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Simple Stereo File Player

SSP Features and Ideas
#1

Description of feature (short and simple): A VERY simple module that just plays a Stereo audio file, with a gate/trigger input.

How will this feature improve the workflow or experience for all SSP users (keep it short and focused): I know the sample module does this, but for many cases, it is overly feature rich. Sometimes all you want to do is play a file as it is. It could have a one shot, loop option, or play on a gate high, but NO pitch, start, end, or all the other commands the sample module has. It would be great for drum machines, background audio, or sound effects use. LESS menu options makes for a easier module to use.
I use textural beds and backgrounds in my live shows, and would love to easily organize and play files from the SSP (and sell the modules I currently use). These are stereo files with panning and wide reverbs. As far as I know, the current sample playing module doesn’t play stereo files.

1 Like
#2

actually it does… it plays up to 8 channel audio, using the multi channel mode.

in fairness, I think SAM is straightforward to use - once you’ve used it a few times.

Im not generally a fan of duplicating functionality, simpler version inevitably, get extended… so you’re back to where you started.

but perhaps a version that did things different, in particularly, Id like a version that streamed from sdcard (rather than loaded in memory) , that by definition would be ‘simpler’, as you cannot do certain things when streaming. but this is non-trivial to implement (well)

and/or, id quite like for SAM, or a.n.other to interface with the recorder.
whilst you can currently do - its a bit fiddly, recording then loading that file into SAM (via browser).
… and whilst its a ‘particular’ use-case, its quite a fun one to do.

(currently, I tend to instead use GRA to record instead, but I quite like the recorders interface)

#3

When SAM plays a stereo file, how are the channels outputted? How do you get stereo outs? I have setup a patch using a SAM module to replicate what I do with my Tesseract Nutella or Loopy Pro in the iPad. It is just a ton of scrolling to connect it up. Basically it is using all the SAMs channels playing loops and the SAM is followed by SVF’s for each out. Here is the patch.

Loop Player
Loop Player1500×1159 170 KB

Also it seems to have a little crackling that happens during playback, I have to figure out what that is about. Maybe I am pushing things too far. If I can get stereo outs, I may be able to spread thing around a bit better.

#4

as far as I remember (ie. without going a testing it now ;))) , just load a stereo file, and select the multi channel option (mCh), and it’ll output on out1/out2.
iirc, you then connect your inputs to the 1/2 variants.

what I cannot remember offhand is if you can load another into slot 3, to use out 3/4
possibly not, as I think mCh kind of implies that SAM is using one sample across all output channels. … then again, I kind of half remember it loading as many channels as the file has…
so Id have to experiment to double check, so leave that as homework :laughing:

crackling…
honestly, no idea, doesn’t look that cpu intensive, id have to play with it to see whats going on.
guesses ?

some discontinuities before introduced… or perhaps DC offsets.
or that if the pitch of the SVF is modulated v. quickly (even by small amounts), as generally calculated cutoff frequencies is expensive,
dont get me wrong, generally modulating is fine, but if I was looking for something odd going on, thats where id take a look… incase theres some instability there or something.

only other things I can think of, would be if you were using large samples, and so used a lot of memory, in which case swapping could potentially cause overruns.

but as I said, only guess, as Id need to play with the patch , the samples, the inputs to get a feeling where the issue was occurring. as generally its looks fine, nothing that Id not expect to work fine.

#5

This is got to be it. I do sets with fairly long and some very long loops (I don’t like obvious looping happening in my texture loops). In my current setup, these long loops play out of the iPad, which has tons of memory, and from the Tesseract Nutella (for those no laptop venues), which streams right off the microSD card, files as big as you can fit. I guess I will have to wait for the SSP to have a streaming file player (if it ever gets one). I have a different patch that uses the audio interface aspect of the SSP and has the iPad trimming via USB directly into it, instead of the ES-8 it usually streams to. Works great and no crackling. looks like this:

iPad 8-channels
iPad 8-channels1000×1307 121 KB

As you can see, I have some of the CV inputs driving more than one module inputs. I have detected no problems so far, so I assume there should be none. I hope to add more to this to use the unused analog inputs for more CV control, most likely panning or something like that (maybe Efx).
I saw in a video that you sold your ES-8 after getting your SSP, I may do that myself. I have a cabinet with nothing but filters, VCAs, and Efx modules in it that typically processes these signals, If I can get the SSP to do those jobs, they might get sold too.

#6

have you turned on the cpu display?
global setting - LdEn (load enable)

its only one number (for all cores), but it’ll give you a rough idea where the problem may be, in particular if its cpu related, rather than audio issues.

in fairness the SSP has a lot of memory free for user application, but if you are using long high SR stereo samples, it’d be possible to get thru this I guess.
perhaps try mono, and then use modular to create my own stereo fx thru reverb/modulation etc.
I cannot remember if lower bit files get converted in memory to 32bit, quite possible, but worth a try, also lower sample rate.

but as I said, without playing with it, Id not like to say its x, y, or z/ jump to conclusions.

but, unfortunately to know for sure if its memory/swapping, you’d have to log in via ssh to see memory consumption etc.