Composers Desktop Project Forum

Hi,
1.

Quote from: Lunatico on June 14, 2025, 05:55:46 PMit is better to activate the checkbox Options : Double filtering ?

Double filtering often gives better results

Quote from: Lunatico on June 14, 2025, 05:55:46 PM2- Filters can be subtractive or additive,

Filtering is always subtractive - you're taking something away. Think of of a sculptor fashioning a shape out of a block of stone.
'Q' sets the sharpness of the filter's frequency response around its central frequency - a higher 'Q' will be be more focussed on that frequency, but is likely to be quieter - hence the GAIN control to boost the signal up again. You're boosting the resonance of the filters.

It's important to understand that we can't filter out what isn't there. Your example of the G chord (or G-based drone) is a good one. Against the A harmonics, we won't get much of a match; but what there is will resonate. A noise-based sound (like the sea) is often a good source to experiment with, because we can tune that into something more musical. Another trick is to mix some differently pitched sounds together before applying the filtering.  You might care to compare VARIBANK with spectral TUNE, which moves the frequencies to fit the given template (same format as for Varibank, so the profiles can be shared). Even here though, if you tuned birdsong against lower frequencies, only the harmonics of these frequencies would match. It won't magically transpose the original pitches down. Same with vocoding, which is also a filtering technique.

Quote from: Lunatico on June 14, 2025, 05:55:46 PMThe imported sound to which the Varibank-Filter is applied is important, should it be a constant, long lasting sound like a pad, a drone?

As you say, a constant or drone sound can be a good source for applying filters. You can then rhythmicise the result in various ways.   

Hi Robert
Thanks for the latest update, I already have it updated.

Thanks for the information

Hi
Robert a lot of thanks for your great help and your time to do the answer.
Sorry; I replied to you and deleted it because I discovered just what you replied to me by investigating the TXT folders.
A powerful tool but I sense that if you know how to use it; I still have doubts and questions that I'm sure you will clarify:
1- I have seen in a tutorial and I have tested it in practice that it is better to activate the checkbox Options : Double filtering ?
2- Filters can be subtractive or additive, they remove or emphasise frequencies.
In the case of Filter-Varibank they are additive,emphasising?
3- There are two ways of structuring the text configuration of the data file: horizontally and vertically:

- Horizontally :
0.00  110 -3dB  220 -3dB  330 -3dB   440 -3dB  550 -3dB  660 -3dB (A chord sounds on the second 0.00 (the six simultaneous harmonics)?.

- Vertically :
0.00  110 -3dB 
1.00  220 -3dB 
2.00  330 -3dB   
3.00  440 -3dB 
4.00  550 -3dB 
5.00  660 -3dB (The six harmonics sound sequentially in a kind of smooth sweep (like a fused arpeggio)?.

- The imported sound to which the Varibank-Filter is applied is important, should it be a constant, long lasting sound like a pad, a drone? 
Does the note of this imported sound to which we apply filter-varibank influence the harmonics we apply, for example the imported sound is a drone of the note G2, in the example shown is the first harmonic from A2 110 Hz, would the six harmonics sound as they are _A2_A3_ E4_A4_C#5_E5 above the original G2 or would they sound the original G2 and above from the sixth (A2) of G2 (E3_E4...) ?

- The (HARMONICS) number must be the same as the number of harmonics you write in the text of the data file (in our example six (6)) ? 

Hi,

Quote from: Lunatico on June 14, 2025, 11:36:23 AMI don't understand what I have to do to make it detect the data files? Create a folder called User Data Files inside the TXT folder?
https://ibb.co/wNzjx0SH

Certainly not!
TXT is the default folder for data files and I see from the video that you already have it in the correct place. (C:\CDPR8\TXT See Settings: User Data Files)


When you select the process, a default data file should come up automatically - either VaribankF.txt:

or VaribankM.txt:

You can click on the OPEN button in the data box to access the folder and select a different file:


Notice that I had to select .txt files (Okay - it should do that automatically, I'll fix that...) I have also put a shortcut in the folder to my own files (RF-Varibank), which could be placed anywhere.

I can't think why this wouldn't work for you, especially as you have the TXT folder in the default location. These examples should give you an idea how to create your own.

Tested this on my Intel mac and its working great!

Thanks for the video. You got an error because you didn't actually supply any data - the file was clearly empty. Some template examples are supplied with the program (in a folder TXT) and that selection  should come up automatically when the parameter is clicked. Check your settings for User Data Files: TXT is supplied within the CDPR8 folder (or whatever you might call it). This folder should have the following sub-folders: Soundshaper6, TXT, and _cdp (plus, optionally. docs and docs-pdf).   

Hi,
There is some provision for scaling within Soundshaper, but it has not been maintained for some years, because it was inconsistent. The program is optimised for a screen resolution of 1920x1090 and text is roughly the same size as e.g. that of icons on the desktop. Of course it will look smaller than this if your screen resolution is higher than this, but your monitor is not bigger than average.
'
I think you raise a good point, though, and I'll see what can be done. I use 'skinned' components which I know can be scaled up successfully, but I don't use them exclusively and there's another technical issue I won't bore you with. 

Hi,
* The program is licecap from Reapèr
Thanks for sharing this - I'll check it out.

Please update your Soundshaper from 6.4, which had some very odd behaviour. See my ANNOUNCE post today for a link. You can upgrade in less time than it takes to boil a kettle! 

Soundshaper 6.4 has now been re-built and released as version 6.4.1.
Vn. 6.4 was withdrawn due to finding some serious bugs, which have hopefully now been fixed.
An update zip containing the revised Soundshaper.exe and a few documents can be downloaded here:
https://www.ensemble-software.net/downloads/Soundshaper64UD.zip
Users should replace their existing Soundshaper.exe file with the new one.

The new version improves the loading of saved patches, described in a supplied document (see DOCS\Patch_Save+Load.pdf).
The various Patch-Load options can be summarised like this:
 • check "Include Sources" to auto-run the patch as saved
 • uncheck "Include Sources" to run it with different source(s)
 • check PatchPreview to see the patch before running it or choosing different source(s)

Version 6.4.1 also includes revised methods for copying and erasing files, which were introduced last December to accommodate WINE.

Please report any further bugs found, either through this forum or by email (see ensemble-software.net/links). Suggestions for improvement are also very welcome.