Wish list for DC 2023

[BlindMusician]

Hello dear KVR members (and especially developers wishing to develop KVRDC entries),
I am Juho Tuomainen, a blind KVR member who has been promoting the Music Accessibility Standard idea at KVR Audiuo (viewtopic.php?p=8378671&utm_source=my_l ... nt=8378671). I would accept Enroe's thoughts about the "Goodenizer" which would make the song look cooler and nicer. But what if that "Goodenizer" or any other music software (i.e. a plugin, an application, a sample libray or a virtual instrument) would be accessible for people with disabilities (such as for the blind and visually impaired screen reader users)? I would want to say you that an accessible VST (or any other) musical product would be accessible and be made here at KVR Developer Challenge (or KVRDC) 2023. A good example of an accessible, free (as in terms of price) and feature-rich synthesizer is the Surge XT synthesizer (https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/). I would want to say that it is made with the JUCE plugin wrapper (or development framework) to which I do not yet have enough coding knowledge even though I know the basics of C++ (such as the basics of the Lambda functions and even some simple algorithmic functions and so on). The JUCE framework is currently the only audio development framework which has got the accessibility features built in. A good point of view on the world of screen reader user would be downloading the NVDA screen reader on Windows (https://www.nvaccess.org/) and trying it. The Mac users could try Apple's built-in screen reader VoiceOver which can be started or stopped duginr a Mac session with the keystroke Command+F5. The Android users would try TalkBack which the blind screen reader users use to navigate with the Android system elements (developed by Google LLC, nowadays part of the Android Accessibility Suite): https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... back&hl=en. The Linux users can use the Orca screen reader on a GNOME desktop environment by using a Graphical User Interface (GUI): https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Orca. Please note, however, that Surge XT currently is accessible only on Windows and Mac platform, and I would want to say you that I would hope that it would be accessible on Linux platform some day. Regardless of this, I would also encourage you to develop plugins to as many operating systems as possible.

I would want to tell you that I would be in this year's KVRDC both as a voter and a beta tester onb one of the possible teams. For this purpose, I would test the sample library, plugin or application from a blind screen readr user's point of view. However, since I do not yet know on what team (if any) I would be as a beta tester, I would want to ask you what should I put to the Developer Account application to the KVRDC because I do not yet have a website (in addition to the uncertainty about the team). Any yadvice on this as wwell as any answers from any team wishing to take a blind beta tester to their team would be very greatly appreciated. The KVRDC 2023 would also be an important topic to me because if I had a chance to beta test a plugin, sample library, application or a virtual instrument, it would also benefit my later career as one of my dreams (and possible career paths), in addition to the Music Accessibility Standard (MAS), is to test music plugins, hardware and software so that they would become more accessible for the screen reader users. Finally, I wish you all the best on this year's KVRDC!
Kind regards,
Juho Tuomainen

[Yadrichik_Chaya]

Hello dear KVR members (and especially developers wishing to develop KVRDC entries),
I am Juho Tuomainen, a blind KVR member who has been promoting the Music Accessibility Standard idea at KVR Audiuo (viewtopic.php?p=8378671&utm_source=my_l ... nt=8378671). I would accept Enroe's thoughts about the "Goodenizer" which would make the song look cooler and nicer. But what if that "Goodenizer" or any other music software (i.e. a plugin, an application, a sample libray or a virtual instrument) would be accessible for people with disabilities (such as for the blind and visually impaired screen reader users)? I would want to say you that an accessible VST (or any other) musical product would be accessible and be made here at KVR Developer Challenge (or KVRDC) 2023. A good example of an accessible, free (as in terms of price) and feature-rich synthesizer is the Surge XT synthesizer (https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/). I would want to say that it is made with the JUCE plugin wrapper (or development framework) to which I do not yet have enough coding knowledge even though I know the basics of C++ (such as the basics of the Lambda functions and even some simple algorithmic functions and so on). The JUCE framework is currently the only audio development framework which has got the accessibility features built in. A good point of view on the world of screen reader user would be downloading the NVDA screen reader on Windows (https://www.nvaccess.org/) and trying it. The Mac users could try Apple's built-in screen reader VoiceOver which can be started or stopped duginr a Mac session with the keystroke Command+F5. The Android users would try TalkBack which the blind screen reader users use to navigate with the Android system elements (developed by Google LLC, nowadays part of the Android Accessibility Suite): https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... back&hl=en. The Linux users can use the Orca screen reader on a GNOME desktop environment by using a Graphical User Interface (GUI): https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Orca. Please note, however, that Surge XT currently is accessible only on Windows and Mac platform, and I would want to say you that I would hope that it would be accessible on Linux platform some day. Regardless of this, I would also encourage you to develop plugins to as many operating systems as possible.

I would want to tell you that I would be in this year's KVRDC both as a voter and a beta tester onb one of the possible teams. For this purpose, I would test the sample library, plugin or application from a blind screen readr user's point of view. However, since I do not yet know on what team (if any) I would be as a beta tester, I would want to ask you what should I put to the Developer Account application to the KVRDC because I do not yet have a website (in addition to the uncertainty about the team). Any yadvice on this as wwell as any answers from any team wishing to take a blind beta tester to their team would be very greatly appreciated. The KVRDC 2023 would also be an important topic to me because if I had a chance to beta test a plugin, sample library, application or a virtual instrument, it would also benefit my later career as one of my dreams (and possible career paths), in addition to the Music Accessibility Standard (MAS), is to test music plugins, hardware and software so that they would become more accessible for the screen reader users. Finally, I wish you all the best on this year's KVRDC!
Kind regards,
Juho Tuomainen

Hello!
I'm not a developer but I hope all developers reading what you wrote will follow all the advice you gave regarding implementing the Music Accessibility Standard (MAS). And that you'll be a beta tester for not only upcoming free plugins but also those that cost money!

One of my favorite musicians is a blind keyboardist.
His name is Mats Öberg, here is a clip from a song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LPu14wMnm4

[Pytchblend]

Something akin to the Zyklus MIDI Performance System - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_iZEtGzPGU

Any generative MIDI tools would be welcome.

[ThomasHelzle]

The world of physical modelling has gotten better but still could use a lot of love.
So on my wishlist would be everything physical.
I especially love tools like Plasmonic where you can get "real" sounding instruments but also those non-existent but still somehow real sounding things.
As fantastic as for instance the SWAM instruments are, you have basically zero options to influence the sound, other than some very specific instrument behaviours.
So my interest is on the other end of the spectrum - Plasmonic, Respiro etc.

Probably too big a thing to do for the DC would be a modular physical system - AAS killed Tassman and it could really use a successor.

Cheers and good luck!

Tom

[cthonophonic]

In the physical modeling realm, I'm always astonished that no one has bothered to release a dedicated MIDI-controlled polyphonic resonator effect - whether a comb/waveguide thing, a modal resonator, or something more sophisticated. Basically, I just want to be able to use drums, noises, live input or whatever to excite a resonator that can be controlled via MIDI to play chords, melodies etc. You can do this with Tassman, and there are a few ways to do this in VCV Rack, but no dedicated effects plugins that I'm aware of.

The Geoffroy NoteFilter is still one of my favorite Buzz machines:

notefilter.jpg

It's dead simple - just 10 bandpass filters tuned to harmonics of the fundamental. Set the amplitudes of the harmonics to control the timbre and play the whole thing with notes. It's over 20 years old, and there's still no VST equivalent. Seems like a wide open niche if anyone is inclined to take it on. Adding a GUI and a modulation system and such would just be gravy.

[lsooxlla8]

A reincarnation of multiplication modulation synthesis, please!

Original one: https://stone-voices.ru/vst/marazmator

Translation of original post about what it is:

In 2002, the founder of Stone Voices, Vasily Makarov, experimented with programming phase modulation, for the realization of which he used the well-known formula f(t)=sin(ω*t+φ(t)). Suddenly there was an idea "what if the frequency argument is not added to the phase but multiplied?" The formula became: f(t)=sin(ω*t*φ(t)). But by the character of sounding it stopped being similar to RM/FM-modulation, depending on parameters we could get both melodic and atonal sounds, different noises and also sounds of "other worlds" - sound objects which are simply not describable by any description.
As a result, it was decided to call this type of modulation as multiplication modulation (MM).
The main feature of MM-modulation was the fact that unlike frequency/phase modulation in its pure form, the sound produced by MM-modulation is "non-stationary", there is a constant morphing of the harmonic components, and both periodic (sometimes period is so long - tens of minutes) and unidirectional - eventually flowing into noise.
We would also like to note that in digital realization of MM there are distortions resulting from detection (as in radio communication) of high-frequency components if one of the operators has a frequency above ten kilohertz, which also affects the character of the generated sounds.

[hma]

AD Replicant for midi instead of audio would be interesting.

[BlindMusician]

Hello all KVR members and the readers of this thread,
I would want to say that lsooxlla8's idea about the multiplication modulation synthesis would be very good but for me (since I am really not good at mathematics) it would be impossible for me to implement. I would also thank others for their great ideas in this thread. However, as a reminder, I would want to say you that I have not yet received any public messages on this thread from any possible KVR DC 2023 developers who would be wanting to form a team, so please state your interest on getting a blind beta tester to your team! Please also understand that by having a blind person in your team, you would also gain knowledge from the disabled person which would not have been possible to accomplish otherwise. I am looking forward to hearing (and seeing with my assistive technologies :)D) the answers from the possible KVRDC23 developers! Finally, if we won the competition, what a great accomplishment for the accessibility would it be if we had an accessiblity-ready product at our product arsenal!
Kind regards,
Juho Tuomainen

[stormsatya95]

maybe Full bucket music is making a MS-20 clone i hope

[Paree]

A drum replacement plugin would be nice

[Pytchblend]

Anything by xoxos - is he still banned?

[Aloysius]

Waves MV2 replacement
Waves PAZ Position Stereo replacement

[BlindMusician]

Dear KVR Members,
I would want to answer to your all (and especially to stormsatya95): I contacted Full Bucket Music (aka Björn Arlt) by email and, unfortunately, he answered that he would not take part in this year's KVR Developer Challenge. Even though he was my first thought as a potential person with which to work during the KVRDC 2023, I would want to tell you that because he is not wanting to take part in this competition, it would be very useful if you showed your interest on taking a blind beta tester to your team. I would want to clarify that you could show you interest publicly in this forum thread, but the team to which I would choose (if there would be more than one announcement of interest or just one) would then be the one where I would do the beta testing from a blind user's point of view, and in such case, I would contact them privately about further instructions, beta testing reporting and so on. Do you know if it's allowed to say publicly (e.g. in this topic/thread) the team where you work during KVR DC 2023 (I would want to ask this because this is the first time I really have time to participate as a team member on the KVRDC 2023)?
Kind regards,
Juho Tuomainen

[nix808]

Hello Juho,
My mum is Finnish and I was born in Finland.
I have participated in I think 3 DCs.
Do you have an idea for a plugin?
I develop in a modular environment called Flowstone.
You can find my work at www.phonicsaudio.com

If you have a concept that would aid accessibility, I would be interested to hear

Happy music making, you can pm if you like

[audio_dsp]

In the physical modeling realm, I'm always astonished that no one has bothered to release a dedicated MIDI-controlled polyphonic resonator effect - whether a comb/waveguide thing, a modal resonator, or something more sophisticated. Basically, I just want to be able to use drums, noises, live input or whatever to excite a resonator that can be controlled via MIDI to play chords, melodies etc. You can do this with Tassman, and there are a few ways to do this in VCV Rack, but no dedicated effects plugins that I'm aware of.

The Geoffroy NoteFilter is still one of my favorite Buzz machines:
notefilter.jpg
It's dead simple - just 10 bandpass filters tuned to harmonics of the fundamental. Set the amplitudes of the harmonics to control the timbre and play the whole thing with notes. It's over 20 years old, and there's still no VST equivalent. Seems like a wide open niche if anyone is inclined to take it on. Adding a GUI and a modulation system and such would just be gravy.

Funny, something in this direction will be my entry for the Dev. Challenge. Its almost finished.