bubobubobubobubo / bubodirt

Live Coding Audio Engine (with some personal additions)

BuboDirt: SuperDirt for BuboBubo

This is a slightly modified version of SuperDirt. This is the setup I use to play with Sardine. The documentation for the original SuperDirt still applies. I'm just adding synthesizers, effects and so on when the need arises.

Table of Contents

• Dependencies
• Additions
  • Base Width Filter
  • Filter Envelope Parameters
  • Vadim Filters
    • Vadim LPF
    • Vadim BPF
    • Vadim HPF
  • Analog Tape Module
  • Mutable Instruments Synths & Effects
    • Synthesizers
    • MiVerb Module

Dependencies

There are a few optional dependencies that you might need to run this fork:

• MIUgens : port of Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules for SuperCollider
• PortedPlugins: An awesome collection from Mads Kjeldgaard of various UGens ported to SuperCollider

Additions

Base Width Filter

Simulates the secondary filter found on the Elektron Digitakt. Can act as a first filter to clean a part of the spectrum before applying other effects. This filter is always active.

Parameters

• base: (in hertz) Adjusts the base frequency for the filter. Anything below is high-passed.
• width: (in hertz) Anything above base + width will be low-passed.

Example

d1 $ sound "bd sn" # base 200 # width 500

Filter Envelope Parameters

Overview

Filter envelopes dynamically shape the sound by modulating the filter's cutoff frequency over time. This mechanism utilizes three key parameters: fattack, fdecay, and sweep.

Parameters

• fattack (Attack Time)

  • Range: Seconds.
  • Controls how quickly the filter reaches its maximum effect level. Shorter values result in a more immediate impact, while longer values allow for a gradual build-up.

• fdecay (Decay Time)

  • Range: Seconds.
  • Determines the time taken for the filter effect to diminish after peaking. Shorter decay times lead to a rapid return to the baseline, whereas longer times extend the effect's presence.

• sweep (Frequency Modulation Range)

  • Range: -1 to 1.
  • Dictates the extent and direction of the cutoff frequency modulation. Positive values raise the frequency, negative values lower it, and zero indicates no modulation.

Example

d1 $ sound "bd*4" # lpf 500 # resonance 0.5 # fattack 0.05 # fdecay 0.2 # sweep 0.5

This applies an LPF filter, where the cutoff frequency quickly ramps up to the effect level and then gradually falls back, with a noticeable sweep in the cutoff frequency.

Vadim Filters

These filters leverage the Vadim Filters from PortedPlugins.

Vadim LPF 2-pole and 4-pole (vlpf2, vlpf4)

These filters attenuate frequencies above a certain cutoff frequency, allowing lower frequencies to pass through. The 2-pole version offers a gentler slope compared to the 4-pole version, which provides a steeper cutoff.

Note that the freq parameter should be replaced by the filter name (e.g vlpf2, vlpf4, etc). This applies for all new filters.

Parameters:

• freq: Cutoff frequency (in Hz). Determines the frequency above which the signal will be attenuated.
• resonance: Controls the resonance (or Q factor) at the cutoff frequency. Range: 0.0 to 1.0.
• sweep: Modulates the cutoff frequency over time, based on the fattack and fdecay envelope.
• fattack: Attack time (in seconds) for the frequency modulation envelope.
• fdecay: Decay time (in seconds) for the frequency modulation envelope.

Vadim BPF 2-pole and 4-pole (vbpf2, vbpf4)

Same parameters, but this filter type is a band-pass filter, which allows frequencies within a certain range to pass through.

Vadim HPF 2-pole and 4-pole (vhpf2, vhpf4)

Same parameters, but this filter type is a high-pass filter, which attenuates frequencies below a certain cutoff frequency.

Example

To use these filters in your TidalCycles setup, you must specify the desired filter and its parameters in your TidalCycles code. For example, to apply a Vadim LPF 2-pole filter with a cutoff frequency of 500 Hz and a resonance of 0.8, you would write:

d1 $ sound "bd sn" # vlpf2 500 # resonance 0.8

Analog Tape Module

Overview

Simulates analog tape characteristics including warmth, saturation, and dynamic compression.

Parameters

• bias: (0.0 to 1.0) Adjusts tape bias, affecting frequency response and distortion.
• tape: (0.0 to 1.0+) Controls tape saturation level for harmonic distortion.
• tapeDrive: (0.0 to 1.0+) Sets tape drive, influencing dynamic compression and distortion.
• oversample: (0 to 4) Determines oversampling level (0 = None, 4 = x16) for quality enhancement.

Example

d1 $ sound "bd sn" # tape 0.7 # tapeDrive 0.8 # bias 0.5 # oversample 1

This applies analog tape effects with moderate saturation and drive, a balanced bias setting, and basic oversampling.

Integration of Mutable Instruments Effects and Synthesizers

Synthesizers

Some synth definitions taken from here.

MiVerb Module

Overview

Adds a lush, modulated reverb effect to the audio signal, simulating various environments from small rooms to vast spaces.

Parameters

• miroom: (0.0 to 1.0) Controls the reverb time, from short to long reverberation.
• misize: (0.0 to 1.0) Adjusts the size of the simulated space.
• midry: (0.0 to 1.0) Balances between the dry and wet signal.
• midamp: (0.0 to 1.0) Sets the damping amount, affecting high frequency rolloff.
• mihp: (0.0 to 1.0) Controls the high-pass filter frequency in the reverb's feedback path.
• mifreeze: (0 or 1) Freezes the reverb for an infinite sustain effect.
• midiff: (0.0 to 1.0) Adjusts the diffusion amount, influencing the smoothness of the reverb tail.

Usage Example

d1 $ s "drum*4" # miroom 0.5 # misize 0.1 # midry 0.5 # midamp 0.5 # mihp 0.05 # mifreeze 0 # midiff 0.625

This applies MiVerb with moderate room size and reverb time, balanced dry/wet mix, and some damping and diffusion.