Synthesizers

PyTheory includes 56 built-in waveforms and 10 ADSR envelope presets. Every sound is generated from scratch – no samples or external audio files needed.

Here’s the beautiful thing about synthesis: all of it comes from math. Sine waves, addition, and shaping. That’s the entire foundation. Every legendary synth in history – the Moog Minimoog, the Sequential Prophet-5, the Yamaha DX7, the Roland Juno-106, the Roland TB-303 – uses some combination of these building blocks. When you choose a waveform in PyTheory, you’re reaching for the same raw materials that defined decades of music. The difference between a Moog bass and a DX7 bell isn’t magic; it’s which waveforms you start with and how you shape them.

Classic Waveforms

These four are the fundamentals. Every analog synthesizer ever built starts here. If you learn nothing else about synthesis, learn these – they’re the primary colors you mix everything else from.

Sine

The purest tone possible. Contains only the fundamental frequency with no harmonics. Sounds smooth, clean, and “electronic.” This is the building block of all other waveforms (Fourier’s theorem).

Use for: sub bass, clean pads, test tones, blending under other voices.

from pytheory import play, Synth, Tone

tone = Tone.from_string("C4", system="western")
play(tone, synth=Synth.SINE)

Sawtooth

Contains all harmonics (both odd and even), each at amplitude 1/n. The richest of the classic waveforms — bright, buzzy, and aggressive. Named for its ramp shape.

Use for: leads, brass, pads, anything that needs presence and bite.

play(tone, synth=Synth.SAW)

Triangle

Contains only odd harmonics, each at amplitude 1/n-squared. Softer and more mellow than sawtooth — somewhere between sine and saw. Often described as “woody” or “hollow.”

Use for: flute-like leads, mellow bass, gentle pads.

play(tone, synth=Synth.TRIANGLE)

Square

Contains only odd harmonics, each at amplitude 1/n. Sounds hollow and punchy — the classic chiptune / 8-bit sound. A special case of the pulse wave with a 50% duty cycle.

Use for: chiptune, 8-bit game music, hollow leads, sub-octave bass.

play(tone, synth=Synth.SQUARE)

Extended Waveforms

These go beyond the basics into territory that defined specific instruments and eras. The pulse wave is the sound of the NES. FM synthesis is the sound of the 1980s. If the classic waveforms are primary colors, these are the specific pigments that painters actually reach for.

Pulse

A pulse wave with a variable duty cycle. Narrower pulses sound thinner and more nasal. At 50% it equals a square wave; at 10–20% it produces the classic NES-style buzzy tone.

Use for: NES/chiptune sounds, nasal leads, retro textures.

lead = score.part("lead", synth="pulse", envelope="pluck")

FM Synthesis

Frequency modulation – one oscillator (the modulator) modulates the frequency of another (the carrier), producing complex inharmonic spectra. This is how the Yamaha DX7 works – the best-selling synthesizer of all time. Released in 1983, it was suddenly everywhere: the electric piano in every Whitney Houston ballad, the bass in every Depeche Mode track, the bells in a thousand TV jingles. If you heard pop music in the 80s, you heard FM synthesis.

Use for: bells, metallic leads, glassy pads, DX7-style sounds.

bells = score.part(
    "bells",
    synth="fm",
    envelope="bell",
    fm_ratio=3.0,
    fm_index=5.0,
    volume=0.3,
    reverb=0.4,
)

Noise

White Noise

Equal energy at all frequencies — pure randomness with no pitch. Useful as a texture layer, a percussion source, or a wind/ocean effect.

Use for: snare layers, hi-hats, wind effects, risers, ambient texture.

texture = score.part(
    "texture",
    synth="noise",
    envelope="pad",
    volume=0.1,
    lowpass=2000,
)

Ensemble Waveforms

These all create “bigger” sounds by layering or modulating multiple oscillators. Where a single sawtooth wave sounds like one instrument, these sound like a section – a string ensemble, a choir, a wall of synths. They’re the pad and atmosphere machines, the sounds that fill out a mix and make it feel wide and immersive.

Supersaw

Seven detuned sawtooth oscillators stacked together. The slight pitch differences create a shimmering, massive wall of sound. This is the Roland JP-8000’s gift to the world – the waveform that launched an entire genre. Every trance anthem from the late 90s and early 2000s, every euphoric EDM drop, every J-pop power chord owes something to the supersaw.

Use for: trance pads, EDM leads, massive chords, anthem hooks.

pad = score.part(
    "pad",
    synth="supersaw",
    envelope="pad",
    volume=0.4,
    chorus=0.3,
    reverb=0.5,
)

PWM Slow

Pulse width modulation with a slow LFO. The duty cycle sweeps back and forth, creating a lush, animated pad sound. This is the Roland Juno-106 in a nutshell – arguably the most recorded synth pad sound in history. That warm, slowly evolving, slightly chorused wash you hear in everything from Boards of Canada to Drake? PWM with a slow LFO.

Use for: lush analog pads, slow evolving textures, Juno-style warmth.

pad = score.part(
    "pad",
    synth="pwm_slow",
    envelope="pad",
    volume=0.35,
    reverb=0.4,
)

PWM Fast

Pulse width modulation with a fast LFO. The rapid duty cycle sweep produces a natural chorus/vibrato effect built into the waveform itself.

Use for: animated leads, vibrato textures, movement without effects.

lead = score.part("lead", synth="pwm_fast", envelope="pluck", volume=0.5)

Analog Synthesis

These waveforms model the behavior of real analog hardware — the imperfections, interactions, and nonlinearities that make a room full of vintage synths sound so much more alive than a room full of VSTs. Each one is a different approach to the same question: how do you make a digital oscillator sound like it has a soul?

Hard Sync

A “slave” oscillator is forced to restart its cycle every time a “master” oscillator completes one. The abrupt restart creates bright formant peaks that sweep as the slave ratio changes. This is THE sound of the Prophet-5, Moog Prodigy, and every screaming analog lead since 1978.

Use for: aggressive leads, formant sweeps, cutting solos.

lead = score.part("lead", synth="hard_sync", envelope="pluck")

# Higher slave ratio = more harmonics, brighter
from pytheory import play, Synth, Tone
play(Tone.from_string("C4"), synth=Synth.HARD_SYNC, slave_ratio=2.5)

Ring Modulation

Two oscillators multiplied together, producing sum and difference frequencies. Unlike FM, ring mod outputs only sidebands — no carrier or modulator fundamental. The result is metallic, bell-like, and often inharmonic. Classic Dalek voice, Stockhausen, and every sci-fi soundtrack.

Use for: metallic bells, alien textures, inharmonic percussion.

bells = score.part("bells", instrument="ring_mod_bell",
                   reverb=0.5, reverb_type="cave")

# Non-integer ratios = more inharmonic
play(Tone.from_string("C4"), synth=Synth.RING_MOD, mod_ratio=2.1)

Wavefolding

The heart of west coast synthesis (Buchla, Make Noise, Verbos). A sine wave is amplified past ±1.0, then “folded” — the overflow bounces back instead of clipping. Each fold adds new harmonic pairs. At low fold counts it’s warm and round; crank it up and it gets buzzy, gnarly, and alive.

This sounds completely different from subtractive synthesis — instead of removing harmonics with a filter, you’re generating them by shaping the wave. Pairs beautifully with a lowpass filter after the fold.

Use for: complex leads, evolving textures, west coast basslines.

# Warm, musical folding
warm = score.part("fold", instrument="wavefold_warm")

# Cranked and aggressive
gnarly = score.part("gnarly", instrument="wavefold_gnarly")

# Direct control over fold amount
play(Tone.from_string("C4"), synth=Synth.WAVEFOLD, folds=3.0)

Drift Oscillator

Real analog oscillators are never perfectly stable. Capacitor charging, thermal variations, and component tolerances make the pitch wander slightly. This is what makes a Minimoog sound “fat” and a VST sound “thin” — the constant micro-motion of imperfect hardware.

The drift oscillator models slow pitch drift (< 1 Hz wander), fast jitter (per-cycle randomness), a soft analog noise floor, and slightly rounded waveform edges. It turns any basic shape into something that breathes.

Use for: analog-style pads, warm basses, vintage leads, any voice that needs to feel “alive.”

# Vintage Minimoog-style saw
pad = score.part("pad", instrument="drift_saw",
                 reverb=0.35, reverb_type="taj_mahal")

# Hollow square with analog wobble
sq = score.part("sq", instrument="drift_square")

# Control the shape and instability directly
play(Tone.from_string("C4"), synth=Synth.DRIFT,
     shape="triangle", drift_amount=0.25)

Drift amount controls how unstable the oscillator is:

  • 0.05 = studio-grade (Sequential, Oberheim)

  • 0.15 = classic vintage (Minimoog, ARP) — the default

  • 0.30 = barely-holding-it-together (old SH-101)

ADSR Envelopes

Here’s a question: a piano and an organ can play the exact same note at the exact same frequency. Why do they sound completely different? The answer is the envelope – the shape of the sound over time. A piano hits hard and immediately starts fading. An organ snaps on at full volume and stays there until you lift the key. A violin swells in gradually. The frequency is the same; the envelope is what makes each instrument feel like itself.

ADSR stands for Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release – four stages that describe how any sound’s volume changes from the moment you press a key to the moment it falls silent. Understanding ADSR is the single most important thing you can learn about synthesis, because it’s the difference between a sound that feels like an instrument and a sound that feels like a test tone.

Raw waveforms click at the start and end of each note. An ADSR envelope shapes the amplitude over time for natural-sounding notes:

  • Attack – how quickly the sound reaches full volume.

  • Decay – how quickly it drops to the sustain level.

  • Sustain – the held volume while the note is on.

  • Release – how quickly it fades to silence after the note ends.

PyTheory includes 10 presets:

from pytheory import play, Envelope, Tone

tone = Tone.from_string("C4", system="western")

play(tone, envelope=Envelope.PIANO)     # Quick attack, natural decay
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.PLUCK)     # Sharp attack, fast decay
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.PAD)       # Slow fade in, lush sustain
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.ORGAN)     # Instant on/off, no shaping
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.BELL)      # Instant attack, long ring
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.STRINGS)   # Gradual bow attack
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.BOWED)     # Bow bite into sustain
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.MALLET)    # Strike with ringing sustain
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.STACCATO)  # Short and punchy
play(tone, envelope=Envelope.NONE)      # Raw waveform, no shaping

Envelope Descriptions

Name

Character

"piano"

Quick attack, natural decay – acoustic piano feel

"pluck"

Sharp attack, fast decay – guitar pick, harp

"pad"

Slow fade in, lush sustain – strings, synth pads

"organ"

Instant on/off – Hammond organ, no shaping

"bell"

Instant attack, no sustain – short metallic ring

"strings"

Gradual bow attack – orchestral strings, slow

"bowed"

Bow bite into sustain – solo strings, brass

"mallet"

Strike with ringing sustain – vibraphone, celesta

"staccato"

Short and punchy – funk stabs, percussive hits

"none"

Raw waveform, no amplitude shaping at all

Detune

Any synth can be fattened with the detune parameter — it renders three oscillators per note: the center pitch plus one shifted up and one shifted down by the specified number of cents. The slight frequency differences create beating and width, like an analog synth with oscillator drift.

# Juno-style analog drift — subtle, warm
pad = score.part("pad", synth="saw", detune=15)

# Trance supersaw territory — wide, shimmery
lead = score.part("lead", synth="saw", detune=25)

# Subtle thickening on a bass
bass = score.part("bass", synth="pulse", detune=8)

# Works on any synth — even FM
bells = score.part("bells", synth="fm", detune=12)

Detune values:

  • 5–10 = subtle thickening (barely noticeable, just warmer)

  • 12–18 = classic analog drift (Juno, Prophet)

  • 20–30 = wide and shimmery (trance, EDM)

  • 40+ = extreme, almost chorus-like

This is different from the chorus effect — detune creates additional oscillators at render time (three per note), while chorus processes the audio after rendering with a modulated delay line. Detune is “wider at the source,” chorus is “wider after the fact.” Stack both for maximum fatness.

Stereo Placement

Every part can be placed in the stereo field with pan and spread.

Pan positions a part left or right. Constant-power panning keeps the perceived loudness even as you move across the field:

rhythm = score.part("rhythm", synth="saw", pan=-0.7)     # left
lead = score.part("lead", synth="saw", pan=0.6)          # right
bass = score.part("bass", synth="sine", pan=0.0)         # center
hats = score.part("hats", synth="noise", pan=0.3)        # slightly right

Pan values: -1.0 (hard left), 0.0 (center), 1.0 (hard right).

Spread works with detune — the up-detuned oscillator goes to the right channel and the down-detuned goes to the left, creating stereo width at the source:

# Wide pad: detuned + spread across the stereo field
pad = score.part(
    "pad",
    synth="saw",
    detune=20,
    spread=1.0,       # full L/R separation of detuned voices
    reverb=0.4,
)

Spread values: 0.0 (detuned voices stay mono), 1.0 (full L/R split). Stack with pan to offset the center of the spread.

Reverb is also stereo — the left and right channels get different early reflection patterns, so the reverb tail occupies real space in the stereo field rather than sitting dead center.

Physical Modeling

Three synths go beyond traditional waveform synthesis into physical modeling territory — they simulate how real instruments produce sound.

Karplus-Strong Pluck

A burst of noise fed into a short delay line. The delay length sets the pitch, the feedback filter models the string decaying. This is how every physical modeling synth since 1983 does plucked strings. It sounds genuinely like a real guitar, harp, or koto.

guitar = score.part("guitar", synth="pluck_synth")
harp = score.part("harp", instrument="harp")  # uses pluck_synth

Hammond Organ

Additive synthesis with drawbar harmonics — sine waves at the fundamental plus 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th harmonics mixed at musical levels. Warm, round, unmistakably organ.

organ = score.part("organ", synth="organ_synth")

String Ensemble

Filtered sawtooth with body resonance formants at ~500 Hz and ~1500 Hz, modeling the way a violin or cello body shapes the sound. Warmer and more “wooden” than a raw saw wave.

violin = score.part("violin", synth="strings_synth")

Dedicated Instrument Synths

Beyond the classic and physical modeling waveforms, PyTheory includes 36 dedicated instrument synths. Each one uses tailored synthesis techniques – additive harmonics, formant shaping, body resonance modeling, and specialized envelopes – to capture the character of a specific acoustic instrument. These are the waveforms that bring the total count to 56.

Piano Synth

Hammer-strike envelope with body resonance and subtle inharmonicity. Models the way a felt hammer excites steel strings inside a wooden soundboard.

piano = score.part("piano", synth="piano_synth")

Rhodes Electric Piano

The Fender Rhodes — a rubber-tipped hammer strikes a steel tine next to a tonebar, picked up by an electromagnetic pickup. Warm, bell-like, with a bright metallic attack that mellows into a singing sustain. The sound of jazz clubs, soul, and neo-soul.

rhodes = score.part("rhodes", synth="rhodes_synth")
# Or use the instrument preset (adds tremolo + chorus)
rhodes = score.part("rhodes", instrument="electric_piano")

Wurlitzer Electric Piano

The Wurlitzer uses a vibrating steel reed (not a tine like Rhodes) picked up by an electrostatic pickup. More nasal, reedy, and biting — it barks and growls when played hard. Think Supertramp, Ray Charles.

wurli = score.part("wurli", synth="wurlitzer_synth")
wurli = score.part("wurli", instrument="wurlitzer")

Mellotron

The original “sampler” — a 1960s keyboard where each key triggers a strip of magnetic tape with a pre-recorded instrument. The mechanical tape transport gives it a haunted, lo-fi quality that no digital emulation fully captures: pitch wobbles from uneven capstan speed, bandwidth limited to 300 Hz–6 kHz (like a worn cassette), soft tape saturation, and tapes that physically run out after 8 seconds.

The Mellotron defined the sound of Strawberry Fields Forever, Stairway to Heaven, and every prog rock record from 1969–1977.

Three tape banks are available via the tape parameter:

  • "strings" (default) — the iconic MkII string section

  • "flute" — breathy, haunting solo flute

  • "choir" — ghostly vocal pad

Use for: prog rock, haunted textures, vintage orchestral color.

# Use instrument presets (includes reverb)
strings = score.part("strings", instrument="mellotron_strings")
flute = score.part("flute", instrument="mellotron_flute")
choir = score.part("choir", instrument="mellotron_choir")

# Or select the tape directly
from pytheory import play, Synth, Tone
play(Tone.from_string("C4"), synth=Synth.MELLOTRON, tape="flute", t=3000)

Vibraphone Synth

Struck aluminum bars with motor-driven tremolo discs. The spinning motor modulates the sound through the resonator tubes, creating the signature vibraphone shimmer. Inharmonic bar modes at 1x, 2.76x, 5.4x.

vib = score.part("vib", synth="vibraphone_synth")
vib = score.part("vib", instrument="vibraphone")

Pipe Organ Synth

Multiple ranks of pipes — principal 8’, octave 4’, fifteenth 2’. Constant air pressure means no dynamics. Wind chiff at the attack. Best with cathedral reverb.

organ = score.part("organ", synth="pipe_organ_synth")
organ = score.part("organ", instrument="pipe_organ")

Choir Synth

Voices singing vowels shaped by formant bandpass filters. The glottal source is filtered through vocal tract resonances — F1, F2, F3, F4 — which is what makes “ah” sound different from “oo”. Use lyric= to control the vowel. Best with ensemble= for a full section.

choir = score.part("choir", synth="choir_synth")
choir = score.part("choir", instrument="choir")  # ensemble=6 + cathedral reverb
choir.add("C4", Duration.WHOLE, lyric="ah")

Bass Guitar Synth

Plucked string model with finger-damped harmonics and low-end warmth.

bass = score.part("bass", synth="bass_guitar_synth")

Flute Synth

Breathy noise excitation through a resonant tube model, with overblowing behavior at higher velocities.

flute = score.part("flute", synth="flute_synth")

Trumpet Synth

Brass lip-buzz model with spectral brightness that increases with velocity, plus a characteristic brassy edge from shaped harmonics.

trumpet = score.part("trumpet", synth="trumpet_synth")

Clarinet Synth

Cylindrical bore model producing mostly odd harmonics, giving the characteristic hollow, woody tone.

clarinet = score.part("clarinet", synth="clarinet_synth")

Oboe Synth

Double-reed model with nasal formant shaping and a buzzy, penetrating timbre.

oboe = score.part("oboe", synth="oboe_synth")

Marimba Synth

Tuned bar model with a soft mallet attack and a warm, resonant decay that emphasizes the fundamental.

marimba = score.part("marimba", synth="marimba_synth")

Harpsichord Synth

Plucked-string model with a bright, immediate attack and rapid decay – the characteristic “plink” of a quill plucking a string.

harpsi = score.part("harpsi", synth="harpsichord_synth")

Cello Synth

Bowed string model with body formants at cello resonance frequencies, producing a rich, warm, sustained tone.

cello = score.part("cello", synth="cello_synth")

Harp Synth

Plucked string with longer sustain and gentle high-frequency rolloff, modeling nylon strings on a resonant frame.

harp = score.part("harp", synth="harp_synth")

Upright Bass Synth

Pizzicato double bass with woody body resonance and a thumpy low end.

bass = score.part("bass", synth="upright_bass_synth")

Acoustic Guitar Synth

Steel-string model with pick transient, body resonance, and natural string decay.

guitar = score.part("guitar", synth="acoustic_guitar_synth")

Electric Guitar Synth

Magnetic pickup model with brighter harmonics and less body resonance than the acoustic, ready for effects processing.

eguitar = score.part("eguitar", synth="electric_guitar_synth")

Sitar Synth

Sympathetic string resonance with the characteristic buzzy “jawari” bridge, producing a shimmering, metallic sustain.

sitar = score.part("sitar", synth="sitar_synth")

Timpani Synth

Large kettle drum with definite pitch. Inharmonic membrane modes (1.0, 1.5, 1.99, 2.44), felt mallet attack, copper kettle resonance. Use Part.roll() for crescendo timpani rolls.

timp = score.part("timp", synth="timpani_synth")
timp.roll("C3", Duration.WHOLE, velocity_start=20, velocity_end=110)

Saxophone Synth

Single reed through a conical brass bore. All harmonics with strong mids, reed buzz, and brass body warmth. Four presets: saxophone, alto_sax, tenor_sax, bari_sax.

sax = score.part("sax", instrument="tenor_sax")

Pedal Steel Synth

The Nashville crying sound — singing harmonics with slow vibrato and long sustain. Pairs naturally with spring reverb.

steel = score.part("steel", instrument="pedal_steel")

Theremin Synth

Pure sine with natural hand wobble — the eerie sci-fi sound. Best used with legato and glide for continuous pitch.

theremin = score.part("theremin", instrument="theremin")

Kalimba Synth

Metal tines on a wooden body. Bright, bell-like attack with inharmonic overtones (modes at 1x, 2.92x, 5.4x).

kalimba = score.part("kalimba", instrument="kalimba")

Steel Drum Synth

Hammered metal pan with bright, ringing, tropical character. Inharmonic partials at 2.0x, 3.01x, 4.1x, 5.3x.

pan = score.part("pan", instrument="steel_drum")

Accordion Synth

Musette-tuned doubled reeds — two slightly detuned reed sets create natural beating. Bellows pressure swell modulates amplitude.

acc = score.part("acc", instrument="accordion")

Didgeridoo Synth

Deep cylindrical drone with shifting formant overtones. The overtone singing effect sweeps a resonant peak between 500-1500Hz. Best with cave reverb.

didg = score.part("didg", instrument="didgeridoo")

Bagpipe Synth

Bright chanter reed with constant bag pressure. All harmonics peaked around 3-7 (the piercing brightness). No dynamics — always ff.

pipes = score.part("pipes", instrument="bagpipe")

Banjo Synth

Steel strings on a drum-head membrane body. The membrane gives nasal, ringy resonance with faster decay than guitar.

banjo = score.part("banjo", instrument="banjo")

Mandolin Synth

Paired steel strings in 4 courses — natural chorus from the doubled unison strings. Bright, ringing, fast attack.

mando = score.part("mando", instrument="mandolin")

Ukulele Synth

Nylon strings on a small body. Mid-heavy resonance (no deep bass), softer attack than guitar, shorter sustain.

uke = score.part("uke", instrument="ukulele")

Granular Synth

Grain cloud synthesis — chops a source waveform into tiny overlapping grains (10-200ms), each windowed and optionally pitch/time scattered. Creates textures impossible with other synthesis: frozen tones, shimmering clouds, evolving pads, glitchy stutters.

# Atmospheric granular pad
pad = score.part("pad", instrument="granular_pad")

# Granular with filter envelope sweep + resonance
texture = score.part("texture", synth="granular_synth", envelope="pad",
                     filter_amount=4000, filter_attack=0.5,
                     filter_decay=1.5, filter_sustain=0.3,
                     lowpass=600, lowpass_q=3.0,
                     reverb=0.5, reverb_type="taj_mahal")

Parameters (passed as synth kwargs):

  • grain_size: Duration per grain in seconds (default 0.04).

  • density: Grains per second (default 50). Higher = denser cloud.

  • scatter: Random position jitter 0-1 (default 0.5).

  • pitch_var: Per-grain pitch randomization in cents (default 12).

  • source: Base waveform — "saw", "sine", "triangle", "square", "noise".

Crotales

Small tuned bronze discs (antique cymbals) struck with brass mallets. Bright, crystalline, bell-like tone with strong upper harmonics that rings for a long time. Nearly harmonic partials give crotales their penetrating brilliance — they cut through any orchestra.

crotales = score.part("crotales", synth="crotales_synth", envelope="none",
                      reverb=0.3)

Tingsha

Two small Tibetan cymbals joined by a cord, clashed together. Both discs ring at slightly different frequencies, producing a bright ping with pronounced beating — the wavering interference between the two is the whole character of the sound.

tingsha = score.part("tingsha", synth="tingsha_synth", envelope="none",
                     reverb=0.4)

Singing Bowl (Strike)

Tibetan/Himalayan singing bowl struck with a mallet. The impact excites inharmonic partials that ring and slowly beat against each other as near-degenerate mode pairs interfere. Higher modes fade quickly, leaving the fundamental shimmering for seconds.

bowl = score.part("bowl", synth="singing_bowl_strike_synth", envelope="none",
                  reverb=0.4)

Singing Bowl (Ring)

Rim-rubbed singing bowl — the mallet traces the rim, slowly building the fundamental into a sustained, pulsing tone. Upper harmonics shimmer in and out as the bowl resonates.

bowl = score.part("bowl", synth="singing_bowl_ring_synth", envelope="none",
                  reverb=0.4)

Rain Stick

Cascading pebbles through a cactus tube with internal pins. Two variants: steep angle (fast cascade) and shallow angle (slow trickle).

p.hit(DrumSound.RAINSTICK, Duration.WHOLE * 3)       # steep — fast cascade
p.hit(DrumSound.RAINSTICK_SLOW, Duration.WHOLE * 4)  # shallow — gentle trickle

Ocean Drum

Steel beads rolling inside a frame drum — tilting produces a smooth surf wash.

p.hit(DrumSound.OCEAN_DRUM, Duration.WHOLE * 3)

Cabasa

Metal bead chain scraped against a textured cylinder — brighter and more metallic than a shaker.

p.hit(DrumSound.CABASA, Duration.EIGHTH)

Wind Chimes

Suspended metal tubes struck by hand or breeze. Each tube rings at its own pitch with slight time offsets.

p.hit(DrumSound.WIND_CHIMES, Duration.WHOLE * 3)

Finger Cymbal

Single small cymbal tap (zill) — bright metallic ping.

p.hit(DrumSound.FINGER_CYMBAL, Duration.HALF)

Analog Oscillator Drift

All waveform synths support the analog_drift parameter, which adds subtle, slow random pitch variation to each oscillator – modeling the voltage instability of vintage analog circuits. This is what makes a real Minimoog sound slightly different on every note, and why analog synths feel “alive” compared to their digital counterparts.

# Subtle vintage drift
pad = score.part("pad", synth="saw", analog_drift=0.1)

# More pronounced, wobbly analog character
lead = score.part("lead", synth="square", analog_drift=0.3)

Drift values:

  • 0.05–0.1 = subtle warmth (studio-grade analog)

  • 0.15–0.25 = noticeable drift (vintage gear warming up)

  • 0.3+ = unstable, wobbly (broken tape machine)

Instrument Presets

Instead of choosing synth + envelope + effects manually, use an instrument preset — 60+ predefined combinations that approximate real instruments:

piano = score.part("piano", instrument="piano")
violin = score.part("violin", instrument="violin")
guitar = score.part("guitar", instrument="acoustic_guitar")
organ = score.part("organ", instrument="organ")
bass = score.part("bass", instrument="upright_bass")

Available instruments:

Keys: piano, electric_piano, organ, harpsichord, celesta, music_box, accordion

Strings: violin, viola, cello, contrabass, string_ensemble

Woodwinds: flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, alto_sax, tenor_sax, bari_sax

Brass: trumpet, trombone, french_horn, tuba, brass_ensemble

Plucked: acoustic_guitar, electric_guitar, clean_guitar, crunch_guitar, distorted_guitar, orange_crunch, metal_guitar, bass_guitar, upright_bass, harp, sitar, koto, banjo, mandolin, mandola, ukulele

World/Exotic: pedal_steel, theremin, kalimba, steel_drum, didgeridoo, bagpipe, singing_bowl, singing_bowl_ring, tingsha

Synth: synth_lead, synth_pad, synth_bass, acid_bass, 808_bass, granular_pad, granular_texture, vocal, choir

Mellotron: mellotron, mellotron_strings, mellotron_flute, mellotron_choir

Analog: sync_lead, sync_lead_bright, ring_mod_bell, ring_mod_metallic, wavefold_warm, wavefold_gnarly, drift_saw, drift_square, analog_pad, analog_bass

Percussion: vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular_bells, timpani, crotales

Explicit kwargs override preset defaults:

# Piano with extra reverb
piano = score.part("piano", instrument="piano", reverb=0.5)

# Violin panned left
violin = score.part("v", instrument="violin", pan=-0.4)

Choosing Synth and Envelope Combos

The right combination of synth and envelope defines the character of a voice. This is where you stop thinking about waveforms and start thinking about instruments. Here are some starting points:

  • Funk stabs: saw + staccato – bright, punchy, rhythmic.

  • Jazz keys: fm + bell – glassy DX7 electric piano.

  • Ambient pads: supersaw + pad – massive, slow-building wash.

  • Acid bass: saw + pluck with lowpass and glide – 303-style.

  • Chiptune lead: square + none – raw 8-bit.

  • Film strings: triangle + strings – soft, bowed, organic.

  • Sub bass: sine + pluck with lowpass – deep and round.

  • Retro synth: pwm_slow + pad – Juno-style analog warmth.

  • Percussive hit: noise + staccato with lowpass – snare layer.

  • E-piano ballad: fm + piano with reverb – intimate jazz club.

Some practical combos worth memorizing:

  • saw + staccato + legato = acid 303 line. Add a resonant lowpass and some glide and you’re in a warehouse in 1988.

  • fm + bell = jazz vibraphone. The glassy, harmonic-rich attack with a long ring-out. Add reverb for a late-night club feel.

  • supersaw + pad = ambient wash. The slow attack lets the detuned oscillators build into a shimmering wall. Add chorus and long reverb and you’re scoring a nature documentary.

  • saw + pluck = funk stab. Short, sharp, bright. The sound of Nile Rodgers’ right hand.

  • hard_sync + pluck = prophet lead. Bright formant peak that cuts through any mix. The opening riff of every 80s synth solo.

  • wavefold + organ = west coast bass. Warm, harmonically rich sine-derivative that pairs beautifully with a lowpass after.

  • drift + pad = analog pad. A sawtooth that breathes and wobbles like a real VCO. Add chorus and reverb for Juno vibes.

  • mellotron_synth + organ = prog strings. Haunted tape machine. Add cathedral reverb and you’re in 1972.