Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup tuning Plaka: Scala-compatible physical modeling synth

Hello,

Recently I completed my undergraduate thesis and I wanted to share the result with this group in case some people might find it interesting/useful.

The project was about developing a playable, physical modeling-based synthesizer designed to be used with graphics tablets as the performance interface. The synth, which we ended up calling "Plaka", models (more or less) the friction between a uniform slender bar and a sharp-ended object. It can also load vibration mode data for other objects. It uses Scala scale files as the basis for the tuning of the "bar"s.

It can be downloaded at http://plakasynth.googlepages.com, and includes a short user guide and sample vibration mode files for a few objects. The synth also works with a standard mouse with some limitations.

Questions, comments, etc. are welcome.

Utku Uzmen

🔗Mike Battaglia <battaglia01@...>

...Wow. That sounds amazing. I'll have to check that out.

-Mike

On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 10:53 AM, Utku Uzmen <utkuuzmen@...> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Recently I completed my undergraduate thesis and I wanted to share the
> result with this group in case some people might find it interesting/useful.
>
> The project was about developing a playable, physical modeling-based
> synthesizer designed to be used with graphics tablets as the performance
> interface. The synth, which we ended up calling "Plaka", models (more or
> less) the friction between a uniform slender bar and a sharp-ended object.
> It can also load vibration mode data for other objects. It uses Scala scale
> files as the basis for the tuning of the "bar"s.
>
> It can be downloaded at http://plakasynth.googlepages.com, and includes a
> short user guide and sample vibration mode files for a few objects. The
> synth also works with a standard mouse with some limitations.
>
> Questions, comments, etc. are welcome.
>
> Utku Uzmen
>
>

🔗Carl Lumma <carl@...>

Welcome, Utku.

Plaska sounds great! I've played around with some of the
synthesis parameters and it's a blast. Unfortunately I
don't have a tablet, so I'm using the mouse.

One question: There seems to be a long period after I strike
a bar before it can be struck again. Forgive me if this is
addressed in the docs; I didn't read them.
One of the best things about a real metallophone is what
happens when you repeatedly drive a bar. It'd be great if
Plaska could capture that.

Also, have you considered other key layouts, such as a
generalized keyboard layout ala Erv Wilson? You may also
like my
http://lumma.org/music/theory/keyboards/archimedean/4.8.8.png

Oh, and I'm getting some kind of CPU-bound slowdown when
I'm in the ASIO driver pulldown. May be something particular
to my system -- I've got REAPER ReaRoute installed for one.
Amazingly, at one point you detected this and threw a dialog
about it. Good work.

-Carl

> http://plakasynth.googlepages.com

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...>

This is very nice! I wish I had a graphic tablet. They are a bit expensive though.

Oz.

On Jun 16, 2008, at 5:53 PM, Utku Uzmen wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Recently I completed my undergraduate thesis and I wanted to share > the result with this group in case some people might find it > interesting/useful.
>
> The project was about developing a playable, physical modeling-based > synthesizer designed to be used with graphics tablets as the > performance interface. The synth, which we ended up calling "Plaka", > models (more or less) the friction between a uniform slender bar and > a sharp-ended object. It can also load vibration mode data for other > objects. It uses Scala scale files as the basis for the tuning of > the "bar"s.
>
> It can be downloaded at http://plakasynth.googlepages.com, and > includes a short user guide and sample vibration mode files for a > few objects. The synth also works with a standard mouse with some > limitations.
>
> Questions, comments, etc. are welcome.
>
>
> Utku Uzmen
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
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>
>

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...>

I am using Parallels Desktop with my Mac OS X to run Windows XP, and I just cannot get Plaka to work. It says I don't have any ASIO output devices. Is there a soft synth in the market that could do the job? I can only run Scala under Windows XP. The sound could stand some improvement.

Oz.

On Jun 16, 2008, at 10:02 PM, Carl Lumma wrote:

> Welcome, Utku.
>
> Plaska sounds great! I've played around with some of the
> synthesis parameters and it's a blast. Unfortunately I
> don't have a tablet, so I'm using the mouse.
>
> One question: There seems to be a long period after I strike
> a bar before it can be struck again. Forgive me if this is
> addressed in the docs; I didn't read them.
> One of the best things about a real metallophone is what
> happens when you repeatedly drive a bar. It'd be great if
> Plaska could capture that.
>
> Also, have you considered other key layouts, such as a
> generalized keyboard layout ala Erv Wilson? You may also
> like my
> http://lumma.org/music/theory/keyboards/archimedean/4.8.8.png
>
> Oh, and I'm getting some kind of CPU-bound slowdown when
> I'm in the ASIO driver pulldown. May be something particular
> to my system -- I've got REAPER ReaRoute installed for one.
> Amazingly, at one point you detected this and threw a dialog
> about it. Good work.
>
> -Carl
>
>> http://plakasynth.googlepages.com
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> You can configure your subscription by sending an empty email to one
> of these addresses (from the address at which you receive the list):
> tuning-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - join the tuning group.
> tuning-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com - leave the group.
> tuning-nomail@yahoogroups.com - turn off mail from the group.
> tuning-digest@yahoogroups.com - set group to send daily digests.
> tuning-normal@yahoogroups.com - set group to send individual emails.
> tuning-help@yahoogroups.com - receive general help information.
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

🔗Andrew Fillebrown <AMiltonF@...>

🔗Jon Szanto <jszanto@...>

🔗Charles Lucy <lucy@...>

My son has been using a bamboo with a Mu Music application from this site:

http://www.musicunfolding.com/

on his Intel MacBook Leopard running Logic Pro 8.

It seems to work fine, yet he says there are some limitations.

Bamboo tablet was about 60UK Pounds in London i.e. $120.

On 17 Jun 2008, at 00:00, Jon Szanto wrote:

> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew Fillebrown" <AMiltonF@...> > wrote:
> > I picked up one of the black ones a few months ago at a Circuit City
> > for $75. Works good.
>
> I'm not sure Oz has a Circuit City nearby. Oz?
>
> ;)
>
> Cheers,
> Jon
>
>
>
Charles Lucy
lucy@...

- Promoting global harmony through LucyTuning -

for information on LucyTuning go to:
http://www.lucytune.com

For LucyTuned Lullabies go to:
http://www.lullabies.co.uk

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...>

Very attractive. Thank you for bringing this to my attention Andrew. However, I would still need an ASIO compatible soft synth to work with Scala+Plaka in Windows XP running next to Mac OS X under Parallels Desktop.

Oz.

On Jun 17, 2008, at 1:57 AM, Andrew Fillebrown wrote:

> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...> wrote:
>>
>> This is very nice! I wish I had a graphic tablet. They are a bit
>> expensive though.
>>
>> Oz.
>>
>
>
> Check out Wacom's Bamboo...
> http://www.wacom.com/bambootablet/index.cfm
>
> I picked up one of the black ones a few months ago at a Circuit City
> for $75. Works good.

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...>

🔗Charles Lucy <lucy@...>

🔗Jon Szanto <jszanto@...>

🔗Utku Uzmen <utkuuzmen@...>

Thanks for all the nice comments!

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Carl Lumma" <carl@...> wrote:
> One question: There seems to be a long period after I strike
> a bar before it can be struck again. Forgive me if this is
> addressed in the docs; I didn't read them.
> One of the best things about a real metallophone is what
> happens when you repeatedly drive a bar. It'd be great if
> Plaska could capture that.

The synth works with rubbing rather than striking, and it's supposed to have no delay there. With a tablet, you can "sweep" through the bars and build up and control vibrations, etc. Unfortunately you can't sweep with a mouse and it's a bit difficult to control the vibrations with it (no pressure sensitivity). If you excite a bar with a mouse and then slide onto another bar while holding down the left button, you will have to release and click again on the new bar to generate sound. The mouse functionality was only intended to give a general idea of the program to people without tablets.

Also, if you try to strike with a tablet pen, you will probably damage the pen, so it's not very practical to model striking in Plaka.

> Also, have you considered other key layouts, such as a
> generalized keyboard layout ala Erv Wilson? You may also
> like my
> http://lumma.org/music/theory/keyboards/archimedean/4.8.8.png

Yes, implementation of different layouts was one of the possible useful additions that we thought of at the end of the project. At the moment it's a bit difficult to make long jumps between bars when playing. Using a tablet PC might help.

> Oh, and I'm getting some kind of CPU-bound slowdown when
> I'm in the ASIO driver pulldown. May be something particular
> to my system -- I've got REAPER ReaRoute installed for one.
> Amazingly, at one point you detected this and threw a dialog
> about it. Good work.

Audio is supposed to stop while the ASIO Panel is open, but every sound driver tends to behave differently. Which sound card are you using?

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...> wrote:
>
> This is very nice! I wish I had a graphic tablet. They are a bit
> expensive though.

Wacom tablets can be expensive, but there are other brands like UC-Logic that are cheaper and usually work just as well if you're not a pro graphics designer.

> I am using Parallels Desktop with my Mac OS X to run Windows XP, and I
> just cannot get Plaka to work. It says I don't have any ASIO output
> devices. Is there a soft synth in the market that could do the job? I
> can only run Scala under Windows XP. The sound could stand some
> improvement.

ASIO4ALL at http://www.asio4all.com will probably help, althought I'm not sure if it'll work under Parallels.

Utku Uzmen

🔗Torsten Anders <torstenanders@...>

Dear Utku,

thanks for sharing this. Just curious: what is the approach to physical modeling you are using here (wave guides, modal synthesis, point-mass model?). Also, I would appreciate if the documentation and your thesis could be accessed separately from your website (I only found plaka_setup.exe).

Thank you!

Best
Torsten

On Jun 16, 2008, at 3:53 PM, Utku Uzmen wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Recently I completed my undergraduate thesis and I wanted to share > the result with this group in case some people might find it > interesting/useful.
>
> The project was about developing a playable, physical modeling-> based synthesizer designed to be used with graphics tablets as the > performance interface. The synth, which we ended up calling > "Plaka", models (more or less) the friction between a uniform > slender bar and a sharp-ended object. It can also load vibration > mode data for other objects. It uses Scala scale files as the basis > for the tuning of the "bar"s.
>
> It can be downloaded at http://plakasynth.googlepages.com, and > includes a short user guide and sample vibration mode files for a > few objects. The synth also works with a standard mouse with some > limitations.

--
Torsten Anders
Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research
University of Plymouth
Office: +44-1752-586227
Private: +44-1752-558917
http://strasheela.sourceforge.net
http://www.torsten-anders.de

🔗Torsten Anders <torstenanders@...>

🔗Carl Lumma <carl@...>

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Utku Uzmen" <utkuuzmen@...> wrote:

> > One question: There seems to be a long period after I strike
> > a bar before it can be struck again. Forgive me if this is
> > addressed in the docs; I didn't read them.
> > One of the best things about a real metallophone is what
> > happens when you repeatedly drive a bar. It'd be great if
> > Plaska could capture that.
>
> The synth works with rubbing rather than striking,

Oh! Sorry I missed that.

> With a tablet, you can "sweep" through the bars and build up
> and control vibrations, etc.

That sounds really cool.

> > Oh, and I'm getting some kind of CPU-bound slowdown when
> > I'm in the ASIO driver pulldown. May be something particular
> > to my system -- I've got REAPER ReaRoute installed for one.
> > Amazingly, at one point you detected this and threw a dialog
> > about it. Good work.
>
> Audio is supposed to stop while the ASIO Panel is open, but
> every sound driver tends to behave differently. Which sound
> card are you using?

I've got an Edirol UA-1000.

-Carl

🔗Utku Uzmen <utkuuzmen@...>

The algorithm is based on banded waveguides. I hadn't linked to the thesis as it's in Turkish, but if you want to take a look at it anyway, it's online at http://plakasynth.googlepages.com/plaka.pdf . I also put up the user guide separate from the installer on the website. Feel free to email me directly for any questions.

Utku Uzmen

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Torsten Anders <torstenanders@...>
wrote:
>
> Dear Utku,
>
> thanks for sharing this. Just curious: what is the approach to
> physical modeling you are using here (wave guides, modal
synthesis,
> point-mass model?). Also, I would appreciate if the documentation
and
> your thesis could be accessed separately from your website (I only
> found plaka_setup.exe).
>
> Thank you!
>
> Best
> Torsten
>

🔗Carl Lumma <carl@...>

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...>

That being me no doubt. It so happens that Utku's supervisor for his
thesis on Plaka was none other than my good pal and colleague M. Kemal
Karaosmanoğlu. Kudos to them both!

Oz.

On Jun 18, 2008, at 8:04 PM, Carl Lumma wrote:

> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Utku Uzmen" <utkuuzmen@...> wrote:
>>
>> The algorithm is based on banded waveguides. I hadn't linked to
>> the thesis as it's in Turkish, but if you want to take a look at
>> it anyway, it's online at
>> http://plakasynth.googlepages.com/plaka.pdf
>
> Believe it or not there is at least
> one native Turkish speaker here! -Carl

🔗Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...>

LOL! Wasn't consumerism supposed to be international?

Oz.

On Jun 17, 2008, at 4:52 AM, Jon Szanto wrote:

> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Ozan Yarman <ozanyarman@...> wrote:
>> Just because I am living in the backwaters of the world does not mean
>> I cannot get what I want at amazon.com my dear Jon! ;)
>
> My friend, I wasn't thinking backwaters at all, more along the lines
> of "blissfully non-American-consumerism-inundated".
>
> Or something.
>
> :)
>
> Cheers,
> Jon
>