When programming a drone, we need multiple synth voices. How many? Well, how about we start with 100 :) In this workshop we'll learn how to program a synth using classes, so if we want to add more voices, all we need to do is to change one single line of code.
The Simple kit has 80 footprints for knobs, switches and sockets. You can design and build your own unique layout within a couple of hours. And, we're using the Daisy Seed microcontroller, which allows lots of sound design flexibility. It's so immediate, you'll have a sounding instrument in the first workshop day!
Digital synthesis allows us to experiment and explore sound in new ways. Let's see how we could use classes in a creative way, to explore sound and interaction.
Case study: making Deep Note inspired drone synth.
This is a practical workshop. The concepts will be taught through a synthesizer example. The program we will design is a massive multi-voice synthesizer with up to 15 oscillators, resonating Moog style filter and LFOs. You can already check the code out here > Multi-voice Drone Synthesizer.
The power of classes
Classes allow us to design complex systems. They make our program more efficient, and allow us to explore creative ideas. It also makes our code more legible and easy to read. We will look at examples, learn how classes are used in our drone synth program and how to write them.
Controlling multiple voices using arrays
Once our classes are ready, we want to interact with them. We will learn how to use arrays to cycle through our voices and modify them systematically.
All you need is a computer. If you have the Daisy Seed you can install the toolchain on your machine beforehand. You can also check out the code we will be working with on this Github page.
Vlad is software engineer with over 15 years of experience. Designing software for mobile devices by day and quirky sound machines by night. Vlad is the engineer behind the Spotykach generative looper we have released at Superbooth 2023.
We will be using the synth DIY kits below during the workshop. These are not mandatory, but they make your life easier. They also allow you to build more instruments and follow other workshops in the future.
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