Device Details


Overview

Name | Version: Gingerbread Synth 1.1
Author: floszk
Device Type: Instrument
Description: GINGERBREADSYNTH is an auto-evolutive fractal synth based on the Gingerbreadman algorithm. Patterns can be generated and repeated at different scales allowing you to produce a wide range of musical sequences. The synth includes 3 oscillators, 1 ADSR and a Effect Chain (Bitcrusher, Reverb and Filter). A Note Scaler allows you to easy create melodies to fit your project. Grips with Envelopes make the synth semi-modular and introduce the possibility to play with retro-feedback on the synth parameters, or to modulate effects and devices on other tracks. A Midi Send feature is included to send midi notes to other midi Instruments.

UPDATE
v1.1
# New feature : « Auto Mode ». This function allows you to start a metronome that add or remove (or randomly add/remove) a certain quantity to the X-Y values, with an amount picked up randomly from 0 to 25%. With this feature the patterns can change automatically, jumping from one scale to another without interaction, letting the synth autogenerate variations.

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Videos about this device:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROv5Qk41eq4
https://vimeo.com/137305397
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For more information please visit : http://m4l.szk.fr/
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# GRAPH
The algorithm generates points that converge/diverge and draw progressively Gingerbreadman patterns. Clicking on different parts of the graph will create new starting conditions and the Gingerbreadman will be drawn at a different scale than previous one, making it fractal !
The graphs runs from -100 to +100 on both X-Y axes (no specified unity). You can restrain the graph to lower boundaries by using the sliders, that will lead to rescale the patterns and allowing more precision at smaller scales.
The algorithm generates (X,Y) points and their coordinates are used to produce Midi Values from 0 to 127. So whatever the scaling you use, what you see on the graph will be values between 0 and 127. Top and Left are 0, Bottom and Right are 127.


# GRAPH IN VALUES
The graph produces X-Y values that will be scaled between 0 and 127. Additionaly to these values, other ones can be used. Here is a quick resume :
• X : x coordinate
• Y : y coordinate
• XY : mean of x and y coordinates
• RXY : distance between the point R(Rx,Ry) and (x,y).
• K : value coming from an external keyboard (or computer one).
• KXY : distance between K value and XY value.
• KR : distance between K and R.


# MIDI IN
IN / None : IN will allow you to play with an external keyboard in parallel of the algorithm. NONE will disable the external notes to come into the synth, but you will be able to use them for K, KXY and KR values.
*** Note : if Midi IN enable, its values will NOT pass trough the Octaves Scaler, Velocity Range, and Notes Scaler. These will remain values set by your keyboard.


# DIRECT
None / XtoFreq / YtoFreq / XYtoFreq : experimental feature that skip the midi translation (that create notes) and produce direct frequencies from the graph values. Bypass/Octaves will act these values : Bypass will mean that graph boundaries will be 10 and 12500 Hz, Octaves will lead to clip frequencies to the selected octave range.


# STEPS
• Free / Quantize : launch the algorithm freely or quantized (Global Transport must be running in this case).
• Point / Ramp : produces new point at each step, or ramp between the previous and the new point. Adjust the step duration accordingly.
• Duration : from 10 ms to 60 seconds. Values below 50 ms may lead to CPU/Interface overload, depending on your system.
• Start / Stop / Resync : start/stop algorithm. Resync allows you to restart (can be usefull to fit the global transport again after many processes on the synth).
• BPM : display the current Live Set BPM
• Cross / Divider : adjust quickly the step value in function of BPM. X times faster or X times lower, then the resulting duration will appear, and just hit the led button to apply.
• Ramp Grain : grain duration when using Ramp Mode. From 10 ms to 10 seconds.
• Delay : additional random delay applied to the algorithm. When running, the next value will be delayed by a random value picked up between 0 and the entered value. From 0 ms to 60 seconds.


# PRESETS
Important !
Presets won’t be saved into your Live Set. Please use write/load to manage .maxpresets files.


# FLOAT
Make the window floating or not.


# CLEAR
Clear the graph.


# R POINT
Additional point that can be used by the synth. Click on button to make it appear and move it to new position.


# NOTES FUNCTIONS
• Duration : time transition between Note-on and Note-off. From 5 ms to 60 seconds.
• Bypass / Octaves : in Bypass mode, notes are values from the graph between 0 and 127 (wide range), in Octaves mode, notes are restrained into Octaves range.
• Velocity Range : Velocity picked up randomly into the range at each note.
• Scaler : Scaler reproduces the presets available with the Ableton Live Scale midi effect. Input and Ouput notes are displayed. You can also Transpose notes from -36 to +36 semitones.


# GAIN
A simple gain applied to the general output volume.


# OSCILLATORS
Three oscillators can used and mixed together to produce the synth signal. Available signals are : Sinus, Triangle, Sawtooth, Rectangle, Pink and White noises. Each have its own level gain and mute. Cross / Divider allows you to quickly adjust frequencies to X times higher or lower than the note frequency.


# ADSR
ADSR applies to the signal created by the three oscillators.


# EFFECTS / EQUALIZER
A Bitcrusher, a Reverb and a end-chain Equalizer are available.


# MIDI SEND
You can select which value to be send through Ableton Live. Select a Midi Send Output and use the Midi Receiver device on any midi track to receive notes from the synth. Octave will be set by the choice on the Bypass/Octaves Menu. Send Velocity and Send Duration are used to create midi notes and are different from those of the synth. Send Velocity is picked up randomly into the slider range or set to a value if a single value is chosen. Same principle for Send Duration, but two sliders are avaible for different time precision : left one runs from 0 to 1000 ms, right one runs from 1 to 60 seconds.


# ENVELOPES / GRIPS
Four Envelopes are available on the left side. They can be used to Grip parameters and draw their behaviour. Once your click the black button, Lock / Unlock features appear on each envelope. Once Unlocked, you can click to parameters (on the synth or anywhere else into you Live Set, example : the time on the delay device on the track n°X ) and its name should appear over the envelope. Re-Lock and proceed the same way for each envelope (only one at a time).

The two upper envelopes are simple Bypass/Redrawer. Once you feed the envelope with a value coming from the Graph (remember : X, Y, XY, RXY etc…), this value value will modulate the griped parameter ! You have now access to functions related to semi-modular synth with retro-feedback and more :). In Bypass mode, the value from the synth will modulate directly the parameter. In Env mode, you can draw a new behaviour.

The two lower envelopes are slightly different. The principle is the same : grip them to parameters and feed them with values. But this time values won’t directly feed the envelope but instead of that will trigg it. So you have to set a duration for the envelope (the total running duration of the envelope) with the 3 knobs (10 to 990 ms, 1 to 60 s, 1 to 30 minutes, YES) and set a behaviour : Start/Stop, Start, Start/End.
• in Start/Stop mode, each coming value from the graph will trigg the envelope, then stops it, then restarts it from the last point, etc, until the end. This works well with slow algorithm (can lead to bugs with fast stepping).
• in Start mode : each coming value will fire the envelope from the beginning point.
• in Start/End mode : the first coming value will fire the envelope, then the other ones will be ignored until the envelope stops. Cool feature for low progressive modulation.



Details

Live Version Used: 9.2
Max Version Used: 7.0.4
Date Added: Aug 25 2015 19:47:11
Date Last Updated: Feb 19 2020 17:51:23
Downloads: 3
Website: https://gumroad.com/szkdevices
License: Commercial
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