#4120 Sketched Wave Patterns as Inputs to a Music Synthesizer

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#4120 Sketched Wave Patterns as Inputs to a Music Synthesizer

#4120 How might two sketches of wave patterns be used as input to a music synthesizer?

Using sketches of wave patterns to drive a music synthesizer is a brilliant bridge between visual "making" and sound design. Given your interest in synthesizers like the Behringer MonoPoly and K-2, you can approach this from two angles: literal waveform construction or control-voltage modulation.

Here is how you can translate those visual sketches into audio:

1. Wavetable Synthesis (Literal Interpretation)

If your sketches represent a single cycle of a wave (the "shape" of the sound), you can use them as the primary oscillator source.

  • The Process: You can scan or photograph your sketches and use software like Wolfram Language (Mathematica) or specialized wavetable editors (like Serum or Vital) to convert the visual Y-axis data into audio samples.

  • The Result: A sketch with sharp, jagged edges will produce a bright, harmonic-rich sound (similar to a Sawtooth), while smoother, rounded sketches will sound closer to a Sine or Triangle wave.

2. Graphical Sequencing (The "ANS" Method)

Inspired by the Soviet ANS Synthesizer, you can treat the sketches as a "score" where the vertical position determines pitch and the horizontal position determines time.

  • The Process: Using a tool like Photosounder or a custom Python script (using librosa), the image is scanned from left to right. Darker lines represent higher amplitude at specific frequencies.

  • The Result: This turns a complex sketch into a polyphonic texture. If your two sketches overlap, you can assign them to different stereo channels or different synth patches.

3. CV Modulation via Image Analysis

Since you work with hardware like the Crave and K-2, you can use the sketches as complex LFOs (Low-Frequency Oscillators) or Envelopes.

  • The Process: * Map the "height" of Sketch A to a Control Voltage (CV) output via a DAW or a DC-coupled audio interface.

    • Patch that CV into the VCF Cutoff or Pitch of your K-2.

    • Use Sketch B to modulate a different parameter, like Pulse Width or Resonance.

  • The Result: The synthesizer’s timbre will "evolve" following the physical path of your drawings rather than a standard repeating triangle or square wave.

4. Vector Synthesis / X-Y Mapping

You can use the two sketches as coordinates on a 2D plane.

  • The Process: Sketch A controls the X-axis and Sketch B controls the Y-axis. As a "playhead" moves across both, the resulting coordinate determines the mix between four different sound sources (a technique popularized by the Prophet VS).

  • The Result: A fluid, morphing soundscape where the movement is dictated by the interaction of the two visual patterns.

Technical Implementation Idea

Since you are proficient in Mathematica, you could write a script to:

  1. Import the images of the sketches.

  2. Use ImageValue to extract the coordinates of the lines.

  3. Export the data as a .wav file to be used as a User Oscillator or a Wavetable in a digital synth.

Would you like me to help you draft a Wolfram Language script to extract the waveform data from an image file?


There are two potential applications: 1) one sketch for wave form and the other sketch for other parameters, and 2) a function on the two sketches (sum, diff, etc.)

That’s a sophisticated way to look at it—essentially moving from simple image-to-sound conversion into signal processing and synthesis logic. Given your background in software engineering and your specific hardware setup, here is how you could architect those two applications:

1. Primary Waveform + Parameter Mapping

In this scenario, Sketch A provides the "timbre" (the periodic cycle), while Sketch B provides the "movement" (the modulation).

  • Sketch A (The Oscillator): You treat this as a single-cycle waveform. If the sketch is a "closed" loop or a single period, you can cycle it at audio rates (20Hz – 20kHz).

    • Application: Use this as a custom oscillator in a software synth or load it into a sampler with "loop" enabled at a very high frequency.

  • Sketch B (The Automation Lane): This sketch is treated as a Function of Time (f(t)). Instead of cycling thousands of times per second, it is read once over a set duration (e.g., 5 seconds).

    • Application: Map the Y-value of Sketch B to the VCF Cutoff on your K-2 or the LFO Rate on your Crave. This allows the "visual character" of the second sketch to dictate how the first sketch’s sound evolves.

2. Functional Interaction (Mathematical Combination)

This is where your interest in Mathematica and DSLs becomes powerful. You can treat Sketch A (S_1) and Sketch B (S_2) as two discrete datasets and perform operations on them before they ever reach the synth.

OperationMusical Result
Sum (S_1 + S_2)Additive Synthesis / Reinforcement: If the waves are in phase, you get a reinforced version; if they differ, you get complex harmonic stacking.
Difference (S_1 - S_2)Phase Cancellation / Edge Detection: This highlights only the unique "deviations" between the two sketches, often resulting in thinner, more nasal, or "glitchy" sounds.
Product (S_1 \times S_2)Ring Modulation: This creates sidebands (sum and difference frequencies). If both sketches are at audio rate, you'll get metallic, bell-like tones.
Convolution (S_1 * S_2)Filtering: Use Sketch B as an "impulse response" for Sketch A. Sketch A is effectively "filtered" through the shape of Sketch B.

Implementation Strategy for a "Maker"

Since you have an RTX 3090 Ti and work with Agentic AI, you could build a small pipeline to automate this:

  1. Extraction: Use a Python script (with OpenCV) to trace the sketches and convert them into two normalized arrays: A[n] and B[n].

  2. Logic Layer: Apply your functional logic (Sum, Diff, etc.) to create a third array C[n].

  3. Output: * Digital: Export C[n] as a .wav file or a Serum-compatible .wit file.

    • Analog: Use an Arduino or a DAC to convert C[n] into a Control Voltage (CV) signal to plug into the patch bay of your Behringer MonoPoly.

A Question of Scale

For the "Functional Interaction" (Application 2), are you envisioning these sketches interacting at audio rate (creating a new type of sound) or at macro rate (creating a new type of rhythmic sequence or melody)?

Would you like a Python snippet using numpy and scipy to demonstrate how to perform these operations on two image-extracted arrays?


From <https://gemini.google.com/app/>  Google Gemini 3.0 Pro (Thinking)

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