Project-jos-320c-2021

JOS 320C Project

Goals

• Make my first "meta plugin" that writes out files for other plugins to read
• Learn how to make better GUIs for plugin Editors

Plan

• Look at some 220C projects for general orientation on project reporting
• Read ahead in the course schedule to learn about GUI options
• Decide on a file format: XML? Plain text? Encrypted?
  • I am starting with plain text, and planning to include a hash string generated by a secret algorithm to detect modification if/when needed
• I am now reading all GUI-related JUCE tutorials that are new since I last looked

GUI Prototype

• JUCE GUI Editor used (very quick)
• Band-setting sliders will be programmatically laid out dynamically
  • Later planning to draw the T60 curve directly, like many EQ interfaces these days
• Configured for waveguide string loop filter
  • Can also be used to design late reverb
• Update 2021-05-06:
  • Changed name T60Designer to LoopFilterDesigner
  • Letting go of Reverb case for now (planning a separate plugin)
  • Created LoopFilterDesignerGUI from T60DesignerGUI and added a Tabbed Component
  • Moved T60DesignerGUI to Tab 1
  • Created a new IRDesignerGUI for Tab 2
• Revised GUI prototype with Tab 1 and 2 selected, respectively:

• Update 2021-05-08:
  • Started prototyping the GUI again, this time in PGM
  • PGM a little harder to work with at this point, but run-time editing is huge, and XML GUI description much better
• Update 2021-05-16:
  • Remade GUI in PGM and changed its layout a bit:

• • The reason for making the plot more prominent is to facilitate direct manipulation, as in the EqualizerExample
  • Now there is no need to show all the band design parameters (which requires programmatic layout)
  • Due to bug(s), I cannot create Classes in PGM (for editing groups of widgets all at once)
  • I am suspending efforts on GUI development and moving to implementations under the hood
  • I reported the bugs and may eventually work to debug PGM in order to resume GUI development

Project Source

See the jos directory of the 320C-2021 GitLab project which can be cloned as follows:
git clone git@cm-gitlab.stanford.edu:jos/320C-2021.git

T60 Designer Help

• T60 Designer is an audio plugin that designs, tests, and exports digital filters to other compatible audio plugins.
• The filter design is specified as the desired decay-time in each frequency band.
• Decay time is specified by T60, which means "time in seconds to decay by 60 dB" (a term commonly used when studying reverberation).
• Presently two filter types can be specified:
  • String Filter (loop filter used in a digital waveguide string model)
  • Late Reverberator (feedback filter used to simulate air absorption in an acoustic wave propagation model)

Test Pluck Help

When T60 Designer is configured to design a "String Filter", then the "Tester" panel in the lower-right corner provides a Pluck button for hearing the sound of a plucked waveguide string using the loop-filter designed by T60 Designer. When you like what you hear, you can Save it out as a Preset that any compatible plugin can use.

Audio Plugin Development Workflow Summary

1. Throw together a first GUI using the JUCE GUI Editor (design step)
2. Implement the plugin
3. Recreate the GUI using Plugin GUI Magic
4. Develop final image assets for a professional GUI appearance and drop them in