Audio Dev
Uploaded June 29th, 2024 by Yashique Chalil
Micro Delay VST
A delay plugin that breaks the input signal into multiple buffers with variable sizes and interlinked filters. This arrangement takes in the input signal and breaks it up into almost granular layers and produces highly complex and rhytmical textures. This plugin was inspired by the Microcosm developed by Hologram. Designed and developed in C++ within the JUCE framework.
I use this plugin extensively to design textural ambient peices for short films and other live performances.
Here are some short demo’s generated using the plugin.
Here are some released pieces designed primarily using the micro delay plugin.
MAX MSP
Modular FX RACK
A modular FX rack that comprises of custom difital effects like a distortion unit, delay, and a granulator that can route signals between each other to create complex FX chains.
The effects were developed as a result of exploring and testing different DSP algorithms with MAX MSP.
Here’s a released composition perofmed with the above patch.
Interactive Musical Box
This patch generates MIDI notes for the track Spleen composed by Lucas Gaudin for the French film Une Histoire D’amour Et De Désir (2021). The track features a soothing arpeggio with eight looping chords, providing ample room for expression.
The notes were first converted to MIDI using a piano roll, then each chord’s notes were organized into lists. The MidiNoteHandler sub-patch loops through each chord four times before moving to the next, while the MakeMistakes sub-patch introduces slight variations by sending a random note from the third chord at random intervals, adding a humanized feel. The patch also alters metronome intervals by linearly transitioning between time values every 30 seconds.
The generated MIDI notes are sent to a VST with the Vital plugin, using the Synthetic Quartet preset. The VstParameterHandler sub-patch manages the automation of VST parameters. Instead of directly saving presets (which would be memory-intensive), parameter interpolation is achieved through the pattrstorage object. Two modes are available:
“Auto” mode, where parameters morph between presets based on the changing metro interval values. “Manual” mode, allowing the user to move between hard and soft saxophone-inspired presets using a slider. Mode selection is done through radio buttons.
A more simpler version of this patch was used in the interactive element of my website (homepage). Insteasd of sending the notes into Vital (instrument), I designed a very simple synthesiser within the patch and then sent the signal into the Doom Fuzz patch, Exposing just the Doom and Fuzz params to change with cursor position.
VST dev with RNBO
The distortion plugin, Doom Fuzz, was inspired by waveshaping techniques used to alter the timbre of sound. By exploring various waveshaping methods, from simple tangent functions to complex polynomial transfer functions, the goal was to enhance the input signal with rich overtones and saturation.
During research, the Ruina plugin by Noise Engineering caught attention, particularly its versatile distortion features like wavefolding, phase shifting, and multiband saturation. A standout feature, “DOOM,” became the focus of replication, influencing the creation of Doom Fuzz. The plugin applies saturation to the audio signal and introduces an oscillating frequency shift, where a copy of the input signal is shifted across the frequency range and modulated back and forth. This adds depth and a unique sense of instability to the sound.
The Doom Fuzz effect has been tested across various instruments, synths, and vocals, enhancing the inherent qualities of each input, making it a powerful tool for sound design.
The DOOM FUZZ was designed using MAX MSP’s exention, RNBO. Which allowed me to directly export the patch as a VST as well as into my website’s interqactive element in the home page. The effects DOOM and Fuzz parameters are exposed in the website.
Here’s a the VST in action.
