ranch-verdin / sgynth Goto Github PK

******* INTRO *******

This is a prototype norns DSP engine host.  You can build DSPs in C
(see engine_example.c) or in faust (see snarf.dsp, clack.dsp,
drumbum.dsp, string.dsp, hatz.dsp).

******* BUILD *******

You will need the faust compiler installed for faust examples to
update the faust code.  However I have checked in the .c files
generated by faust and you should still be able to compile/run those
without installing faust.

to build:

./build_all.sh

This should spit out an executable (./engine) and several .so files
into the root directory of this repository

**** QUICKSTART *****

then:
./engine

then in matron:

-- simple C thing built from engine_example.c
load_engine('./engine_example.so')
engine.prang(0.5)
engine.prong(0.2)

-- assorted faust things...
load_engine('./clack.so')
engine.cp_cp(1.0)
engine.cp_decay(500.0)
engine.cp_cp(1.0)

load_engine('./snarf.so')
engine.sd_sd(1.0)

load_engine('./drumbum.so')
engine.bd_bd(1.0)

load_engine('./hatz.so')
engine.hatz_hh(1.0)
engine.hatz_oh(1.0)

load_engine('./string.so')
engine.string_string1_freq(200.0)
engine.string_string2_freq(300.0)
engine.string_string3_freq(250.0)
engine.string_string1_gate(1.0);engine.string_string2_gate(1.0); engine.string_string3_gate(1.0);

******* TODO *******

* Write a makefile

* Clean up the concepts of 'param' and 'command' (conceptual wrangling
  with norns devs?)
* 'params' should mutate state variables, whereas 'command' should
  execute a function in realtime context
* currently everything is expressed as a 'command' at OSC level and as
  a 'param' at DSP level
* this requires the bad hack of 'trigger params' in the glue layer -
  these are 'params' whose assignment is deferred to realtime context
  ad-hoc

******* OSC *******

An 'engineHost' (e.g crone/softcut or ./engine) communicates with a
'controllerHost' (e.g matron or sguenz) exclusively via OSC
commands. Here is a summary of the commands used - engineHost binds
and receives on UDP port 57120, controller binds and receives on UDP
port 8888:

** Handshake **
Request:
con -> eng ("/ready")
Response:
eng -> con ("/crone/ready")

** Load an engine **
Request:
con->eng ("/engine/load/name" "monophonic_synth_engine")
Responses:
'report commands', then report polls (see immediately below)

** report commands **
Request:
con->eng ("/report/commands")
Responses:
eng->con ("/report/commands/start" 2) -- engineHost has two commands
eng->con ("/report/commands/entry" 0 "noteon" "ff") -- /command/noteon is a command taking two float args - volume of new note and it's frequency
eng->con ("/report/commands/entry" 1 "noteoff") -- /command/noteoff has no args - there's only one voice
eng->con ("report/commands/end") -- done reporting commands

** report params **
Request:
con->eng ("/report/params")
Responses:
eng->con ("/report/params/start" 0) -- commands are currently not supported by anyone
eng->con ("/report/params/end")

** report polls **
Request:
con->eng ("/report/polls")
Responses:
eng->con ("/report/polls/start" 0) -- don't really understand polls - engine doesn't support them
eng->con ("/report/polls/end")

** make some noise **
Now handshaking is done, engine is loaded, params are declared. Controller can play a note.
con->eng ("/command/noteon" 1.0 440) -- full volume note at 440Hz
(controller waits for a second while note rings out)
con->eng ("/command/noteoff") -- stop the note