SoundThread - This is fabulous IMHO

[mosc]

I just viewed Mylarmelodies' youtube video about SoundThread, a new, to me, program that I think will be of interest of many members here. Simply stated, it's a graphical front end for CDP, Composters Desktop Project.

It's sort of a modular sound manipulator. This program is free and runs on Linux, Windows and Mac. I've been composing electronic music for many decades, and this is something that I find very exciting and inspiring; so much so that I decided to post this heads up message before even downloading it.

Watch the youtube video if you are not familiar with SoundThread, it explains it very well.

I've tried to contact the program's author, J. P. Higgins, for permission to start a dedicated forum here. There is a Discord community but I think a dedicated forum here would be more useful for more people. Whatever, if, and/or anyway, post here until we get permission from Mr. Higgins to make a dedicated forum here.

For convenience, here are some links copied from Mylarmelodies video description:

SOUNDTHREAD LINKS TO TRY IT YOURSELF
▶ Get SoundThread: https://github.com/j-p-higgins/SoundThread (Note: This will also tell you how to install CDP. Follow the install instructions precisely. It's not hard, but you mustn't miss a step.)
▶ ...Then learn SoundThread: Soundthread's maker has made a really clear and straightforward video tutorial series for it, watch these - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSR1fakzpcw9QjMXeByFGQBdFXJWfdFbu

What do you think about this?

[mosc]

--I just received word Jonathan. He's an old time member here but only a lurker. He'll set up a new account and I'll set up the forum.

[InfernalGrape]

It is indeed amazing!

And I think that if you combine CDP/SoundThreads with Nord Modualr/Wren, you'll open the door to alien dimension and won't return to our reality...

[blue hell]

oh dear - watched one or two of the videos ... some more to go .. but seems pretty nice - yes :)

[blue hell]

Just installed it .. now trying it a bit and ... some remarks popup now .. of course

- In the settings I can not immediately see if the cdprogs folder is set, nor is it visible to what it is being set [when you 'run thread' it will complain of course, but it coud just be visible in 'SoundThread Settings' maybe?]

- It would be nice to have repeat, or loop, on file playing, both for input files and for the ouput file - also for when playing afile without first opening it in another program.

- Input to input cabling would be handy - it currently will only move from one input to the other - will have to drag another from out to the next input. But ... this works differently for the output connector .. it is not possible to drag a cable to another output .. this is inconsistant imo. Output to output cabling could also work, and just do mixingon the associated input (if currently any - otherwise doing nothing)

- A nice feature would be to right click on a module .. erm process (there probably is some history which makes it being called a process .. but in SoundThread it is more like they are modules) .. anyway .. would be nice to be able to right click and change the module for another type .. say one distort for another .. for quickly trying things.

- The program - beta 3 on windows 10 - just hung, or probably it just ate a lof of processor cycles, .. while it was not doing anything ... but it messed up the audio output of another program .. and I had some trouble stopping it ... The program seems a bit slow/sluggish anyway .. als when a new file is being produced .. the progreaa bar stops .. thenit takes a while toload the output file and play it .. giving the illusionthat it does not 'work'.

- Oh, and it does not seem to see all my audio outputs .. just the first three pairs of my RME .. also I'd like to be able to select ASIO .. not sure what it currently uses .. but this may be the reason for the hangup/slowness?

- anyway .. that's it for now (as it crashed and i need a coffee )

- The audio results seem to be pretty decent though

- I like the idea of those 'distorts' .. got me thinking on how to make that (semi) real-time(-ish) .. in my own software .. a bit of delay would be ok .. one cycle seems enough .. although a cycle might take like .. half a hour .. or be eternal .. so will need some limit.

- oaky .. coffee.

- edit : this might go into that new forum.

[mosc]

The first thing I thought of when I watched Mylarmelodies video was that this is a natural thing to integrate with Wren somehow, or at least give Jan some inspiration.

[blue hell]

Tried to now install it on another computer with windows 11 .. the windows defender thingie thinks there to be a virus in the setup program for the composers desktop ..

so I've installed it on a non complaining windows computer and copied over cdpr8 to the win11 thing ... [but it might be possible too to tell windefender to ignore some folder(s)]

Then unzipped SoundThread and pointed it to that composer's desktop .. it does not complain - goood

Then I tried to try it with a synthesis: sine wave module .. hit 'run thread' and hey .. it wanted to be aninput file to be present ... but why .. after all the input module is just a special kind of synth module

Time to copy over a bunch of samples too then ... they are all wavs, as wren eats wavs only .. will it run mp3's too btw I now wonder ... ow about 8 GB of samples .. more coffee then .. and update the browser

[blue hell]

Good - after a cofee, a browser update, a file transfer and loading a sample into SoundThread - it works

I seem to have broken win 11 updating btw .. possibly by deleten the windows shop application? dunno..but it now complains with 'something went wrong' very informative .. µsoft seems to be able to make every windows after 7 or so a bit worse

Anyway, I hope the win11 computer to be a bit faster .. that was the idea, SoundThread seemed somewhat slow .. we'll see ...

[blue hell]

Another nice feature would be

- auto scaling on input files .. assuming the program works with floats it could just set the loudest peak to 0 dB .. or whatever was set. Maybe on output files too ..

edit: and then .. as the win11 volume control sucks with indirectness .. every version a bit worse.. yup ..

- a volume slider on the output module.

[blue hell]

And a bug report on attached thd file + it's console output in the txt file.

Some info is in notes in the thd.

---

crashing_01.thd
Description:	crashing thread	Download (listen)
Filename:	crashing_01.thd
Filesize:	7.01 KB
Downloaded:	5 Time(s)

---

---

crashing_01.txt
Description:	crashing thread's cosole output	Download (listen)
Filename:	crashing_01.txt
Filesize:	6.1 KB
Downloaded:	6 Time(s)

---

[Cynosure]

Apparently Aphex Twin uses it too:

https://www.musicradar.com/music-tech/its-one-of-the-most-powerful-software-sound-design-tools-on-earth-and-its-free-try-out-this-modular-audio-processing-playground-used-by-aphex-twin

I need to give it a try when I have time.