I wonder if there are any samples that read non-musical stuff (like pictures or txt files or exe files even), I usually export it through Audacity, like import non-musical files → export as wav → load this sample into any vcv sampler.
So i was thinking that maybe there is a way to bypass the Audacity in the process. I know that some Bidoo module reads the png files, but that’s not exactly what i want… There’s no way to sync it and the sound is not glitchy enough, though it is definitely a cool module.
Thank you, but i don’t think so. It refuses to open anything except wav files… But this module is pretty cool anyways, it reminds me of a vst i used to have… “bini” i think it was called
I’ve done a little thinking about a module that would load an image and let you define read heads each with a path and a sampling window size/shape. Each read head emits trigger/gate/voltage based on information in the image as it moves along its path.
As an example, for pure rhythm, you could have an image that looks like a barcode or QR code and just use the triggers/gates. Perhaps a first version could focus on just emitting triggers and gates on detected edges, and that alone would be useful enough to justify a module.
Sounds like there’s at least one other person who finds the idea of potential interest. A couple of other projects have taken precedence, but I haven’t forgotten about it. I’m interested in ideas about what such a module would look like, and what information in an image could be interesting sound-wise.
I can imagine things like: do a polar projection to make the image a circle (like a vinyl record), then use a read head with a spiral path. Could be amusing. I can also imagine a version with 3 HSL inputs that would let you record an image.
Sounds a wonderful idea-Bidoo do make a image synth, but I only tried it a long time ago. I used to put pictures of my patches, can’t remember what results I got or the name of the module.
Your idea does seem to have more possibilities! So it would actually read/scan the image?
Yes – a read head would scan the image along a path and emit voltage/gate based on information from a region (square, gaussian spot) or pixel, possibly optionally smoothed along the path. That information could be luminance, hue, chroma, saturation, value, slope/direction of change (e.g. using Sobel-filtered version of the image), etc. Paths could be scan-lines, orbits, random walks, trajectory over a toroid (straight line, wrapping at edges), bouncing balls, edge-following, spirals – endless possibilities.
The other direction is also possible: A write head accepts CV inputs for color space coordinates (e.g. a single Luminance input generates a black and white image). With a write capability, you could read and write from the same image in a patch. I don’t necessarily expect you could achieve 100% reversible recording/playback, but could be interesting nevertheless.
Yeah! I don’t know why people didn’t think of making something like that. the closest thing is, yeah, the Bidoo’s module, which I think I mentioned in my post. But what I want is more flexible and more… usable, I hope.
I think there should be some kind of field for an image… Wait, I’ll draw what I think of
It could be that I forgot something… But basically we have a picture and a “reading head” that we can control with path knob and clock with resolution (cause if have a giant image and we want the information to change in our lifetime, it would be better to have some kind of inner clock multiplier), So the “reading head” is going through the pixels and outputting the values… I am not sure how to code them. Maybe the hex colour thing recalculated as -10 to 10v. We also have a manual control over the cursor, the “reading head” with x and y inputs. And I like your idea about spirals and so on, so maybe the knob for paths would be cool too! With different patterns…
I also think of a… well, questionable feature of recording stuff as images. So we have channels for colours… I don’t know. I think it would be fun!
Good find! The Bidoo EMILE reads the image as a spectrogram, which is interesting and very scientific.
Needless to say, what I describe isn’t that at all.
The complement to EMILE is the Bidoo Garçon, which draws a spectrogram from audio input. If that can save an image, you could then load them into Emile.
Well I have just tried Emile and every time it has crashed! I was using FW LFO as V/O. Not sure if that pranged it but I doubt it.
Garcon I’ll try next.
Be good if you could do all that you plan to do for this module. Another weird sound generator is always welcome!
Garcon is no longer on Bidoo’s area in the library.
I found some of my notes, and another idea was scrubbing - where you can drag the read head around the image. Could be useful with a well-crafted image.
Thanks for the ANS link! I’d never heard of it before. It appears that there is a software version of it, too. It would be cool to have it made into a VCV module!
Anyone else got the Digitalis VST plugin? You can use pictures as a lo-fi filter, and it includes a few of cats in the presets. This just made me think of that…actually a brilliant plugin!
It isn’t a sampler per se, but try out Satanonaut by Voxglitch- it’s a glitchy “circuit bent” delay buffer that sounds suuper gnarly. For even more glitch, you can use an A/D and D/A and run individual digital bits through Satanonauts.
There’s something similar to this built in to the Alchemy synth (bundled with Logic Pro). You can import an image - it will treat it as a spectogram, then you can edit that image to produce glitchy noise. I’ve not had a lot of success making useful sounds out of it, but it’s fun to play around with…
