Tools¶
Not the band here. Just some tools I maybe used once or not at all (or all the time) but I’d like to find them easily if neeeded.
Audio coding¶
Languages¶
OpenMusic and also: a visual programming language based on Lisp. Visual programs are created by assembling and connecting icons representing functions and data structures. Most programming and operations are performed by dragging an icon from a particular place and dropping it to an other place. Classical music notation is usable.
SuperCollider (source): a platform for audio synthesis and algorithmic composition.
Pure Data (source): an open source visual programming environment, a major branch of the family of patcher programming languages known as Max. Algorithmic functions are represented in Pd by visual boxes called objects placed within a patching window called a canvas. Data flow between objects are achieved through visual connections called patch cords. Each object performs a specific task, which can vary in complexity from very low-level mathematical operations to complicated audio or video functions such as reverberation, FFT transformations, or video decoding. Objects include core Pd vanilla objects, external objects or externals (Pd objects compiled from C or C++), and abstractions (Pd patches loaded as objects).
Guitar Extended: using electric guitar as a computer-augmented instrument through DSP (digital signal processing) using the open-soucre audio programming language Pure Data (Pd) and a DIY footcontroller based on a Arduino board.
Specific Python tools¶
Sardine: Live Coding Library for Python.
isobar: a Python library for creating and manipulating musical patterns, designed for use in algorithmic composition, generative music and sonification.
Supriya: a Python API for SuperCollider.
Renardo: Livecoding music with simple Python code (Modernized FoxDot Fork).
FoxDot: This branch of the original FoxDot is called PitchGlitch. It is an attempt to continue to develop FoxDot ever more for Live Coding and composing music.FoxDot is a Python programming environment that provides a fast and user-friendly abstraction to SuperCollider.
Ressources¶
A list of audio programming languages (FR).
Awesome LiveCoding: a categorized collection of awesome livecoding libraries, tools, frameworks and software.
Awesome Music: a categorized collection of awesome music libraries, tools, frameworks and software.
Guitar specific¶
But can be used on any signal.
Guitarix (source): a modular, virtual standalone amplifier for Linux allowing to choose different preamp and amp models and /or could load *.nam files with the Neural Amp Modeler modules, or load *.json or .aidax files with the RTNeural modules, to simulate a specific hardware unit. It comes with a lot of effects.
GxPlugins.lv2: a set of extra standalone lv2 plugins designed to compliment the Guitarix project : amps, overdrives, fuzz/distortions, cabinet simulator pedal, autowah…
Tramp plugins’adviced for acoustic:
Guitarix.vst: This is a VST3 wrapper for Guitarix, everything in a plugin.
ToobAmp LV2 plugins: a set of high-quality guitar effect plugins for Raspberry Pi. They are specifically designed for use with the PiPedal project, but work perfectly well with any LV2 Plugin host. It includes Neural Amp Modeler and cab IR.
ToneHunt: community for discovering and sharing NAM models and IRs for amps, pedals, outboard gear and more (particularly IRs and aida-x models).
C* Audio Plugin Suite (C*APS): a collection of audio plugins comprising basic virtual guitar amplification and a small range of classic effects, signal processors and generators of mostly elementary and occasionally exotic nature.
MDA-LV2: the set of Paul Kellett’s plugins, rewritten for the LV2 format. It includes amps, leslie and effects.
SWH LADSPA and LV2 plugins: plugins by Steve Harris, amps and effects.
TAP-plugins (Tom’s Audio Processing plugins): a bunch of LADSPA plugins for audio processing. Also the LV2 port (source) by Tom Szilagyi.
INFAMOUS Plugins (source): a collection of open-source LV2 plugins, rather not basic standard things.
zam-plugins (source): a collection of LV2/LADSPA/VST/JACK audio plugins for high quality processing.
x42-plugins (source): professional audio processing units available as LV2-plugin and JACK-application.
Kapitonov-Plugins-Pack (source): a collection of plugins, amp and effects.
GuitarML: used to create amp or pedal model based on sample. Sample are available.
An Airwindows chain for guitar I’ve seen on forum:
Drive
Tube2
PurestGain
EQ (for bass, mid, treble controls)
Tube2 (I dunno, why not)
Aura (presence controls)
PurestDrive (essentially a volum control)
Cabs (cabinet simulation)
Other guitar setups with C* like C* noisegate -> SC4 -> C* AMP VTS -> C* cabinet setup :
C* noisegate -> SC4 ->C* AMP VTS -> TAP tubewarmth / GxTubeScreamer -> C* cabinet -> end effects ( clean / crunchy / semi bright sounding )
C* noisegate -> SC4 -> Calf saturator -> GxTubeScreamer -> C* cabinet -> end effects ( overdriven / distorted / fatter darker sound, classic rock’n’ roll sound)
C* noisegate -> SC4 -> (TAP Sigmoid booster) -> Calf saturator -> C* AMP VTS -> C* cabinet -> end effects (clean lightly crunchy sound)
End effects: TAP tremolo / C* plate reverb / Tal-dub3
Plugins¶
LSP (Linux Studio Plugins): a collection of open-source plugins (high quality but complicated) covering almost everything including also samplers, oscillator, noise generator, analysers…
Airwindows: a large (around 400) collection of open-source plugins by Chris Johnson for anything you never thought of (really). Airwindows Consolidated is probably the best way to use the Airwindows plugin ecosystem: it contains all the plungins and explanations. The airwindowscheatsheet can also help to manage the collection.
sfizz: a sample-based musical synthesizer using the SFZ format.
FluidSynth: a real-time software synthesizer based on the SoundFont 2 specifications. CLI only but GUIs are available.
Synth¶
ZynAddSubFx: a wonderful synth.
Yoshimi: another one, fork of ZASFx, so quite compatible and only on Linux.
Terrain: Open Source Wave Terrain Synth. A sound is produced via a 2D trajectory scanning over a 3D surface, or terrain. The timbre produced is dependent on the shape and parameters of the trajectory, as well as the shape of the scanned terrain.
Dexed : a multi platform, multi format plugin synth that is closely modeled on the Yamaha DX7 and a soundbank for it.
Oxe FM Synth: a touch-sensitive, realtime polyphonic FM-based music synthesizer.
PresetShare: Synth presets exchange platform and music community.
ADLplug: FM synthesizer plugins, based on OPL3 and OPN2 sound chip emulations.
Surge XT: is a cross-platform, realtime software sound synthesizer.
amsynth: simple additive/substractive synth.
On soundwave¶
Sonic Visualiser: Visualisation, analysis, and annotation of music audio recordings, may use it to determine pitch for example.
spleeter: a tool created to separate things like vocals (singing voice) and accompaniment (mini tuto FR).
Analysis & Resynthesis Sound Spectrograph: analyses a sound file into a spectrogram and is able to synthesise this spectrogram, or any other user-created image, back into a sound.
music21: a Python-based toolkit for computer-aided musicology.
Other sequencer & DAW¶
Signal (source): online sequencer, export audio or MIDI file.
Helio (source): Multi-plateform portable sequencer (Android build).
Radium (source): a DAW with a tracker-like view.
Laborejo: a MIDI sequencer based on classical music notation.
MidiEditor: a free software providing an interface to edit, record, and play Midi data.
Noteahead: a simple MIDI tracker and sequencer written in C++/Qt/QML.
LMMS (source): a midi sequencer/daw with a lot of chiptune style plugin but also ZynAddSubFx embedded.
FamiStudio: a simple music editor for the Nintendo Entertainment System or Famicom (limitations included). It is targeted at both chiptune artists and NES homebrewers.
Qtractor: one of the FLOSS DAW, Linux only.
MusE Sequencer: another of the FLOSS DAW, Linux only.
Zrythm: another of the FLOSS DAW, cross-plateform.
Stargate: another cross-plateform DAW, focused on EDM with some features (pattern-based workflow, built-in instrument and effect plugins) and created to be usable with little hardware (Python & C).
Trackers¶
Furnace: a very complete tracker.
MilkyTracker (source): attempts to recreate the module replay and user experience of the popular DOS program Fasttracker II (seems cool also).
BambooTracker: a cross-platform music tracker for the Yamaha YM2608 (OPNA) sound chip which was used in NEC PC-8801/9801 series computers.
Hosting¶
Resonate (source): an open-source music streaming service run by a cooperative of artists and software developers (don’t know exactly how it works).
Open.Audio: a Funkwhale pod for permissive licensed music.
Soundfont¶
HammerSound and here to get a complete archive
Versilian Studios Chamber Orchestra 2 (VSCO 2 CE licensed under Creative Commons 0
Miscellaneous tools¶
Online¶
jguitar.com/harmonizer/: a complete scale to chords / chords to scale. The website has other tools but I used only this one (closed source).
guitardashboard.com: An interactive music theory dashboard on the circle of fifths and the chromatic circle for guitarists.
related-key-map: speaks for itself.
EXERCICES and TIPS by Andrew Huang: advices and exercices to stimulate creativity.
folkRNN: generates a folk tune with a recurrent neural network.
cosine.club: electronic music similarity search engine.
Desktop¶
MMA - Musical MIDI Accompaniment: an accompaniment generator. It creates MIDI tracks for a soloist to perform over from a user supplied file containing chords and MMA directives. It comes with an extensive user-extendable library with a variety of patterns for various popular rhythms, detailed user manuals, and several demo songs.
eSpeak: open source software text-to-speech synthesizer.
Enscribe: creates digital audio watermark images from photgraphic images (convert images into sound).
Polyphone (source): a multiplatform and open-source soundfont editor for creating musical instruments.
Reference websites¶
http://linuxmusic.rocks and https://linuxdaw.org: two website displaying nice standalones/plugins available on Linux, sadly not really allowing to filter on the license.
A list of tools.
