalfile outanalfile stretch_factor
stretch time 1 daccubl100.ana daccubl100x3.ana 3

We won't play it here because the next step will be to convert this analysis file back to the soundfile format.

Step 6: Resynthesis

Resynthesise the analysis file for Time Domain functions.

PVOC CONVERT is easy to use because the output filename is already in place: the same body of the name is used, but .ana is replaced with .wav.

Dialogue box:

Resynthesis to Time Domain

Command:

rem function inanalfile outsoundfile
pvoc synth daccubl100x3.ana daccubl100x3

PLAY daccubl100x3.mp3 (time-stretched: internal change-rate lengthened)
New name: 'd accumulate blur time-stretch'

Step 7a: Transpose in the Time Domain

Lower and lengthen the sound by Time Domain transposition.

The process of lengthening the original sound, drawing out its internal features in time continues. By transposing the sound in the Time Domain, we make it deeper and richer as we lengthen it.

Dialogue box:

Transposition to lower, lengthen, and enrich the sound

Command:

rem function mode infile outfile semitone_transposition
modify speed 2 daccubl100x3 daccubl100x3d12 -12

PLAY daccubl100x3d12.mp3 (deep, rich and still quite rough in texture)
New name: 'd+accumulate+blur+time-stretch+transpose_down'

Step 7b: Apply a Sweep Filter

Pass a sweeping filter through the sound.

Here we are able to set the rate at which the sweep occurs (sweep_freq), so we can introduce a pulsation effect as well as another type of glissandoing movement. We are using the time-stretched sound before it is transposed downwards as the input soundfile, so this forms an alternative route to a slightly different result.

There are several parameters to consider:

• acuity – this is the slope of the filter, its 'sharpness', often referred to as 'Q'
• gain – filters act to focus resonance, which can often cause overload; this parameter enables you to reduce the level when necessary
• low_freq – lower limit of frequency band to be affected
• high_freq – upper limit of frequency band to be affected
• sweep_freq – rate in seconds at which the sweep occurs
• [phase] – where along its path the sweep begins; the default (used here) is 0.25, which is mid-range, rising

Dialogue box:

Apply sweeping filter

Command:

rem function mode infile outfile acuity gain lof hif sweep_freq [-dphase]
filter sweeping 2 daccubl100x3 daccubl100x3swp 0.5 0.5 100 2000 0.25

PLAY daccubl100x3swp.mp3 (a subtler and smoother result)
New name: 'd accumulate blur time-stretch filter_sweep'

Step 8:

Lower and lengthen the sweeping sound.

Again we lower and lengthen the sound by transposition in the Time Domain.

Dialogue box:

Enter the transposition amount in semitones

Final soundfile names for the processing sequence

Command:

rem function mode infile outfile semitone_transposition
modify speed 2 daccubl100x3swp daccubl100x3swpd12 -12

PLAY daccubl100x3swpd12.mp3 (final result)
New name: 'd accumulate blur time-stretch filter_sweep transpose_down'

Complete Sequence: Batch File glissswp.bat

Use glisssdel.bat to remove the outputs

rem glissswp.bat - 'GLISS-SWEEP' - batch file for a processing 
rem  sequence that produces a complex, glissing, blurred, 
rem  sweeping sound -- 4th Sound-Builder Template
rem Last updated: 18 August 2004

rem The source file should be several seconds long, mono.
rem Consider using a softsnd batch file before or after this one.
rem Sources:
rem   asrcmix.wav (12.6 sec) - basic source file with varied material
rem   aklcdp.wav  (1.38 sec) - drumm rif
rem   bashdt.wav  (1.5 sec) - strong metallic attacks
rem   frogcdt.wav (1.8 sec) - chirpy frog ribbets
rem   hoggdt.wav  (3.7 sec) - deep hogg grunts
rem   tomcdt.wav  (1.3 sec) - light drum tone
rem   touccdt.wav (3.0 sec) - timbrally rich bird call
rem   whdtm.wav   (2.4 sec) - whirling tune

rem Use glisssdel.bat to DELETE remaining files

echo on

rem Step 1 - COPY TO GENERIC NAME
copysfx asrcmix.wav d.wav

rem Step 2- ANALYSE
pvoc anal 1 d.wav d.ana

rem Step 3 - FOCUS ACCU params: delay & gliss
focus accu d.ana daccu.ana -d0.9 -g0.9
rem RESYNTHESIS FOR AUDITION IN HTML DOCUMENT
pvoc synth daccu.ana daccu.wav
del d.ana

rem Step 4 - BLUR BLUR param: no. of windows to blur
blur blur daccu.ana daccubl100.ana 100
rem RESYNTHESIS FOR AUDITION PURPOSES IN HTML DOCUMENT
pvoc synth daccubl100.ana daccubl100.wav
del daccu.ana

rem Step 5 - STRETCH TIME param: no. of times to stretch
stretch time 1 daccubl100.ana daccubl100x3.ana 3
del daccubl100.ana

rem Step 6 - RESYNTHESISE
pvoc synth daccubl100x3.ana daccubl100x3.wav
del daccubl100x3.ana

rem Step 7a - TRANSPOSE IN TIME DOMAIN
modify speed 2 daccubl100x3 daccubl100x3d12 -12
rem Result 1: complex, glissing entity
playsfx daccubl100x3d12.wav

rem OR:
rem Step 7b - FILTER SWEEPING Mode 3 = Band Pass, Mode 2 = Low Pass
rem FILTER SWEEPING params: acuity gain lof hif sweepfrq [phase .25]
filter sweeping 2 daccubl100x3 daccubl100x3swp .5 .4 100 2000 0.25

rem Step 8 - TRANSPOSE IN TIME DOMAIN
modify speed 2 daccubl100x3swp daccubl100x3swpd12 -12
rem Result 2: complex glissing entity, subtler and 
rem	smoother than Result 1.
playsfx daccubl100x3swpd12.wav

echo off

Further fine-tuning of the result might typically include adding some reverb and directional movement (panning).

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SCREENSHOT UPDATES

(by Robert Fraser, March 2016)

The Soundshaper screenshots used in this tutorial are out of date in two respects:

• Output files are no longer named on Parameter Pages: instead, the output is saved to a temporary file and appears on the Main Page patchgrid in a new cell named after the process.
  If you want to save the output permanently, highlight the cell (if necessary) and click File/Save or CTRL+S to obtain a standard SAVE dialog:
  
  
  
  
  There is normally no need to do this until the end of the sequence.


• FFT conversion (PVOC Analysis / Resynthesis) now uses current settings and the FFT page is only used to set these, not to perform a conversion, as shown. As the tutorial examples use default values, there is nothing to set!
  Furthermore, Soundshaper does these conversions in the background, so you do not even have to select ANALYSE or SYNTH – just select the next process.

To run the GLISS-SWEEP chain of CDP processes in Soundshaper:

[After each step, you can play the result in the transport panel.]

• STEP 1 (COPYSFX): Open the tutorial folder. Drag and drop the source asrcmix.wav onto Soundshaper's Main Page.
  Program runs COPYSFX and outputs to cell A_0.


• STEP 2 (PVOC ANALYSE): You can skip this step!
  The settings used are the defaults, so there is nothing to set.
  Soundshaper will run PVOC automatically before performing the next step.


• STEP 3 (ACCUMULATE): Select Spectral/Emphasize/Accumulate.
  Parameter page (Mode 1): set parameters as in tutorial (Decay=0.9; Gliss=0.9).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_1 ("Accumulate").
  
  N.B. Soundshaper is now using the more recent SUPERACCU, whose decay lasts far longer than the original.
  To cut the sound back to the tutorial example, I've added another step:


• STEP 3+ (SPEC CUT): Select Spectral/Utils/Cut.
  Parameter Page: set Cut=12.626 (secs).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_2 ("SpecCut").


• STEP 4 (BLUR): Select Spectral/Time/Blur.
  Parameter Page: set parameter as in tutorial (Windows=100).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_3 ("Blur").


• STEP 5 (STRETCH TIME): Select Spectral/Time/Stretch.
  Parameter page: set parameter as in tutorial (Stretch=3).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_4 ("Timestretch").


• STEP 6 (RE-SYNTHESIS): You can skip this step!
  Soundshaper will run PVOC SYNTH automatically before performing the next step.


• STEP 7a (TRANSPOSE): Select Soundfiles/Pitch/Speed.
  Parameter page: set parameter as in tutorial (Transposition -12 semitones).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_5 ("Speed").


• STEP 7b (FILTER SWEEP): Select Soundfiles/Filter/Sweeping.
  Parameter page (Mode: Band Pass): set parameters as in tutorial (0.5 0.5 100 2000 0.25).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_6 ("Sweep").


• STEP 8 (TRANSPOSE): Select Soundfiles/Pitch/Speed.
  Parameter page: set parameter as in tutorial (Transposition -12 semitones).
  Click OK to run; output appears in cell A_7 ("Speed").





• SAVE FILE (OPTIONAL): Save the result to a permanent file. Hit CTRL+S or File / Save(As) to obtain a standard SAVE dialog.
  Enter a file name, e.g. glissweep.wav (or bdrrmloopscrtr.wav if you prefer).


• SAVE PATCH (OPTIONAL): Uncheck "Include Sources", unless you want to save the copied source (~A_0.wav) with the patch.
  Click the patch SAVE button (central panel). Select a save name (e.g. glissweep.ssp); click OK. Optionally enter a description; click OK.
  


• RUN PATCH (OPTIONAL): To run the patch with a different source (assuming the patchgrid has not been cleared), click on cell A_0, select a source (e.g. by drag+drop) and click the central RUN button, with the "Whole Patch" checkbox checked.


• RELOAD PATCH (OPTIONAL): If the patch is not on the grid, click the central LOAD button. Select the .ssp file (e.g. glissweep.ssp). If you have not saved the source (~A_0.wav), the patch will still run with it, provided it still exists in the same location. Otherwise, you will be prompted to select a source. To run the patch with a different source, see RUN PATCH above.