Pure Data Wavetable Synth – Part 8

Despite all of this, I’m still relatively new at Pure Data and the Max language. To those who chime in with corrections or clarifications in the comments, you are most appreciated! If you’re new to PD, make sure you check the comments section for clarifying info provided by generous souls.

We’re picking up steam here. The synthesizer is essentially done. What we’re doing in the last two projects is adding features to make it a little more fun. Today, we’ll be adding in a 3 stage filter section. We’re going to route our synthesizer output through a hi-pass filter, then a band-pass filter, and finally a low-pass filter. It will pass through each of them in series, but we’ll be able to turn the filters on and off. Just to make things a little extra interesting, we’ll incorporate an LFO into each filter to sweep the center frequency (which we’ll also be able to turn on and off). You’ve completed the previous seven tutorials…right? Read More

Sonographic Sound Processing

Guest Post by Tadej Droljc

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to the subject of Real-Time Sonographic Sound Processing. Since sonographic sound processing is based on windowed analysis it belongs to the digital world. Hence we will be leaning against digital concepts of audio and image or video throughout this article.

Sonographic Sound Processing is all about converting sound into image, using graphical effects on the image and then converting the image back into sound.

When thinking about sound-image conversion we stumble across two immanent problems: Read More

DSP Environment Learning Resources

So far this month; Shaun Farley’s Pure Data Wavetable Synth series and Varun Nair’s pep talk An Intimidating Start have been great introductions into the word of Max/MSP and Pure Data (I wish I had those articles when I got started!). I am still quite a beginner myself with Pure Data (and moreso with Max/MSP) so what I thought I would do is share some links that have helped me down this very long rabbit-hole lined with yellow bricks. It should be noted (or else someone else will) that both Max/MSP and Pd have built-in tutorials and lessons. Please consider these links a suppliment or augmentation of those materials.

My intention is this post to become a sort of living document of cool projects and learning resources for Pure Data, Max/MSP and any other DSP Environment out there. As such: this is going to be an incomplete list. If you have any suggested additions to this list please post them in the comments or email me: jack at designingsound dot org.

Max/MSP

• Tips for beginning Max/MSP users on SocialSoundDesign by a user named EMV.
• maxmsptutorials.com is self explanatory
• A diary on MusicRadar by Chris Wickett on his experiences learning Max/MSP
• Quick .pdf tutorials by Karen Collins
• Great tutorials (with some videos) by Mike Niederquell
• Cycling ’74 Forums
• Cycling ’74 Tutorials
• Cycling ’74 Wiki
• Sound Design with Max tutorials by Mark Durham

Pure Data

•  Except from the textbook “Designing Sound” by Andy Farnell
• Comprehensive tutorials on Flossmanuals.net
• Comprehensive tutorials on pd-tutorial.com
• Six Simple Synthesizers tutorial
• CDM post about getting Pd onto your iOS device
• Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center tutorial on using soundfiles
• Video tutorials on using audio features by ob wex
• Super cool Pd abstractions involving sample playback or MIDI 
• PURE DATA forum~
• The Theory and Technique of Electronic Music – Miller Puckette

SuperCollider

• Tutorials on FunProgramming.org

Epic Sound’s Guide to SFX Relaunched

A wonderful resource for budding and veteran sound designers is the list of ways to make certain sounds that Epic Sound has been hosting for many years.  Recently it got an update which is worth checking out.  Epic Sound was nice enough to send us over a nice Q & A about the relaunch:

David Filskov’s Guide To Sound Effects Relaunched

Sound designer David Filskov’s Guide To Sound Effects has just been given a major overhaul, with a cleaner look, new search options and backend improvements for quicker updates.

Here’s what David himself has to say about it:

Q: First of all, what is The Guide To Sound Effects?

DF: It’s a list – a big one! – of interesting ways of making sound effects. It has lots of ideas, ranging from how to make the always-handy sound of alien egg sacks, swinging swords, rat shrieks and scary weapons – and many, many more.

The ideas come from sound designers from all over the world – and as far as I’m aware, it’s the biggest list of sound design ideas available anywhere online.

Q: How did The Guide to Sound Effects get started?

DF: I’ve worked as a sound designer since the late ’90s, and I’ve always been on the lookout for new ways of creating sounds. Back then there weren’t many hands-on guides available to sound designers, so I started to compile my own list of the best / most interesting approaches to making new sounds.

At the time, I was part of a mailing list called VGM which a lot of brilliant sound designers subscribed to – and whenever I saw an interesting idea there, I made sure to jot it down. I also added my own ways of making sounds – and gradually, the list grew to what it is today.

At first, it was just meant for personal use, but I figured that these ideas could perhaps inspire other sound designers too, so I decided to share it.

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