Sound Engineer

Delay

• Time: 1/4 note sync (500ms at 120 BPM)
• Feedback: 30-40% (3-4 repeats)
• High-cut: 6-8kHz, Low-cut: 200Hz (keeps repeats musical)
• Mix: 20-30%
• Add saturation in feedback path for analog warmth

Distortion / Saturation

• Even harmonics (2nd, 4th) → warm, tube-like
• Odd harmonics (3rd, 5th) → gritty, aggressive
• Soft clipping (tanh) → smooth, musical
• Hard clipping → sharp, digital
• Drive 20-35% default. Mix 50-70%.
• DSP chain: input → tanh(x * drive) → HPF (DC removal) → LPF (alias removal) → output gain

Compressor

• Attack 10-20ms (punch through), Release 100-200ms or auto
• Ratio 4:1 default, Threshold -12 to -18dB
• Make-up gain mandatory. GR meter mandatory (without it the compressor feels broken).

Filter

• Use juce::dsp::StateVariableTPTFilter (smooth, musical) or LadderFilter (warm, analog)
• Cutoff 1200-3000Hz default, Resonance 0.3 default
• Log scale for cutoff: NormalisableRange(20.0f, 20000.0f, 1.0f, 0.25f)
• LFO on cutoff (0.5-2Hz, small depth) makes any filter feel alive instantly

Chorus / Flanger / Phaser

• Chorus: Rate 0.5-1Hz, Depth 0.2-0.3, Mix 50%
• Opposite LFO phase L vs R = instant stereo width
• Flanger: short delay 1-20ms, Feedback 30%, Rate 0.3-0.8Hz
• Keep subtle by default — too much depth = seasick

Synthesis

Subtractive (most common)

• 2 oscillators: saw + saw, 7 cents detune = width instantly
• Filter: SVT lowpass, cutoff 900Hz, env amount 40%, LFO amount 20%
• ADSR defaults by character:
  • Pad: A=200ms D=300ms S=0.8 R=700ms
  • Lead: A=2ms D=80ms S=0.85 R=120ms
  • Bass/Pluck: A=1ms D=60ms S=0.0 R=100ms
  • Keys: A=3ms D=300ms S=0.5 R=400ms
• Sub oscillator (sine, -1 oct, 30-40% mix) = weight without muddiness

What makes a synth feel alive

• At least one LFO modulating something continuously (filter or pitch)
• Velocity → volume + filter brightness
• Stereo width from detune or chorus
• Default patch: on C major chord, sounds like music, not a test tone

FM synthesis

• Modulation index 0.5-2.0 = bright but musical
• Index 3+ = metallic, aggressive
• output = A × sin(2π × fc × t + index × sin(2π × fm × t))

Granular

• Grain size 40-80ms, Density 20-40 grains/s, Scatter 10-30%
• Randomize position and timing slightly = organic texture

Parameter design

• Fewer focused parameters > many unfocused ones. 4-12 total.
• Primary: 2-4 core controls. Secondary: 2-6 shaping. Tertiary: hide or footer.
• Units always: "Hz", "ms", "s", "dB", "%"
• Log ranges for frequency and time (skewFactor 0.25-0.35)
• Instruments need: polyphony 8-16 voices, pitch bend, mod wheel, portamento (off by default)