Procedural Synthesis Guides

These guides match the Package Browser’s Procedural Synthesis group. They cover the included JSFX synth engines as offline render tools and MIDI-controlled realtime instruments.

Carto Synth MIDI Controller

Use this when you want to drive Carto from MIDI items on the timeline. The controller loads the JSFX engine on the selected track and exposes the MIDI response layer: pitch mode, velocity-to-density, velocity-to-rate, velocity-to-gain, note gate depth, and MIDI-channel focus.

Starting approach:

• Put the controller on the selected track, or let it load the JSFX engine.
• Create a MIDI item on the same track.
• Enable MIDI control.
• Use Pitch sets frequency for note-like behavior, or Gate only when the synth should keep its base frequency.
• Use MIDI channels when Focus by MIDI channel is active.

The offline render action remains separate. Use Carto Synth Render when you want breakpoint-controlled file output instead of realtime playback.

Carto Synth Render

Use this when you want a rendered multichannel synthetic source rather than a processed input file. Carto is a JSFX synth driven offline by the Lua renderer, so it creates a new media item instead of requiring realtime playback.

Starting approach:

1. Choose duration and channel count.
2. Choose one algorithm.
3. Leave normalize on.
4. Shape amplitude and density with breakpoint envelopes.
5. Render a short test before making a long version.

Algorithms have different spatial behavior. Dust-like modes behave as stochastic clouds. Pulse and packet modes show their event structure with lower density and sharper envelopes. Byte-mask materials change quickly as density increases, so sparse density and amplitude shaping give more separation. Spline and drift-like materials respond well to slower breakpoint motion.

Use the detailed breakpoint editor when the render feels too static. A good starting set is amplitude, density, brightness, and one spatial control. Randomize one lane at a time until the behavior is legible.

Lattice Synth MIDI Controller

Use this with MIDI items that contain table, path, or channel-focused material. The controller loads the Lattice Synth JSFX engine on the selected track and exposes its table, gesture, resonator, and MIDI response controls.

Starting approach:

• Run Lattice Tables or another MIDI generator on the same track.
• Keep MIDI control on.
• Use Pitch sets frequency for note-like plucked behavior, or Gate only when the table and base frequency should define the pitch field.
• Set Template, Ingress, Egress, and Gesture position to shape the table scan.
• Use Resonance, Damping, and Brightness first; then add Divider shadow or Feedback drive.
• Use MIDI channels when Focus by MIDI channel is active.

The synth uses resonant delay lines rather than a sampled sound source. MIDI notes excite the lattice; velocity changes excitation strength, and MIDI channel can steer source focus across the multichannel output. The visible table in the controller is a control map for the sound engine.

Lattice Synth Render

Use this when the Lattice idea should produce a rendered multichannel media item rather than a live MIDI-driven instrument. The script generates a temporary MIDI score from the table, ingress/egress, and rhythm settings, feeds that score into the Lattice Synth engine, then renders the result.

Starting approach:

• Choose duration and output channel count.
• Set Gesture template, Ingress, and Egress first.
• Use Rhythm to decide how the table path becomes note events.
• Use Pitch sets frequency for clear note response, or Gate only for a table-defined pitch field.
• Keep peak normalize on for first tests.

This renderer is closer to the MIDI composition scripts than to Carto/Spectra render. The sound is produced by the JSFX resonator engine, but the offline action first creates a score layer: pitch, velocity, duration, and MIDI-channel focus are derived from the lattice path.

Spectra Synth MIDI Controller

Use this when you want the Spectra engine to behave as a realtime multichannel instrument. The controller loads the JSFX engine on the selected track and exposes the same MIDI response layer as Carto.

Starting approach:

• Enable MIDI control.
• Use lower density and moderate decay for note-driven articulation.
• Use velocity-to-gain first, then add velocity-to-density or velocity-to-rate.
• Use MIDI-channel focus when different MIDI channels should pull energy toward different output-channel regions.

The MIDI controller is for realtime/timeline use. Use Spectra Synth Render for offline breakpoint composition and rendered media items.

Spectra Synth Render

Use this for synthetic material based on spectral masses, resonators, impulse responses, and partial-like behavior. It is also rendered offline through the included JSFX synth engine.

Starting approach:

• Keep peak normalize on.
• Start with moderate density and brightness.
• Use amplitude and spectral-shape breakpoint lanes before adding wide spatial motion.
• Some modes develop over the whole duration, so check more than the opening moment of a render.

Impulse and resonator modes can become clicky if the event layer is too sharp. Increase event smoothing or use slower envelopes when that happens. Spectral-mass modes often reveal more internal motion when density changes over time rather than staying fixed.