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Messages - Robert Fraser

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1
Announce / Replacement file for faulty REPITCH program (PC only)
« on: March 27, 2024, 10:05:32 PM »
We've found a fault with the PC version of the program REPITCH, affecting the important GETPITCH function. The version originally distributed with CDP Release 8 (dated 15th March '23) is not working. This also affects further functions which depend on pitch extraction.

An earlier compilation, dated 2 Jan. 2023, appears to work as intended, however. You can download it here: https://www.soundshaper.net/downloads/repitch.zip
In your CDP programs folder, simply replace the 15th March '23 version of repitch.exe (if that is what you have) with the January one.

For new users, the PC program set for Release 8 will be updated tomorrow with the working version.

2
General Board / Re: how to create hybrids of 2 sounds using formants?
« on: March 21, 2024, 09:13:41 PM »
I've written a tutorial on how to create hybrid files in Soundshaper. There are many screenshots but no sound examples. This can be downloaded here:
https://www.soundshaper.net/downloads/CreatingHybrids.pdf

Towards the end of writing it, when dealing with extracting pitch and formants, I found that the CDP function repitch getpitch was not working with the March'23 compilation (the one distributed with Release 8 ). An earlier version compiled in January '23 does seem to work, so I've made this available as a temporary fix while we look into the fault. You can download it here:
https://www.soundshaper.net/downloads/repitch.zip
In your CDP programs folder, simply replace the March '23 version (if that is what you have) with the January one.

Robert F.

3
General Board / Re: how to create hybrids of 2 sounds using formants?
« on: March 20, 2024, 10:21:52 PM »
CDP has many processes requiring two input files. In Soundshaper these are normally loaded into two processing rows - A and B. Row A is selected by default but if necessary, click on Row A, then import a file by drag+drop or file menu, etc. into cell A_0. Then similarly click on row B and import the second file into cell B_0. Re-click Row A if this will be the primary source.

Select your process using the menus. A red box appears on the left side for selecting the 2nd source. Simply click on cell B_0. Then click OK in the box. If you are using spectral processes (for formant applications), both files should be converted automatically to spectral .ana files, behind the scenes. Select parameter values and click RENDER. The result should now be in cell A_1 - the next in the A row.

A simple example is CROSS, similar to VOCODE, which replaces the spectral envelope of the A sound with that of the B one. If the A is more static and the B rhythmic, you get a good result.

A word of caution: CDP expects the two files to be of compatible type. Processes won't work if one is 24-bit and the other 16-bit, for example.  If not sure, click on the cell and select CTRL+I for file information. All CDP spectral processes are natively mono-only, but Soundshaper can handle stereo files. I tested my CROSS example with a mono sound B modulating a stereo sound A and this worked, but I can't guarantee this for all CDP processes, unfortunately.

In Soundshaper's Patch grid, each row is a chain of processes from left to right, and the last cell in a row is the latest one for that chain, ready for the next process. When using two or more inputs, the 1st (or main) input will always be the last in its row, but the secondary ones can come from any cell, even one earlier in the same row. For example, if the source is in A_0 but the processed output in A_1 is significantly quieter, you might select LEVEL | BALANCE then click A_0 as the second input. This would balance the original and the processed sound.

Further information can be found in "Soundshaper Basic Operation", a pdf available from the "Graphic" page in the CDP online documentation, which you can access from the CDP website.

4
Mac installation / Re: Going to use the terminal in OSX
« on: October 02, 2023, 02:06:28 PM »
You're right, Frank, the old email is gone, at least for now. (I posted a notice about this I think.) My web-host wanted money for each email address, formerly free. Please use ensemble-software at hotmail.com . 
Thanks, Robert     

5
PC Installation / Re: Missing Folder - InvertPch?
« on: October 02, 2023, 01:52:10 PM »
I've posted a general follow-up called "Data Files in Soundshaper". A little more on InvertPch, though:

• There appears to be a bug when processing stereo files. The script will need revision and I'll look into that.
• The original CDP InvertPch works with extracted pitch-data files (.frq). These are then combined with a formant file (.for) for re-synthesis.
  Soundshaper's "Invert pitch contour" (not the "Alternative method") does this all within one script, extracting and altering the pitch data and then resynthesising using a formant file taken from the original sound. (The lower-level method is still available via the PitchData menu.)
• I ran a test using a simple speech file of four words, three of which are clearly around MIDI 55 (tenor G3) while number 3 dips down a semitone.
  I used a map file of -1 11 and 1 -11 and an ABOUT value of 55 (ie invert around G3) and got a fairly convincing inversion of the sound an octave higher with the semitone shift going up instead of down (G4 and Ab4).
• A different ABOUT value (60) gave a similar result transposed up to E5/F5: I'm not sure I understand the logic of the inversion here (I didn't write the program!).
• The "Alternative method" uses the Release 8 (forthcoming) SPECFNU 15. This processes formant values directly. To my ears this would be less useful - more muddy.
• Overall, playing with formant and/or pitch can only degrade the original sound quality in some way. For example, altering pitch only "works" to the extent that the new frequencies are also present in the formant file it's combined with. (For this purpose, you might consider transposing the original sound and extracting that formant file.)
• I tried extracting the source's pitch as a text file and displaying that in the Graph Editor, the idea being that the display might tell you the pitch content. It probably does, but it looked over-detailed and I trusted my ear and a nearby keyboard better!

6
General Board / Data files in Soundshaper
« on: October 02, 2023, 01:48:48 PM »
This post is in response to a query about datafiles in Soundshaper (see "Missing Folder - InvertPch?" , Oct 1 2023).

Not being a realtime system, CDP works with (and is dominated by) files: source sound files (or other types), processed files to save, automation via breakpoint text files, and more specialised data files most of which are described in the documentation (see the link to File Formats from any reference Program Group, e.g. BLUR).

When a data file option is selected in Soundshaper's parameter page, a text box appears for the filename (instead of a control for a fixed value). This is filled in with a default value of the Process Name and a Filename; the Process Name is given as a subfolder of the user's Text Data folder. If an actual file exists, it is displayed as text in the Data Edit Panel (to the right of the page). Many parameters have such files - usually very basic templates - especially breakpoints, mainly so that these can be edited in the Graph Editor.

For more specialist data, a file might not always be supplied, so the Data Edit box is empty (for the user to fill in) and the Process Name subfolder may not exist either. This may seem like an anomaly, but it allows you to fill in suitable data and click SAVE to save this to the default location from where it will be recalled automatically next time. Having a standard folder for each process also allows you to save your own datafiles there for easy recall, although an alternative is to save these to a project folder of your choice.

When datafiles are amended, the SAVE CHANGES button is activated to save the data to a temporary file. These temp files are an important aspect of Sounshaper's process chains (shown on the patch grid); to re-edit or re-run the process it must have a specific datafile for that particular operation. (You might have used the same process with different values elsewhere in the patch.) So don't be surprised if your default file changes from e.g. \MagicProcess\scrunch.brk to something like ~A_1\scrunch.brk, or ~X_1\scrunch.brk for a preview.

When patches or presets are saved, the temp files actually used are saved with the patch or preset, for future recall.

7
Mac installation / Re: Going to use the terminal in OSX
« on: October 02, 2023, 10:58:14 AM »
I'm afraid life (preparing for CDP8) got in the way here too! No further progress on updating the Creative Sound Design tutorials, I'm afraid, but I should be able to complete this task from late October. I can post a notice to the Forum when done.

8
PC Installation / Re: Missing Folder - InvertPch?
« on: October 01, 2023, 10:06:59 PM »
When the user selects a datafile, Soundshaper looks in a default location (folder) for an appropriate file and displays it if it exists. In the case of an Invert-Pitch Map, no such file has been supplied, so there is no missing folder.

One reason for not supplying a template file in this case is that the data would be rather specific to the sound you would want to invert and how you personally would want to warp the intervals. The file itself is easy enough to write: if, say, you wanted every semitone rise to go down 11 semitones, you would write 1 -11 (the data is paired). and if you also wanted every descending semitone to go up eleven semitones, you would enter: -1 11.
 
 

9
General Board / Re: How to add infile 2?
« on: August 23, 2023, 05:46:13 PM »
Hi Phoenix,
The rows in Soundshaper's patch grid are chains of processes, each going from left to right. So your source should appear in A_0, not A_1, and when you've processed it, the output will be in A_1. (A_2 would be for the output of the next process, if any, not for the second input.) For your second input, place the cursor on cell B_0 and drag your second soundfile onto the screen (or use the file selector). Click again on cell A_0 and select the process that requires a second input. A red "ADD INPUT" box should appear. Click on cell B_0 to select it and click OK in the red box. If your process is spectral, B_0.wav will be automatically converted to B_0.ana behind the scenes.

Set your parameters on the parameter page and click RENDER to return to the main page. The output should be in cell A_1. For a spectral process, this will be colour-coded aqua and should again be auto-converted back to .wav to play it. However, you can also hit F9 to do an explicit ana-wav conversion, if you like. This would be worth doing if you save the process as a patch, for example.

Hope this helps.
Robert F.

10
The TEXTURE program currently supplied for PC systems is a pre-Release 8 version, which includes a new compulsory parameter ('omit') for the Texture Simple function.
Unfortunately this makes it incompatible with existing scripts in Textpack and Tutorial Workshop 2, as well as Soundshaper's Texture-Simple parameter page and presets.

It is expected that these settings will be updated for Release 8, but for now anyone wanting to explore Texture Simple on the PC needs a Release 7.1 version. You can download it at: https://www.soundshaper.net/downloads/texture71.zip .  Unzip and copy texture.exe into your existing CDP programs folder (...\_cdp\_cdprogs). If you want to retain the Rel.8 version, rename it (e.g. to textureR8.exe) before copying the replacement file.

SoundLoom (PC): to see if your version of SoundLoom supports the Release 8 version, go to the parameter page for TEXTURE SIMPLE; if that has provision for the OMIT parameter, then you don't need the older Rel7.1 version, otherwise you do. 

CDP MAC software and SoundLoom (MAC): not having a Mac, I don't know what the current situation is. However, you can check the Usage for Texture Simple to see if this includes the OMIT parameter and you can also look for it on the parameter page in SoundLoom (Mac).

11
Announce / Email address for Soundshaper
« on: May 10, 2023, 11:17:19 AM »
Following my web host's decision to charge for email, I am going to delete this email address:
   rob@ensemble-software.net  (or mail@ensemble-software.net / *@ensemble-software.net)
I'll make this change as soon as I've archived existing emails and changed links on the website, etc.

The replacement email address (which already exists) is:
   ensemble-software@hotmail.com

I also have an email address at soundshaper.net which will be deleted today.

Please note that the domains themselves are unaffected: ensemble-software.net and soundshaper.net

Robert




   




12
General Board / Re: Problems with multichannel shred
« on: May 09, 2023, 11:04:19 PM »
Glad you got this working, but in general there can be a problem with some sound sources not having the "right" kind of header for CDP. Archer Endrich puts it like this:
"One problem that you may encounter is CDP not recognising an input soundfile when it has been made by some other software. This can be caused by non-standard anomalies in the wav header of the soundfile made by the other software. The problem can be rectified by making a CDP copy of this sound with CDP's COPYSFX. This can be run from the Command Line (copysfx infile.wav outfile.wav and see Usage for the various options), or via Soundshaper : Menu – Edit/Mix > SF UTILS > COPY. (COPYSFX is not available in a Soundloom menu.) "

As Simon suggested, run sfprops on the source file and see what it says about the header.  Normally CDP will retain the type (output=input), so I'm guessing the problem would have been with the source sound. 

Robert

13
General Board / Re: are there any envelop-data txt file templates?
« on: May 09, 2023, 10:52:34 PM »
In Soundshaper I have a default set of values for the fracture envelope:
;time     t    l    t     l      t     l      t     l      t      l        t      l       t    l
0.00       0.0 0  0.15 0.3  0.3 0.5  0.5 1.0   0.65 0.5   0.80 0.3   1.0 0
8.00      0.0 0  0.15 0.3  0.3 0.5  0.5 1.0   0.65 0.5   0.80 0.3   1.0 0

The first value is the time within the soundfile for the envelope to begin. (As you can see, both lines have the same values: not very adventurous!)
You then need 7 pairs of time-within-the envelope, and level-for-that-time, labelled t and l above. So we have an envelope stretched over 1" starting and ending at level 0 (they must start at 0), rising to full level 1/2-way (t 0.5, l 1.0), then decaying again. I would guess that if the envelope was spread out so that the last t overlaps the time value on the next line, it would be rejected, but I don't know.
Anyway, the above works, even if a bit basic. I'm sure you'll be able to make more interesting changes!
(BTW, I can't guarantee the comment line ;time etc. I just put it here to show the structure of the file)

14
Mac installation / Re: TEXTURE: where is the \txpack folder?
« on: April 27, 2023, 03:25:44 PM »
Hi OHT.

I recently found the Txpack examples were missing from the offline documentation, and fixed that via the online Tutorials page. As SimonK has pointed out, you can download a zip of the folder from there.  When unzipped, it should be placed as a subfolder of the \htmltuts folder in the offline documentation.

These examples are the ones discussed in the reference documents for the various Texture programs. Archer Endrich calls the texture events 'notes' and his examples mostly use a dry xylophone sound as the 'note'. The note-events are in fact any sound and can be played to the end or not, as you wish. I would start by investigating TEXTURE SIMPLE, then go on to GROUPED. Then look at ORNATE or DECORATE (they have variants PRE- and POST- ORNATE and DECORATE), or you might prefer TIMED (leading to TIMED GROUPS) or MOTIFS (leading to TIMED MOTIFS, the most prescribed one of the set.)

The tutorial Workshop 2 on Texture is more advanced and more detailed than Txpack.

Robert

15
Announce / Soundshaper 6.1 supporting CDP8
« on: February 01, 2023, 04:40:42 PM »
Soundshaper 6.1 has been released. It installs the latest CDP PC exes, including beta-test versions of over 60 new CDP8 processes. These include Spectral, Multi-channel, Segmentation, Waveset and Synth functions, among others.

As well as being incorporated into the normal process menus, the new processes are also listed separately in a separate menu "Rel8", so that they can be easily identified for testing. The Quick Help on the Parameter Page describes each process, its modes and parameters. A very brief description is also available on the Main Page (also called Quick Help). A provisional version of the official CDP documentation is also well underway and will be available within the online docs soon.

Although the new CDP8 programs have been carefully tested, these are pre-release versions, subject to change, and correct operation cannot be guaranteed. Please do try them out and report anomalies! This is the quickest way to "settle" the software ahead of a full CDP Release 8.

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