Page 10: Controllers
A controller
Controllers are used to influence the behaviour of wave generators. You open up a controller for a generator by clicking on it. A controller is shown here.
The window of a controller consists of five different parts. The large area in the middle that shows the green curve is the 'Viewer display area', the yellowish part in the bottom left corner is the 'Viewer control area, the purple part in the bottom right corner is the 'Modulation control area, the part in between the Viewer control area and the Modulation control area is the 'Wave control area', finally the 'Menu' can be found above the Viewer display area. All parts will be described below.
The viewer display area
The viewer is a device that collects the numbers MathSounds produces to create sound and uses them to draw a graphical representation of the sound in the Viewer display area. The precision of the display depends on the time interval it needs to show. If the time interval is short it can pick one point for each number, but if the time interval is too large for that it skips numbers. There is a clear one on one relation between the sound that is produced and the graph that is shown. For each number the viewer decides to show it calculates its time index on the X-axis and its value on the Y-axis. The X-axis shows exactly the time interval that is specified in the Viewer control area, the values on the Y-axis range from the absolute lowest value that can be used for sound generation at the bottom, and the highest possible value at the top. The viewer just draws the curves it calculates in the order it produces them, without bothering whether the result is meaningfull to a human. This means that often you have to play around a bit with the time interval to find one that produces a sort of stable result. Since each viewer will only be allowed to use a limited amount of the processor's time it will skip entire curves if it finds that the display is getting too much out of sync with the sound. Even so you might find that often the viewer will be ahead of the sound a bit, since MathSounds produces a sound up to half a second before you actually hear it. On the other hand, when choosing to display a long time interval, MathSounds will only be able to show the graph after you have heard the sound, since it can only show a graph after the sound has been calculated. So in this case drawing curves is not instantaneous, you'll have to wait until enough time has passed.
For a discussion on the basics of the workings of the viewer you are referred to page 2 of the tutorial. Ways to be in control of your viewers are described on page 9 of the manual, in the paragraph about the Viewers menu.
The viewer control area
The Viewer control area holds one item: the 'time interval' input field.
time interval: Use this to specify how much time each curve in the Viewer display area should encompass. You can enter this in seconds, or in 'Herz' notation. The number specified in Herz notation is the reverse of the number of seconds it will show. See page 3 of the tutorial for a detailed description of this input field.
The modulation control area
The modulation control area is used to specify which kind and how much asynchronicity should be applied to incoming signals. You should read page 6 and page 7 of the tutorial to be informed about asynchronicity.
frequency asynchronicity: The number entered here will be applied to the incoming signal on the frequency connector to decrease its effect on the frequency of this generator's wave.
amplitude asynchronicity: The number entered here will be applied to the incoming signal on the amplitude connector to decrease its effect on the amplitude of this generator's wave.
The wave control area
Use the wave control area to give the wave of this generator exactly the shape you like.
start of interval: Every wave in MathSounds is always defined as existing only within an interval. Use this input field to specify the number that identifies the start of the interval for this generator's wave. Depending on the wave used and other settings for this generator's wave, restrictions can be placed on the numbers that are considered valid. See page page 4 of the tutorial for an extensive description of the interval of waves.
end of interval: Every wave in MathSounds is always defined as existing only within an interval. Use this input field to specify the number that identifies the end of the interval for this generator's wave. Depending on the wave used and other settings for this generator's wave, restrictions can be placed on the numbers that are considered valid. See page page 4 of the tutorial for an extensive description of the interval of waves.
start point: Given an interval a generator can be instructed to start its first cycle at any point within this interval. That number can be specified using this input field. See page page 4 of the tutorial for an extensive description of the interval of waves.
frequency: Use this input field to specify the frequency at which this generator should run. See page 2 of the tutorial for a thorough description of frequency.
amplitude: Use this input field to specify the amplitude for this generator's wave. See page 2 of the tutorial for a thorough description of amplitude.
The menu
The menu will be described on the next page.
Page 1: Introduction, news and installation
Page 2: Tutorial: creating a simple sound
Page 3: Modulation: wave generators working together
Page 4: Inverted mode and the interval of a wave
Page 5: Frequency modulation, waves and inverted mode
Page 8: Manual: the main window
Page 13: Release notes, known bugs and issues
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