INSTRUMENTS / GENERATORS

BeepMap

BeepMap generates sound based on an image. Imagine a vertical line scanning an image from left to right translating (mapping) colors and brightness to frequencies, tone and volume. There you have BeepMap. BeepMap is especially good at producing atmospheric and eerie sounds, particularly when given generous amounts of ping-pong delay and reverb.

BeepMap, translates the red color into the amplitude of a sine wave on the left channel and green colors into a sine wave on the right channel. Yellow, a mixture of red and green will therefore sound equally on both channels.

Related plugin: Harmor IMG tab.

NOTE: The frequency of each sine wave depends on its vertical position in the bitmap. Optionally, the blue component is used to define the frequency range per pixel.

Parameters

  • Frequency (FREQ) - Selects the frequency range for the whole bitmap height.
  • Length - Sets the duration of a pixel. The greater the length, the longer the sound will last.
  • Scale - Switches between linear frequency (Hz), and pitch scale in cents (1/100 semitone).
  • Use Blue - Enables blue color response.
  • Grainy - Causes sound to be heard as small grains.
  • Loop - Allows you to loop the whole bitmap, or play it once.
  • Widen - Use this to adjust the width of the stereo field.
  • Max Bitmap Height - Sets the maximum height for loaded bitmaps, i.e. number of sine waves to be added. The amount of CPU needed to process a voice depends on that value.

Loading & Using Images

  • Open - Open the OS file browser to load images.
  • Copy - Copies the current image for use in an image-editor.
  • Paste - Paste whatever is currently in the image copy buffer to BeepMap.

Notes & Tips

  • There's no built-in graphic editor, so the cut/paste feature is very handy.
  • Unlike as with sample files used in a project, the bitmap is saved inside the FLP project (or FST preset), thus the file size can grow quickly.

Plugin Credits: Didier Dambrin