eight-bit algorave clojurescript livecoding

Watch the demo video.

Quick start

Minimal example to paste into the editor:

(sfxr {:wave :square :note #(at % 16 {0 60 8 65})})

More complex example:

(sfxr "1111128F2i1nMgXwxZ1HMniZX45ZzoZaM9WBtcQMiZDBbD7rvq6mBCATySSmW7xJabfyy9xfh2aeeB1JPr4b7vKfXcZDbWJ7aMPbg45gBKUxMijaTNnvb2pw"
      {:duty #(/ (mod % 256) 256)
       :note #(at % 16 {0 24
			3 24
			4 60
			5 48
			6 24
			8 24})})

To make your own synths:

• Generate a sound you like at sfxr.me.
• Click the "Copy" button to get the synth definition.
• Paste this code into the editor: (sfxr "...") replacing the ellipsis with your copied definition.
• Hit ctrl-S to send your instrument to the synthesizer.
• Listen, modify, repeat.

Helper functions

• sq is a basic sequencer. Args: position (e.g. time), list. Looks up the value wrapped by the array length.

For example:

#(sq % [1 1 0 0])

Will yield: 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 ....

• at is another basic sequencer. Args: position (e.g. time), wrap-length when to loop (e.g. sequence length), values is a hash-map of note-positions yielding what should happen at that point in time.

for example:

#(at % 8 {2 60
	  7 55})

will yield: nil nil 60 nil nil nil nil 55 nil nil 60 nil nil nil nil 55 nil ....

• rnd is a random number generator.

  • Called with no arguments it returns a float between 0 and 1. e.g. (rnd)
  • Called with an integer argument it returns an integer between zero and the argument. e.g. (rnd 5)
  • Called with a vector it returns a single randomly selected element from the vector. e.g. (rnd [1 1 2 3 5 8])

• seed seeds the random number generator to make it deterministic.

• zz wraps a function such that the function is only called if none of the arguments to it are nil. e.g. ((zz +) 1 nil 2) will yeild nil.

Set global BPM

(swap! player assoc :bpm 125)

Instrument parameters

	:wave ; oscillator waveform (:square :saw :sine :noise)

	:volume ; (0 -> 1)
	
	:note ; oscillator pitch as (midi note number)
	:frequency ; oscillator pitch (Hz)
	:frequency/limit ; i do not know (Hz)
	:frequency/ramp ; freq change speed (-1 -> 1)
	:frequency/ramp-delta ; freq change acceleration (-1 -> 1)

Envelope

	:env/attack ; envelope attack time (0 -> 1)
	:env/sustain ; adsr envelope sustain time (0 -> 1)
	:env/punch ; adsr envelope sustain height (0 -> 1)
	:env/decay ; adsr envelope decay time (0 -> 1)

Low pass filter

	:lpf/frequency ; cutoff pitch (Hz)
	:lpf/note ; cutoff pitch (midi note)
	:lpf/resonance ; resonance (0 -> 1)
	:lpf/ramp ; pitch change rate (-1 -> 1)

High pass filter

	:hpf/frequency ; cutoff pitch (Hz)
	:hpf/note ; cutoff pitch (midi note)
	:hpf/ramp ; pitch change rate (-1 -> 1)

Oscillator phase

	:phase/offset ; (0 -> 1)
	:phase/ramp ; phase change rate (-1 -> 1)

Arpeggiator

	:arp/speed ; arpeggiation speed (0 -> 1)
	:arp/mod ; arpeggiation multiple (-1 -> 1)

Vibrato

	:vibrato/depth ; amount of vibrato (0 -> 1)
	:vibrato/frequency ; vibrato pitch (Hz)
	:vibrato/note ; vibrato pitch (midi note)

Oscillator duty cycle (square only)

	:duty ; (0 -> 1)
	:duty/ramp ; duty change rate (-1 -> 1)

Repeat note

	:retrigger ; speed of retrigger (0 -> 1)