Modular Sound Design Environment

Alpha Forever / Update 2022/01
December 9, 2022

Alpha Forever / Update 2022 / 01

2022's first update brings lots of new nodes and improvements, like lots of new waveshapers, a resonator, node replace, node exchange, GUI enhancements, additional trigonometry and algebra.

New nodes:

The main focus of this update is on distortion. We added different anti-aliased waveshapers that are capable of high-quality saturation effects. You can also combine the waveshapers to form complex distortion effects.

A complex waveshaper setup. (Due to oversampling, parallel processing requires manual delay compensation)

Clipper

The clipper applies an anti-aliased hard-clipper function to the incoming signal.

Comparing the Clipper node (yellow) against a naive hard-clipper (blue).

Saturator

The saturator applies an anti-aliased arcTan function to the incoming signal.

Comparing the Saturator node (yellow) against the arcTan function (blue) on a 2000Hz sine wave.

Foldback

Applies anti-aliased foldback distortion on the signal.

The effect of foldback distortion
Comparing the Foldback node (yellow) against the naive approach (blue) on a 200Hz sine wave.

Sine Folder

Applies an anti-aliased sine function on the signal.

Comparing the Sine-Folder (yellow) against the naive sine function (blue) on a 5000Hz sine wave.

Polarity

Transforms bipolar input to unipolar by discarding the values outside the chosen domain.

Comparing the Polarity node (yellow) against a naive comparator (blue) on a 5000Hz sine wave.

Reflect

Transforms bipolar input to unipolar by transforming every value to the chosen domain.

Comparing the Reflect node (yellow) against a naive absolute function (blue) on a 5000Hz sine wave.

Allplus resonator

The Allplus resonator node

A Karplus-Strong-inspired resonator, but the delay is replaced with an allpass diffuser, and the feedback loop features an additional allpass filter. Feedback sets the decay length of the resonator. Damping is the frequency of the lowpass filter inside the feedback loop, simulating frequency loss of a resonating string. Stiffness is the feedback amount of the allpass filter simulating the stiffness of a string. Tension is related to the allpass-diffuser: tension sets its feedback amount, while the pitch input defines its delay time.

Signal flow graph of the Allplus resonator

Additional math nodes

Hyperbolic sine/cosine (SinH, CosH), Arcus sine/cosine (ASin, ACos), Natural/Binary logarithm (ln, lb) nodes are also available, just like a dedicated reciprocal node (1/X).

New features, workflow enhancements:

Exchange node

You can right click on an empty area of a node, and exchange it to another one from the palette.

You can quickly exchange nodes

Replace node(s)

By pressing 'R', you can replace the selected node(s) by the last selected node.

Replacing multiple nodes.
Replacing can be used to iterate between different settings.

GUI update

Switch objects received a new look, the palette font size got changed, and the appear-time of the hover-scopes became faster.

The small GUI changes make the look of the software easier on the eye.

Additional filter outputs

The Filter 1p Modulated node received a phase delay output.

The Filter 2p RC Modulated node received a 1pole resonant lowpass filter pickup output, and a 2nd order allpass output.

The Filter 4p RC modulated node received 3pole, 2pole and 1pole resonant lowpass pickup outputs, and a 2pole bandpass pickup.


Fixes:

// Frequency shifter - fixed the noise caused by the frequency shifter

// Inactive nodes - fixed an issue, where several nodes became inactive when pasted

// Clipper AA - replaced the hard clipper with a more efficient anti-aliasing algorithm

// Fixed reverb nodes phasing artifacts, and reduced the amount of modulation

// Filter 4p NL Modulated - redesigned

Devlog

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