[linux-audio-user] Your synth wishlist?

[Dave Robillard]

On Fri, 2004-07-30 at 01:39, Jonathan Segel wrote:
> >  > On Thu, 2004-07-29 at 15:26, Dave Robillard wrote:
> >  > > Hello LAU,
> >  > > I'm designing a modular synth engine, and would like to get some input
> >>  > on desired features/abilities to make sure it's designed in a way that
> >  > > will make it the most flexible.
> 
> 
> i have a few things, besides the easy-midi-map. (reaktor is pretty 
> easy that way i think, like click/highlight a knob or slider and then 
> move any controller to map it, maybe with a   modifier key..?)
> 
> anyway. two things, coming from the world of supercollider objects:
> one is phase modulation. a typical Sine Oscillator, say, should have 
> at least four inlets: frequency, phase, a multiplier-in and an 
> amplitude-in.

This should be a LADSPA plugin.  Multiplier in and amplitude in are
redundant, no?  Either way it's not really necessary since you could
just run the oscillator through a multiply plugin to get the desired
effect (not that it would be a bad idea to have those ports though).

More LADSPA oscillators need phase inputs though, I definitely agree
with that.

> two is a buffer reading oscillator. which is to say, a sample player, 
> but one that has controllable playback functiosn, as if it were any 
> old wavetable synth. but that wavetable could be a many minute long 
> sample?

I really (really) would like to have a sample module too, but you can't
do it with LADSPA, and I'm VERY hesitant to introduce another
program-specific module format (ala SSM, ams, etc.)  The duplication of
effort there is awful.

I think maybe DSSI can provide this, but I'm not sure.  It's definitely
on the agenda though, I'm looking in to it.  I'd like the ability to
create drum synths, with sampled waveforms as well as synthesized (so
you could run a waveform through a filter controller by an envelope etc.
etc.).  You could do it now by running say, specimen into a modular
synth, but that's just a nuisance.

-DR-