AVS P01-090805 (synthesis with Csound)

[StudioDave]

http://linux-sound.org/audio/studiodave ... 090805.mp3
http://linux-sound.org/audio/studiodave ... 090805.ogg

6MB, 4'10" MP3/OGG

From an audio/video work in progress, a demonstration of some sound-work I'm doing with Csound by way of a program called AVSynthesis. This piece uses three instruments - a complex FM synth, a basic analog synth, and a soundfile player. Each instrument is processed by its own waveguide effect, with its own pan, volume control, and reverb. Very simple design.

The file player is playing a piece I made with a Java-based graphic composition program called HighC. Most of the glissandi come from that piece.

More details available if anyone's interested.

As always, comments are welcome.

[folderol]

'very simple design'
Ha! Maybe to you

Very strange soundscape. Can't really say more than that.

[StudioDave]

'very simple design'
Ha! Maybe to you

Hi Will !

The synths and player really are simply designed. The FM synth is rather complicated (it's nothing like a DX of any sort), but the waveguide effect is doing the heavy lifting. It's one of the weirdest effects I've ever encountered.

Very strange soundscape. Can't really say more than that.

That's okay, it's supposed to be strange.

Thanks for lending your ears, Will, it's always appreciated.

Best,

dp

[D.H. Miltz]

I really enjoyed this (except for one quick but nasty bit of clipping). A very strange soundscape, as folderol said, but one I enjoyed looking around in.

Thanks.

[StudioDave]

I really enjoyed this (except for one quick but nasty bit of clipping). A very strange soundscape, as folderol said, but one I enjoyed looking around in.

Thanks.

Thank you, D.H., your comments are always welcome.

Btw, where does the clipping occur ? I edited the original file in Rezound, saw no obvious clipping points.

Best,

dp

[D.H. Miltz]

I went back and looked at the file, and the clipping was on my end, by way of MP3Gain (at some point I apparently unchecked the don't-allow-clipping option and forgot to check it again). There's a brief loudness spike at about 3:40, which without the little bit of gain (from 88.1 to 89.6) is fine, but pushed up a tad it clipped. Once I undid the gain, the clipping went away.

[StudioDave]

I went back and looked at the file, and the clipping was on my end, by way of MP3Gain (at some point I apparently unchecked the don't-allow-clipping option and forgot to check it again). There's a brief loudness spike at about 3:40, which without the little bit of gain (from 88.1 to 89.6) is fine, but pushed up a tad it clipped. Once I undid the gain, the clipping went away.

Okay, thanks for checking. I know the point, I'll bring it down a bit, maybe it can help to avoid similar scenarios.

Best,

dp

[bwong]

I also had some clips when playing this.

Beautiful piece, I love the metallic sound.

You have got me thinking about going back to Csound again despite my frustration with the render times.

[StudioDave]

I also had some clips when playing this.

Hmm, that troubles me. There's one point in the original WAV that's close to peak but it's still beneath it. Any ideas/suggestions re: the clipping ?

Beautiful piece, I love the metallic sound.

Some of that is from the FM synth, but the waveguide does such odd things, it could be the other sound sources too.

You have got me thinking about going back to Csound again despite my frustration with the render times.

This piece renders in realtime on my equipment. I use Csound 5.10, compiled for double numerics, on a 2.4 GHz CPU running Linux. Btw, it renders audio in realtime along with realtime 3D graphics.

Thanks for listening and commenting.

Best,

dp

[bwong]

"This piece renders in realtime on my equipment. I use Csound 5.10, compiled for double numerics, on a 2.4 GHz CPU running Linux. Btw, it renders audio in realtime along with realtime 3D graphics."

Hmm, I have about the same CPU size, but am running XP, with blue as a front end and blue's fairly poor quality realtime rendering overloads the cpu pretty quickly. Can you give me a bit more info about how you are setup?

With respect to the clipping, it occurred at the high points in volume in the last third of the song.

[StudioDave]

Hmm, I have about the same CPU size, but am running XP, with blue as a front end and blue's fairly poor quality realtime rendering overloads the cpu pretty quickly. Can you give me a bit more info about how you are setup?

I'm running a realtime kernel (2.6.19) with the Jacklab Audio Distribution (JAD 1.0), a 32-bit OpenSUSE-based distro optimized for audio/video work. Audio system is ALSA with JACK, running an M-Audio Delta 66 interface at ~5 msecs latency. JAD is a very stable system, but alas, the maintainers have stopped their involvement.

I get the same results from my 64 Studio and (heavily customized) Ubuntu Jaunty systems. AVSynthesis runs nicely on all of them.

I'm surprised you're having trouble with realtime output from blue under XP. Have you asked Steven Yi for any suggestions ? Are you using an ASIO driver ?

With respect to the clipping, it occurred at the high points in volume in the last third of the song.

Okay, I know where it's happening, thanks. I'll try to get a better rendition on-line tonight.

Best,

dp

[bwong]

I will need to get updated versions and see how things work. I have in fact picked up a far better soundcard since I last used Csound and may get better results than previously. Thanks!

BTW, you can check out some of my noises at :

http://www.myspace.com/boscotung

http://www.mediafire.com/brianwong

Some Csound, some not. My latest is Wannakkrrakker, thread further down the page.

[StudioDave]

Bumped for improved versions. Same URLs as in first message.

Please advise if it still clips towards the 3' mark. It plays better here, but it's good to get other ears on it.

Best,

dp

[core]

Cool track, thanks for sharing!

[Jazzyspoon]

Spooky and well executed. Lots of suspense.