DimPro Wavguide, Strings sim - how to use?

I experimented with the waveguide in DimPro last night, but info is scarce.

The manual says to look at examples in the waveguide subdirectory. That contains some short pulse waveforms and one vocal waveform and about 6 sample .sfz files. These call the sample pulse and set "waveguide=on", and that's pretty much it.

The short pulses bring the waveguide into resonance. This just sounds like a static tone, sometimes bright, sometimes muted, depending on the pulse. Not very exciting.

The vocal sample gives a better idea of what the waveguide is doing. It literally makes the vocal sound like it's coming through a tube. The recognizable vocal sample starts, then it sounds like a bandpass filter tipping over into self-resonance, creating a new fundemental note to the sound which overrides that of the vocal sample.

Unfortunately, that's all the info I could find. I found no more in the manual, neither is there anything on the DVD. It is never used in any of the other multisounds, so there are no in-use examples.

Where can I find the documentation for the DimPro .sfz extensions? I would be interested to know how to change the length, shape and resonance of the waveguide.

There is also a new <effect> extension which is used in the strings simulator in the pianos which I would like to learn more about.

The short pulses bring the waveguide into resonance.

Mmm. There's some interesting stuff that can be achieved there. I have to admit, my experiments haven't led to anything that I've included in a [track] but I've sure stumbled across some interesting resonances by feeding various pieces of audio debris to the waveguide=on switch.

Just a thought, perhaps we'll see an addition to CW Instruments in the future that takes waveguide=on to the moon and back in the same way that Rapture did for oscillator=on.

René, can we expect at least a parameter list some time in the future?

This has been a FAQ around here from day 1, JazzSinger. From all that I've read, the answer is: “Yes. There'll been there'll be complete docs one day. When? Wouldn't have a clue…”

That might seem a little frustrating when you're trying to sink your teeth into the extra sfz v2.0 opcodes but bear in mind that we probably wouldn't have Rapture at the moment if René had of taken time out to write the new sfz bible.

Keep sniffing around this forum. There's lots of interesting tidbits regarding new opcodes and methods of working…

• The sfz v2 Test Suite 1 isn't a full v2.0 listing but there's a LOT to explore if you're already up on v1.0
  
• There's some info on the new loop modes here.
  
• If you're good at puzzles, you might like to decode this one.
  
• For some nostalgic record crackel, go here.
  
• And, lastly, for a real education, check this out (courtesy of techead.)

I think you'll find more than enough to keep you plugging away at the elusive sfz v2.0 spec for some time.

Extra: This one died in the ass pretty quick but there's some stuff there.

Thanks for the link, Paradroid. More homework!

On the other link, René gave me a civil answer to what was a bit of a smart alec comment on my part, so I resolve in future to behave. It is exceptional that the (chief) developer gives so freely of his time.

René said in the other post that DimPro has enough for a sound designer to be getting on with. This is true, but it is still essentially a sample player/virtual analog synth with dream specs compared to hardware samplers.

Now, as a sound designer, reading that DimPro has a waveguide as soundsource was certainly was what tilted my decision to spring for a DimPro copy. Waveguide simulation is a very exciting technology, promising expressive playing beyond anyone's dreams, and I mean that. I own a Yamaha VL70m and WX5 wind controller, and it is fantastic. It is so responsive, I cannot find words to describe it.

Here's links about waveguides physical modelling.

http://www.harmony-central.com/Synth/Articles/Physical_Modeling/#wav
http://www.enlightenedsystems.com/vl/physmodl.htm
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1994_articles/jul94/yamahavl1.html

The VL70m simulates instruments with a constant excitor, like reeds, trumpet mouthpiece, violin bows. A waveguide is the string instrument equivalent to this. It simulates plucked strings, hammers, etc. I think even René mentioned this in a posting once when I asked what the waveguide is. So I hope René forgives my disappointment when all I found was the opcode "waveguide=on".

Please note, the DimPro sales material clearly lists the waveguide as a sound generator. But without offering any detail about how limited the implementation is, I feel this borders on misrepresentation and explains my smart alec comment in lost sheep's thread.

Still, reading between the lines of René's posting, the true reason for not releasing the opcodes fully yet is because it is still evolving and they don't want to get into a situation where opcodes must be supported for backward compatibility.

In other words, something is bubbling under the surface. I'm sure it's just a question of waiting a while!

ORIGINAL: Paradroid

something is bubbling under the surface

That's pretty much René 24/7! Once you get used to that, you start to relax a bit more & just wait around for things to fall from the sky. That's his style: not say a word and then pull something incredible out from behind his back.

And it sure makes hangin around for the next shoe to drop more fun. But it's a wait that is always worth the time.