Thwomp

Thwomp is a four oscillator drum synthesizer for Max for Live. It's a subtractive synthesizer that specializes in making drum sounds with the following features:

• Fixed frequency by default, as most drum sounds aren't played chromatically.
• Prominent pitch envelope for creating kick drums.
• No sustain or release, because those aren't features of percussive instruments.

Thwomp's interface is designed to be transparent and predictable. Every parameter is labeled with its unit type.

Installation

Drag max-for-live/instruments/Thwomp.amxd to User Library/Presets/Instruments/Max Instrument/. There's an optional install.sh script that will do this automatically.

Stand-Alone Mode

To open any of the maxpat files, the Sidewinder folder should be in your Project Search Paths, ~/Documents/Max 8/Projects by default, so that referenced files can be found.

Thwomp can also be opened in standalone mode by opening the misc/instruments/Thwomp.maxpat outside of Ableton Live, it offers some additional features.

• Button: Trigger the MIDI note
• Pitch: Select the MIDI note pitch
• Velocity: Select the MIDI note velocity
• DAC Toggle: Toggles whether the audio engine is on
• Typing the s will play the note

Troubleshooting

• Thwomp allows a really low attack which will cause clicks and pops if it's set too low, if you're experiencing click and pops, try increasing the attack.

Global Parameters

• Volume: The volume of all of the oscillators combined.
• Oscillator Tabs 1-4: Select an oscillator

Presets

• R: Read presets from a file
• W: Write the presets to a file
• OW: When toggled on, W will automatically write again to the sample file
• To recall a preset, click a box
• To save a preset, shift-click a box
• To delete a preset, shift-option-click a box

Oscillator Parameters

Waveform

• Osc Toggle: Toggle the oscillator on or off
• Waveform
• Note Toggle: Toggle whether to use the incoming MIDI note frequency (when off, the frequency is specified)
• Freq: Specify a frequency (only visible when note is off)
• Semi: Specify a semitone offset (only visible when note is on)

Pitch Envelope

• Pitch Envelope Graph
• Amount: Pitch envelope amount
• Duration: Pitch envelope decay

Filter

• Filter Toggle: Toggle the filter on or off
• Filter Type
• Freq: Filter cutoff
• Q: Filter Q

Envelope

• Attack: Attack
• Decay: Decay

Ableton Push

Thwomp support Ableton Push. When using Push, the leftmost knob always chooses the selected Oscillator. There's four different banks that allow all of Thwomp's parameters to be accessed.

Banks

• Main
• Oscillator
• Envelope
• Filter

Presets

The following presets are built-in, they're numbered from the upper left to the lower right (so the upper right preset is the kick).

1. Kick

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 65Hz
• Cycle
• 2ms Attack
• 383ms Decay
• 0db Gain

Pitch Envelope

• 120Hz Amount
• 100ms Decay

Oscillator 2 (Transient/Click)

• 251Hz
• Rect
• 0ms Attack
• 26ms Decay
• -10db Gain

Filter

• bandpass
• 500Hz
• 5.6Q

2. Snare

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 175Hz
• Cycle
• 1ms Attack
• 60ms Decay
• 0db Gain

Filter

• highpass
• 40hz
• 0.66Q

Oscillator 2 (Noise)

• Noise
• 0ms Attack
• 76ms Decay
• -14db Gain

Filter

• highpass
• 1447hz
• 1.4Q

3. Tom

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 110Hz
• Cycle
• 2ms Attack
• 500ms Decay
• 0db Gain

Pitch Envelope

• 12Hz Amount
• 300ms Decay

Filter

• highpass
• 50hz
• 0.3Q

Oscillator 2 (Noise)

• Pink
• 2ms Attack
• 200ms Decay
• -14db Gain

Filter

• lowpass
• 1200hz
• 0.3Q

4. Hi-Hat

Oscillator 1 (Noise)

• Noise
• 0ms Attack
• 150ms Decay
• 0db Gain

Filter

• highpass
• 6000Hz
• 0.3Q

5. Bongo

Oscillator 1 (Pitch 1)

• 1100Hz
• Saw
• 0ms Attack
• 125ms Decay
• -20db Gain

Filter

• lowpass
• 1100Hz
• 3Q

Oscillator 2 (Pitch 2)

• 725Hz
• Cycle
• 0ms Attack
• 125ms Decay
• -14db Gain

Filter

• lowpass
• 8000Hz
• 0.3Q

Oscillator 3 (Noise)

• Pink
• 0ms Attack
• 200ms Decay
• -14db Gain

Filter

• lowpass
• 12000Hz
• 0.3Q