Thwomp

Thwomp is a four oscillator drum synthesizer for Max for Live. It's a subtractive synthesizer that specializes in making drum sounds with the following features:

• Fixed frequency by default, as most drum sounds aren't played chromatically.
• Prominent pitch envelope for creating kick drums.
• No sustain or release, because those aren't features of percussive instruments.

Thwomp's interface is designed to be transparent and predictable, e.g., every parameter is labeled with its unit type.

Installation

Freezing the .amxd

Before the device is added to the User Library in Ableton Live or Ableton Push, the device should be frozen.

The latest version of the frozen device can be downloaded from the Thwomp page on the Max for Live site.

The device can be frozen manually by following these steps:

1. Open Ableton Live and drag Thwomp/Thwomp.amxd to the Device area (where it says Drop an instrument or Sample here).
2. Click the disclosure icon in the upper right of the device and choose Edit in Max.
3. In the Max window, click the Freeze Device icon in the bottom bar that looks like a snow flake, then choose File > Save As... to save the frozen device to a temporary location.

Note that this file can be deleted after the device has been added to the User Library.

Installing in Ableton Live

Drag the frozen Thwomp.amxd to the User Library (e.g., under User Library/Presets/Instruments/Max Instrument/).

Installing in Ableton Push Standalone Mode

1. Launch Push in standalone mode
2. In Live's sidebar, select Places > Push
3. Drag the frozen Thwomp.amxd to Places > Push > User Library (e.g., under User Library/Presets/Instruments/Max Instrument/ [note that in the Push Use Library this folder is not create by default like it is in the Live User Library]).

Using the Device on Push

After Thwomp has been installed in the Push User Library, the device can be added by choosing it under Device > User Library.

Opening in Max Directly

To open in Max directly without Live, open Thwomp/Thwomp.maxpat, Thwomp has some some additional features when opened outside of Live:

• Button: Trigger the MIDI note
• Pitch: Select the MIDI note pitch
• Velocity: Select the MIDI note velocity
• DAC Toggle: Toggles whether the audio engine is on
• Typing the letter "s" plays the note

Presets

Presets are available either when opening in Max directly, or by choosing Edit in Max in Live (and dragging the Max window size larger to expose the preset controls).

• Read: Read presets from a file
• Write: Write the presets to a file
• Overwrite: When toggled on, Write will automatically write again to the sample file
• To recall a preset, click a box
• To save a preset, shift-click a box
• To delete a preset, shift-option-click a box

Parameter Reference

Global

• Volume: Device volume
• Osc 1-2: Display oscillator controls
• Load: Toggle whether selecting a preset automatically loads it (this will also load the current selected preset)
• Preset: Choose the selected preset
• Rand: Randomize

Oscillator

• Osc: Toggle the oscillator on or off
• Shape: The waveform of the oscillator
• Reset: Toggle resetting the oscillator phase on each new note
• Note: Toggle whether to use the incoming MIDI note frequency (when off, the frequency is specified by the Freq control)
• Freq: Specify a frequency (only visible when Note is off)
• Semi: Specify a semitone offset (only visible when Note is on)
• Filter: Toggle whether the oscillator is routed through the filer
• Overdrive: Overdrive distortion
• Overtone: Overtone harmonics

Pitch Envelope

• Duration: Pitch envelope duration
• Curve:: Pitch envelope curve
• Amount: Pitch envelope amount

Filter

• Filter: Toggle the filter on or off
• Type: The type of the filter
• Freq: The filter cutoff
• Res: The filter resonance

Envelope

• Attack: The envelope attack
• Decay: The envelope decay
• Gain: The gain of this oscillator

Randomize

Oscillator

Toggles

• Osc 1: Toggle whether to randomize Osc 1
• Osc 2: Toggle whether to randomize Osc 2
• Osc: Toggle whether to randomize Osc
• Note: Toggle whether to randomize Note
• Filter: Toggle whether to randomize Filter
• Reset: Toggle whether to randomize Reset
• Shape: Toggle and min-max range for Shape
• Freq: Toggle and min-max range for Freq
• Semi: Toggle and min-max range for Semi
• Attack: Toggle and min-max range for Attack
• Decay: Toggle and min-max range for Decay
• Gain: Toggle and min-max range for Gain

Effect

• Overdrive: Toggle and min-max range for Overdrive
• Overtone: Toggle and min-max range for Overtone

Pitch Envelope

• Amount: Toggle and min-max range for Amount
• Duration: Toggle and min-max range for Duration
• Curve: Toggle and min-max range for Curve

Filter

• Filter: Toggle whether to randomize Filter
• Type: Toggle and min-max range for Type
• Freq: Toggle and min-max range for Freq
• Res: Toggle and min-max range for Res

Ring

• Ring: Toggle whether to randomize Ring
• Filter: Toggle whether to randomize Filter
• Attack: Toggle and min-max range for Attack
• Decay: Toggle and min-max range for Decay
• Gain: Toggle and min-max range for Gain

Ableton Push Support

Only controls are accessible on Push.

Demos

• House: 4/4 rhythm demo
• Latin: Hand percussion demo
• Polyrhythm: Polyrhythm demo
• Mutate: 4/4 rhythm demo that randomizes

Reconstructing

To reconstruct this demo loops in Ableton Live, setup a track with Sidewinder with the appropriate demo preset loaded, followed by a Drum Rack with the first four slots slots (C1-D#1) using the named preset from Thwomp.

House

1. Kick
2. Snare
3. Hi-Hat
4. Cymbal

Latin

1. Bongo Low
2. Bongo High
3. Conga Low
4. Conga High

Polyrhythm

1. 808 Kick
2. Hi-Hat
3. Tom
4. Cowbell

Mutate

1. 909 Kick
2. Clap
3. Hi-Hat
4. Cymbal

Presets

1. Kick
2. 808 Kick
3. 909 Kick
4. Snare
5. Clap
6. Hi-Hat
7. Cymbal
8. Tom
9. Bell
10. Cowbell
11. Bongo Low
12. Bongo High
13. Conga Low
14. Conga High
15. Init

1. Kick

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 65 Hz
• Sine
• 2 ms Attack
• 383 ms Decay
• -2 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• 120 Hz Amount
• 100 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• 250 Hz
• Rect
• 0 ms Attack
• 26 ms Decay
• -8 dB Gain
• Filter on

Filter

• Bandpass
• 500 Hz
• 8 Res

2. 808 Kick

• -6 dB Volume

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Triangle
• 48 Hz
• 5% Overtone
• 35% Overdrive
• 2 ms Attack
• 1000 ms Decay
• -2 dB Gain

Pitch Envelope

• 100 ms Duration
• -30% Curve
• 120 Hz Amount

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• Sine
• 127 Hz
• 1 ms: Attack
• 35 ms: Decay

3. 909 Kick

• -2 dB Volume

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Triangle
• 50 Hz
• 10% Overtone
• 5% Overdrive
• 2 ms Attack
• 400 ms Decay
• -8 dB Gain
• Filter on

Pitch Envelope

• 50 ms Duration
• 160 Hz Amount

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• Sine
• 127 Hz
• 1 ms: Attack
• 25 ms: Decay
• Filter on

Filter

• Lowpass
• 1300 Hz

4. Snare

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 175 Hz
• Sine
• 1 ms Attack
• 60 ms Decay
• -8 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• 200 Hz Amount
• 3 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Tail)

• Noise
• 2 ms Attack
• 75 ms Decay
• -15 dB Gain

Filter

• Bandpass
• 4500 Hz
• 2 Res

5. Clap

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Noise
• 0 ms Attack
• 90 ms Decay
• 0 dB Gain
• Filter on
• 10% Overdrive

Filter

• Bandpass
• 1200 Hz Freq
• 2 Res

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• 1200 Hz
• Triangle
• 0 ms Attack
• 10 ms Decay
• -10 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• -2000 Hz Amount
• 6 ms Duration

6. Hi-Hat

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Noise
• 0 ms Attack
• 100 ms Decay
• -4 dB Gain
• Filter on

Filter

• Highpass
• 6000 Hz
• 0.3 Res

7. Cymbal

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Pink
• 0 ms Attack
• 550 ms Decay
• 0 dB Gain
• Filter on

Filter

• Bandpass
• 7000 Hz Freq
• 4.5 Res

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• 13000 Hz
• Triangle
• 100 ms Decay
• -20 dB Gain
• Filter off
• 50% Overdrive

Pitch Envelope

• -2 Hz Amount
• 6 ms Duration

8. Tom

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 110 Hz
• Sine
• 2 ms Attack
• 500 ms Decay
• -8 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• 12 Hz Amount
• 300 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Tail)

• Pink
• 2 ms Attack
• 200 ms Decay
• -18 dB Gain
• Filter on

Filter

• Lowpass
• 1200 Hz
• 0.3 Res

9. Bell

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Triangle
• 1210 Hz

Pitch Env

• 1.1 ms duration
• 1210 Hz amount

Oscillator 2 (Body)

• Triangle
• 2800 Hz

Ring

• 300 ms Decay

10. Cowbell

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• Triangle
• 700 Hz

Oscillator 2 (Body)

• Triangle
• 1000 Hz

Ring

• 1 ms Attack
• 150 ms Decay

11. Bongo Low

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 375 Hz
• Sine
• 2 ms Attack
• 125 ms Decay
• -10 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• -200 Hz Amount
• 2 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Tail)

• Pink
• 0 ms Attack
• 150 ms Decay
• -30 dB Gain
• Filter off

12. Bongo High

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 550 Hz
• Sine
• 2 ms Attack
• 125 ms Decay
• -10 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• -200 Hz Amount
• 2 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Tail)

• Pink
• 0 ms Attack
• 150 ms Decay
• -30 dB Gain
• Filter off

13. Conga Low

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 200 Hz
• Sine
• 2 ms Attack
• 200 ms Decay
• -10 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• -200 Hz Amount
• 2 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• 100 Hz
• Triangle
• 0 ms Attack
• 90 ms Decay
• -20 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• 1000 Hz Amount
• 2 ms Duration

14. Conga High

Oscillator 1 (Body)

• 425 Hz
• Sine
• 2 ms Attack
• 200 ms Decay
• -10 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• -200 Hz Amount
• 2 ms Duration

Oscillator 2 (Click)

• 300 Hz
• Triangle
• 0 ms Attack
• 70 ms Decay
• -20 dB Gain
• Filter off

Pitch Envelope

• 1000 Hz Amount
• 2 ms Duration