VCV-Prototype/Faust.md

Using Faust DSP language in VCV Prototype

The Faust audio DSP language can be used in VCV Prototype. The Faust compiler can be embedded in applications or plugins using libfaust, and DSP code can be edited and JIT compiled on the fly. To facilitate the deployment of the Faust aware VCV Prototype, the (slower) interpreter backend is currently used instead of the (faster) LLVM backend.

Compilation and installation

• type make dep && make && make install to build and install the module
• you can now add a Faust aware VCV Prototype in your Rack session and start coding in Faust

Loading/editing/compiling DSP files

Faust DSP files have to be loaded in VCV Prototype and edited in a external editor (Visual Studio Code, Atom...). Each time the file is saved, it will be recompiled and executed. To possibly save compilation time, the DSP machine code is saved in a cache, and possibly restored the next time the session will be loaded.

The 6 audio inputs/outputs can be accessed in order in the Faust DSP which can thus use up to 6 channels.

The 6 switches, knobs as well as the lights and switchLights can be connected to UI controllers using metadata:

• [switch:N] (with N from 1 to 6) has to be used in a button or checkbox item to connect it to the prototype interface switch number N
• [knob:N] (with N from 1 to 6) has to be used in a vslider, hslider or nentry item to connect it to the prototype interface knob number N. The knob [0..1] range will be mapped to the slider/nentry [min..max] range
• [light_red:N|light_green:N|light_blue:N] (with N from 1 to 6) has to be used in a vbargraph or hbargraph item to connect it to the prototype interface light number N
• [switchlight_red:N|switchlight_green:N|switchlight_blue:N] (with N from 1 to 6) has to be used in a vbargraph or hbargraph to connect it to the prototype interface switchLight number N

So a button or checkbox UI item can use the [switch:N] metadata to be associated with the corresponding GUI switch, which color can be controlled using the switchlight_xx:N metadata. For instance:

• gate = button("gate [switch:1") : hbargraph("[switchlight_red:1]", 0, 1); can be written to describe a button which become red when pressed
• check = checkbox("check [switch:2]") : vbargraph("[switchlight_red:2]", 0, 1) : vbargraph("[switchlight_green:2]", 0, 1) : vbargraph("[switchlight_blue:2]", 0, 1); can be written to describe a checkbox which become white when checked

Other metadata:

• [scale:lin|log|exp] metadata is implemented.

The rack.lib Faust library contains usefull functions to convert CV signals, and can be enriched if needed.

Note that only monophonic DSP programs can be described.

DSP examples

Here is a simple example showing how oscillators can be controlled by GUI items, associated with metadata in the DSP code:

import("stdfaust.lib");

// UI controllers connected using metadata
freq = hslider("freq [knob:1]", 200, 50, 5000, 0.01);
gain = hslider("gain [knob:2]", 0.5, 0, 1, 0.01);
gate = button("gate [switch:1]");

// DSP processor
process = os.osc(freq) * gain * 5, os.sawtooth(freq) * gain * gate * 5;

Following the VCV Prototype model, note that audio outputs are multipled by 5 to follow the [-5v..5v] range convention.

The standard examples ported to Faust can be seen in the examples folder:

• gain.dsp
• rainbow.dsp
• vco.dsp

Some additional examples:

• synth.dsp demonstrates how to use all different VCV Prototype UI items
• organ.dsp demonstrates a MIDI controllable additive synthesis based organ
• physicalmodel.dsp demonstrates a modal synthesis based bell connected to a reverb