Synthesis ToolKit Actor

The STK Actor is an interface to STK instruments from VSS. To use it, load stk.so and create an actor of type StkActor.

StkActor messages

StkActor handler messages

A common message sequence to use an STK instrument is:

a = Create StkActor;

h = BeginSound a;

SetInstrument h "<instrument name>"; // or SetInstrumentNum h <instrument number>;

SetControl h <int control number>, <float control value>, <transition time>;

<Message name> h <control value>, <transition time>;

NoteOn h <frequency> <amplitude>;

NoteOff h <amplitude>;

The names are kept the same as those used for STK's syntmono. All instruments can be controlled by SetControl, NoteOn, and NoteOff messages. Note that transition time may not have any effect on some controls. Each valid control number for a particular instrument corresponds to an instrument-specific message, listed in the tables afterwards. The following messages are equivalent:
 

SetInstrument h "Bowed"; SetControl h 4, 100.5, 5.3;

SetInstrumentNum h 1; SetBowPosition h 100.5, 5.3;

• Physical Models:

 

Name	Number	Description	VSS messages	Control numbers	SKINI names
Plucked	0	basic plucked string
Bowed	1	not hideous bowed string	SetBowPressure SetBowPosition	2 4	__SK_BowPressure_ __SK_BowPosition_
BowedBar	2	pretty good bowed bar	SetBowPressure SetBowPosition SetBalance SetSustain SetPortamento	2 4 8 64 65	__SK_BowPressure_ __SK_BowPosition_ __SK_Balance_ __SK_Sustain_ __SK_Portamento_
Mandolin	3	Perry's own mandolin	SetBodySize SetPluckPosition SetStringDamping SetStringDetune SetPluckStrength SetMic	2 4 11 1 208 411	__SK_BodySize_ __SK_PickPosition_ __SK_StringDamping __SK_StringDetune_ __SK_AfterTouch_ (none)
Brass	4	not so bad brass instrument	SetLipTension SetSlideLength	2 4	__SK_LipTension_ __SK_SlideLength_
Clarinet	5	pretty good clarinet	SetReedStiffness SetNoiseGain	2 4	__SK_ReedStiffness_ __SK_NoiseLevel_
Flute	6	pretty good flute	SetJetDelay SetNoiseGain	2 4	__SK_JetDelay_ __SK_NoiseLevel_

Common messages:

SetBreathPressure	128	__SK_AfterTouch_Cont_
SetVibFreq	11	__SK_ModFrequency_
SetVibGain	1	__SK_ModWheel_

• The Mandolin doesn't take SetBreathPressure, and it interprets SetVibFreq and SetVibGain differently as shown in the table.
• The Plucked doesn't take any message except NoteOn and NoteOff

• Stochastic Event Models:

 

Shakers	7	Type	Number	SetShakerType (0-12) SetShakerNum SetShakerRes SetShakerDecay SetShakerEnergy SetShakerEnergy	1071 11 1 4 2 128	__SK_ShakerInst_ __SK_ModFrequency_ __SK_ModWheel_ __SK_FootControl_ __SK_Breath_ __SK_AfterTouch_Cont_
		Maraca	0
		Cabasa	1
		Sekere	2
		Guiro	3
		Water Drops	4
		Bamboo	5
		Tambourine	6
		Sleigh Bells	7
		Sticks	8
		Crunch1	9
		Wrench	10
		Sand Paper	11
		Coke Can	12

• The <freq> argument in NoteOn is not used. Just put any number there.

• Resonance models

 

Marimba  Vibraphn AgogoBel	8 9 10	Modal (based on the 4-resonance Modal4 class)	SetStickHardness SetStrikePosition SetStrikeSpeed SetVibFreq SetVibGain	2 4 128 11 1	__SK_StickHardness_ __SK_StrikePosition_ __SK_AfterTouch_Cont_ __SK_ModFrequency_ __SK_ModWheel_
VoicForm	11	Formant: source/filter voice	SetVoice SetPhoneme SetVibFreq SetVibGain SetPole	2 4 11 1 128	__SK_Breath_ __SK_FootControl_ __SK_ModFrequency_ __SK_ModWheel_ __SK_AfterTouch_Cont_

• Vibraphn doesn't take SetStrikePosition
• Marimba doesn't take SetVibFreq

• FM Synthesis:

 

HeavyMtl PercFlut Rhodey Wurley TubeBell BeeThree	12 13 14 15 16 17	distorted synthesizer percussive flute Rhodes-like electric piano Wurlitzer electric piano classic FM bell cheezy organ for Paul(who?)
FMVoices	18	3-formant voice synthesizer	SetGain SetFormant SetModSpeed SetModDepth SetTilt(?)	__SK_Breath_ __SK_FootControl_ __SK_ModFrequency_ __SK_ModWheel_ __SK_AfterTouch_Cont_	2 4 11 1 128

• Only the FMVoices takes extra messages besides NoteOn and NoteOff.

• Sampling Synthesis:

 

Moog1	20	Moog Synth	SetQ SetSweepRate SetModSpeed SetModDepth SetEnvelope(?)	__SK_FilterQ_ __SK_FilterSweepRate_ __SK_ModFrequency_ __SK_ModWheel __SK_AfterTouch_Cont_	2 4 11 1 128
DrumSynt	21	drum synthesizer covering a small subset of General MIDI drums	No extra message. The first argument of NoteOn is MIDI key number instead of frequency.	Drum type bass drum snare drum low tom high hat mid tom high tom ride cymbal crash cymbal tambourine cowboy bell "dope"	Key # 36 38, 40 41, 43 42, 44 45, 47 48, 50 46 49 54 56 else

Test Case

• Changed RAWWAVE_PATH and SRATE in Object.h
• Changed all "rawwaves" to "/rawwaves" to work with getenv()
• Shakers don't change type with frequency
• DrumSynt takes note number instead of frequency
• Add #ifndef in phontabl.h
• Comment out Zs[i][2] in BowedBar.cpp to avoid subscript out-of-range