u/danja

I only really know music from the Western tradition, and I'm struggling to understand how the approach of the Arab world (in its huge variation) differs.

For context, I experiment with music. Recently I've spent a lot of time making VST plugins, many of them generative. ( https://danja.github.io/downspout/ ).

One of the experiments (below) has made me curious how Arabic rhythms differ from, say, regular polyrhythms/polymeters (which they kinda sound like). Wikipedia/Googling gives me the impression that it's done more like from a playbook - there are a bunch of known preset beats (plus improvisation).

I'd like to somehow get a VST to generate in this style, but I don't get it yet.

Yesterday I was playing with a setup that boiled down to a rhythm generator plus melody generator plus some harmony.

I'd chosen to use a Phrygian Dominant scale, so already the result had an exotic (to me) feel.

The drum beat I had was very much 4/4 based, basically EDM.

But what I hadn't noticed when I pressed play was that I'd accidentally left a loop section in the DAW - random amount, about a bar and a half. When that hit the whole nature changed. The whole thing sounded straight from Morocco or somewhere.

Rather than wait for happy accidents, I'd like to be able to get that kind of result intentionally.

Today's little solo jam.

For background, I'm old enough that I remember Fairlights being a thing. (I became a coder around the same period).

I've got a bloody awful hardware sampler, Akai MPX8, and loads of alternatives in the box. I run Reaper so there's the gloriously named ReaSampleOMatic5000 (right?) and confusing scripts. But all these things seem really, really clunky in operation.

But I've been working on plugins a lot recently, for my own enjoyment - mostly generative, experimental things. It only occurred to me the other day that a major thing lacking from my home studio is a decent sampler (sic). So it's time I made one.

Right now it's minimal pre-release quality, but all open source so you might as well have the link : https://danja.github.io/downspout/plugins/campione/ (bookmark now, look in a few months).

What I'd like advice on is your experiences of a *good* sampler, if such a thing exists already. What does it do that pleases you? If you have a *bad* sampler, what should it do that it doesn't?

I know the immediate thing is, if there is a sound on the wire or a field recording/commercial pack file somewhere, it should be possible just to drop it in without thinking, either get a per-midi note one shot drum or whatever, or one or more tonal sounds that place themselves on the keyboard with pitch control. Basic editing for sure, so you don't have to spend an hour with Audacity just to normalise a cowbell.

Though I am wary of scope creep (I do have AI assisting me with the code, so it's very easy to go off on a tangent). Where should the sampler functionality stop when it comes to granular & wavetable synthesis, delay/looping? Or do you think, same infrastructure, make space for them as well?

Imagine your ideal sampler. Tell me what it looks like please.

I do like the NiN/Skinny Puppy style material, (and Black Sabbath) but the industrial I originally love is that of TG, Cabaret Voltaire, Nocturnal Emissions, SPK.

Who is doing the dangerous material these days?

Poppadoms be DAWless.

Of all subs, this must be the most exacting for the sounds you produce. But I got increasingly bored of the sequences I was making, either through keyboard or note by note in the DAW. Also effects and mixing.

So I got coding. With significant help from AI on several levels.

Don't get me wrong, GPT-generated slop will always be disappointing slop. Having it do everything is the dullest approach.

So I've been playing with generative VST plugins, which has been interesting. Made loads (with that AI assistance). I have no guarantee that they will work on any other setup than my own, but even if these things don't work for you out of the box, I recommend your own exploration.

https://danja.github.io/downspout/

I've also put together a Generative Audio Workstation, but this currently is Linux-only.

https://github.com/danja/transmission

So rather than trying to invent a tune from scratch, you use patterns that are known to work. Folks like Bach, Beethoven, their music is ever so algorithmic. So why not embrace it?

This solo jam yesterday has aspects I'd like to show. I started with a Phrygian Dominant scale, the result is kinda acid house, as played at a Jewish wedding :

https://youtu.be/qVaDCrCZ7S4?is=efQIrG0FOgTq2HAw

This sub only accepts posts related to published, peer-reviewed papers. I am doing legitimate research but it is still very early days, there's unlikely to be a paper for a year or two. But exactly because the project is young, suggestions and advice from the community could be very useful.

So where do people discuss these things?

I have sod all like it in the rack. Sample and hold is all.

But on the computer, loads : https://danja.github.io/downspout/

Things like Euclidian rhythms, pseudo-ransldom.

I would prefer them in the hardware.

Suggestions?

I have some VST plugins in development and am trying to make them cross-platform, but I only have Linux machines.

I've got GitHub workflows doing the builds for Windows & MacOS. I've had reports of limited success on Windows, would like to be able to do more testing locally.

I do plan to somehow get Windows running properly somewhere, but in the interim having a DAW on Wine seems like a way I can do partial checks without hopping OS.

In case anyone's interested, the plugins are here (only properly tested on Reaper on Ubuntu) :

https://danja.github.io/downspout/

Thing is, I was gifted that jumper. Can't be bad, can it? (Shit! Looks Nazi)

Playing with generative VSTs sequencing the modular :

https://danja.github.io/downspout/