Composers Desktop Project Forum

There are a few small updates to the CDP program set, fixing bugs in the following programs:
• filter: fix for 'fixed' filterbank
• fractal: the correct program)
• spec: fix to "grab" (extract single window) when writing pvx format outfile
• fastconv: change "fconv" to "fastconv" to fix it
• tv (Tabula Vigilans): v 1.5g with working MIDI input. (Mac version still on 1.5f)
• SoundLoom: on MAC, various GUI issues

PC users can download an update file here:
https://www.ensemble-software.net/downloads/cdp8-2025-win32.zip
or here:  https://www.rwdobson.com/cdp8-2025-win32.zip
Unzip the file and copy the replacement programs into your _cdprogs folder (except for SoundLoom, which is placed outside the folder, but within _cdp.)

MAC versions are also available: https://www.rwdobson.com/CDPMac-U1-2025.zip (7.5MB)

We will soon be adding updates to the CDP downloads page, so that small changes like these can be accessed easily.




 

I've just checked both installers (Full and Lite) through my virus checker (Trend Micro) and it found no problems. However, users who are worried about this aspect can download a simple zip file containing the required folder CDPR8 (which you simply copy anywhere or rename as you like).

As mentioned in my last post above the zips (which are the latest updated versions) can be accessed here:
  www.soundshaper.net/dloads.html#CDPZIP
or its mirror site: www.ensemble-software.net/dloads.html#CDPZIP

Just be careful not to have any spaces in the path - so don't put CDPR8 in Program Files, for example.

Trevor Wishart has confirmed that the program fractal.exe should be the one documented as part of Release 8, with the two modes fractal wave and fractal spectrum - not the one currently distributed with CDP (usage: fractal fractal).

You can download the correct program here: https://www.ensemble-software.net/downloads/fractal.zip
Unzip, then copy fractal.exe to your _cdprogs folder, replacing the current file. If you want to retain the current fractal program, you'll have to rename it first, e.g. to "fractalX.exe". Note that Soundshaper supports the correct program (fractal wave / fractal spectrum), not the other one (fractal fractal).

The PC distribution files will be amended later today; we'll need to clarify which version is in the MAC distribution and amend that as necessary.


 

The answer here is an unusual one. When the final compilation for CDP8 was made on 15th March 2023, a different (earlier?) version of fractal was used from the one we'd already tested and documented. (It would not have been easy to spot this out of more than 250 programs!) The result is that fractal wave and fractal spectrum, as used in Soundshaper, are not recognised by the released version (fractal fractal), which does something completely different. (You can test this easily on the command line: change directory to _cdprogs and type 'fractal'.)

I can make the January '23 version available, but it would be better first to confirm that it is indeed the intended program (i.e. fractal wave / fractal spectrum). I'll take this up with my CDP colleagues and see if we can resolve the anomaly.

As for the the original distort fractal, as noted above this is actually still accessible in Soundshaper under the XTRA | Legacy menu. I think I consigned it there because it didn't seem to transform the sound much at all. 


 

Thanks for this - I'll look into it.

The merits or otherwise of various soundfile formats is not something I can usefully comment on, other than to say more bits are more accurate (give a wider dynamic range). I'll pass this question to Richard Dobson, who may have a thought or two on the matter.

I agree with you, but this is a matter for CDP, not Soundshaper, which uses the CDP program copysfx when loading source files for internal use. copysfx supports a lot of formats (look it up), but not mp3 or flac. Having said that, the BASS audio library I use does support both mp3 and flac, so it might be possible in a future release to use that to convert to some other internal format that CDP could use.

Quote from: Lunatico on June 19, 2025, 09:51:01 AMI want to assign it [sound output] to my Traktor Audio 10 card.

I've investigated this and found the bug, but have no immediate fix. When reading the settings file on startup, the program compares the listed playback device with a Windows list of available devices; if there's no match it uses the default (WaveMapper). The reason there's no match is something to do with CDP device numbers not matching Windows ones. However, there's more to this than changing a device number, because I tried to force one, but didn't get any change. I need to look more closely at how these devices are assigned for playing. When I've found this, the rest should be fixable. For now, the workaround is probably to change the sound output in Windows settings to the card you want to use, and the WaveMapper will use that.   

Thanks for raising this issue.

1) Soundcard: I can confirm your finding. The settings page does always seem to display "WaveMapper", even when the settings file has been saved (and presumably loaded) with a specific choice. I'll need to check the code on this and post another reply. It's worth noting that "WaveMapper" chooses Windows' default sound output - whatever you've set that to.

2) 16 versus 32-bit is not really what it seems. The distinction is really between 16/24-bit Integers and 32-bit Floats, which CDP handles slightly differently. In general CDP's output format matches the input, so 24-bit integer files will be handled by the '16' setting OK (I've just tested this to confirm). It should be easy enough to change the choices, but that could lead to a bit of confusion if a '24' setting appeared to preclude 16-bit files, which it doesn't. I'll consider changing the choice to 'Int' versus 'Float', which will be clearer.

Another option would be to convert all input internally to 32-bit floats, which would be better in many ways. Files could then be saved to 24-bit integers if the user wishes. 

See the new post WET-DRY in CDP for my answer.  In Soundshaper, there is already a new BALANCE option (which needs no parameters) - this raises or lowers the maximum level of the process output to match that of the input. I'm planning to have more "add-on" facilities and I've been working on how to do this within the program. MIX BALANCE (for wet-Dry) is top of this list and MORPH is another possibility. 

'Lunatico' in thread "Equal intervals 2" asks if there is a Wet-Dry regulator in CDP. I'm starting a new topic as this is an important question to raise and of general interest, especially for those new to CDP.

Some CDP processes do have a parameter for the amount of the effect (CROSS, for example), but most do not. You have to add your own WET-DRY control - which is SUBMIX BALANCE (Soundshaper menu: EditMix > MIX > MixBalance). 

For example, the process PHASOR with a semitone shift of 1 will probably give quite a pronounced effect. To lessen this, add Mix Balance, with the source as the second input (File 2). (In Soundshaper, click on the source cell to select this.) Within Mix Balance, Balance is the Wet-Dry parameter: a value of zero is fully 'dry' (0% File 2 - Source) and 1 is fully 'wet' (100% File 1 - Phasor). 

In Soundshaper the patchgrid shows the process chain: Source - Phasor - MixBalance. In a longer chain, it might still be relevant to choose the original source as Input 2, rather than the previous process.  Also in Soundshaper, you you can select a spectral file for either Input 1 or 2, provided the Option Auto-FFT is checked (as it should be by default). It would be useful to have a wet-dry control built in to many processes as an optional parameter and I'm working on ways of doing this within Soundshaper.

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,

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.

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.