Misc — effect atlas¶

10 effects · 744 captures. Utility and special processors: EQs, enhancers, ring modulators, voice cancel, ambience and filters.

Part of the Motif ES effects teardown; the method and the cross-effect findings are in the main analysis (notebook).

How to read a card¶

Each effect gets one card, then a written breakdown.

Header band. The effect's name, category, how many recordings exist, and a one-sentence summary written from the measurements.
Tiles. The handful of numbers that matter most for this type of effect, at default settings. A dash means the value could not be measured, and the small caption says why.
The knob console. One knob per control. Click a knob to select it and move the slider under the knobs to turn it. A knob's ring is its own travel, coloured stretch by stretch: green where turning it barely changes the sound, red where a small turn changes it a lot, grey where nothing measurable happens. A knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring changes as the slider moves; every other ring shows that knob with the rest at their defaults. Controls that showed no measurable change at all are listed under the console, not drawn.
What each knob does. One bar per control, longest first. Bar length is the size of the change the knob makes, in multiples of the smallest change that matters in practice (1 dB of level, 20% of decay time, 10% of LFO rate…), on a log scale. Colour says what kind of change. ◆ marks readings taken with a test sound designed for that knob. Grey dots are knobs that did nothing with the other controls at default.
Signature panel. The view that best explains this kind of effect: decay curves for a reverb, echo taps for a delay, the input/output curve for a compressor, harmonics against input level for a distortion, the LFO for a modulation effect.
Knob × frequency. Each row is one knob at one tested setting; red means louder than default at that frequency, blue quieter. Modulation effects get a what the knobs touch matrix instead, because a running LFO has no single frequency response.
Stereo. How the left and right inputs reach the outputs.

The breakdown under each card notes the structure the measurements reveal, flags caveats, and names the tests in TESTS_NEEDED.md that would complete the picture. Below it, every knob is charted with the range tested and what it does; hover a bar for the detail.

Show code

In [1]:

import warnings; warnings.filterwarnings("ignore")
import sys; sys.path.insert(0, "..")
import os; os.chdir("..")                   # the cache lives in the project root
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from IPython.display import HTML, Markdown, display
import load, knobs, cards, plots, iviz, gapfill, knobviz, vizstyle as V
V.setup()
from matplotlib_inline.backend_inline import set_matplotlib_formats
set_matplotlib_formats("svg")           # figures embed as vector, not PNG
display(iviz.page_css())
df, curves = load.load()
noise = knobs.noise_table(df, curves)
g = gapfill.load()

def show(fig):
    display(fig)
    plt.close(fig)

def show_card(effect):
    show(cards.effect_card(df, curves, effect, noise)[0])

def show_knobs(effect):
    board = knobviz.console(df, curves, effect, noise)
    if board is not None:
        display(board)
    _, main, rh = cards.merged_knobs(df, curves, effect, noise)
    for h in iviz.knob_plots(effect, main, rh):
        display(h)

def show_parts(parts):
    for f, note in parts:           # each chart, then its own explanation directly under it
        f.show()
        display(Markdown(note))

def show_gapfill(effect, stimuli=None, drives_only=False):
    parts = iviz.gf_effect_parts(g, effect, stimuli, drives_only)
    if parts:
        display(Markdown(iviz.GF_INTRO))
    show_parts(parts)

The family at a glance¶

Every effect in the category on the same few numbers, then all of them on one chart — drag the slider to bring one forward, hover for exact values.

Show code

In [2]:

knob_counts = {'2-Band EQ': (2, 2), '3-Band EQ': (4, 4), 'Ambience': (4, 2), 'Beat Change': (5, 4), 'Dynamic Filter': (9, 5), 'Dynamic Ring Modulator': (10, 0), 'Harmonic Enhancer': (3, 0), 'Ring Modulator': (12, 0), 'Talking Modulator': (3, 1), 'Voice Cancel': (2, 0)}
show(cards.family_overview(df, 'Misc', knob_counts, curves))

No description has been provided for this image

Show code

In [3]:

iviz.family_fig(df, curves, 'Misc').show()

Recap. Why: to compare the tone of every effect in the family on one chart. How to read it: each line is one effect's frequency response, centred on its own median; drag the slider to bring one forward, hover for exact values.

Technical explanation. Each effect's frequency response at the capture baseline — how much each frequency is boosted or cut on its way through — measured by log-sweep deconvolution, smoothed to 1/6 octave, averaged over repeat captures, and shifted to its own median so the chart compares tone shape, not loudness. Drag the slider to bring one effect forward. The chart below this text reads each curve off as three numbers: its peak, the range within 6 dB of the peak, and the span from peak to deepest cut.

Identical curves (under 0.5 dB apart), so the same processing at these settings — a shared tone stage, or, for an EQ left flat, no shaping beyond the capture chain: 2-Band EQ = 3-Band EQ = Beat Change. Less reliable in detail (repeat captures differ by over 3 dB, usually a running LFO): Dynamic Ring Modulator, Ring Modulator. Not shown: level (each curve is centred on its own median), anything that changes over time.

Plain explanation: this is the effect's tone — which parts of the sound it makes louder or quieter. Curves that overlap exactly mean those effects do the same thing to your tone at these settings. Dynamic Filter rolls off the top end early, so it sounds darker.

In other words, the main points:

Most shaping: Dynamic Ring Modulator, 32 dB from peak to deepest cut.
Same tone curve (within 0.5 dB): 2-Band EQ = 3-Band EQ = Beat Change.
Darkest (top end rolled off early): Dynamic Filter.
Least repeatable in detail (usually a running LFO): Dynamic Ring Modulator, Ring Modulator.

Show code

In [4]:

iviz.tone_bands(df, curves, 'Misc')

Out[4]:

2-Band EQ¶

Show code

In [5]:

show_card('2-Band EQ')

2-Band EQ: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 4 tested controls, 2 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is EQ High Gain: raises everything above ~102 Hz by up to 24 dB. 2 do nothing with the others at default. Measured with 34 captures: 21 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 9 on matched probes (spectralSweep ×9), 4 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -27.8 dBFS RMS (crest 11.8 dB); stereo width 0.33, L/R correlation +0.79; spectral tilt +0.40 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -77 dB, H3 -52 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: EQ High Gain×EQ Low Gain (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Caveats:

EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is EQ High Gain: raises everything above ~102 Hz by up to 24 dB. After that, EQ Low Gain makes the next biggest difference. EQ High Freq and EQ Low Freq made no measurable difference with the other controls at default. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

2 of 4 tested controls measurably change the sound; 2 do nothing with the others at default.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: EQ High Gain, 3.4× the smallest change that matters (raises everything above ~102 Hz by up to 24 dB).
At default: stereo width 0.33, output -27.8 dBFS RMS.
Main caveat: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design.
Still to measure: T1, T13 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [6]:

show_knobs('2-Band EQ')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Not shown, because these recordings show no measurable change from them: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [7]:

show_gapfill('2-Band EQ')

3-Band EQ¶

Show code

In [8]:

show_card('3-Band EQ')

3-Band EQ: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 8 tested controls, 4 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Input Mode: side-signal survival -55 → -0 dB. 4 do nothing with the others at default. Measured with 68 captures: 38 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 18 on matched probes (spectralSweep ×15, stereoRouting ×3), 12 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -27.9 dBFS RMS (crest 11.9 dB); stereo width 0.33, L/R correlation +0.79; spectral tilt +0.40 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -77 dB, H3 -52 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: EQ High Gain×EQ Mid Gain, EQ Low Gain×EQ High Gain, EQ Low Gain×EQ Mid Gain (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Caveats:

EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq, EQ Mid Freq, EQ Mid Width did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Input Mode: side-signal survival -55 → -0 dB. After that, EQ Low Gain, EQ High Gain and EQ Mid Gain make the next biggest differences. EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq, EQ Mid Freq and EQ Mid Width made no measurable difference with the other controls at default. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

4 of 8 tested controls measurably change the sound; 4 do nothing with the others at default.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Input Mode, 18.3× the smallest change that matters (side-signal survival -55 → -0 dB).
At default: stereo width 0.33, output -27.9 dBFS RMS.
Main caveat: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq, EQ Mid Freq, EQ Mid Width did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design.
Still to measure: T1, T13 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [9]:

show_knobs('3-Band EQ')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Not shown, because these recordings show no measurable change from them: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq, EQ Mid Freq, EQ Mid Width.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [10]:

show_gapfill('3-Band EQ')

Ambience¶

Show code

In [11]:

show_card('Ambience')

Ambience: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 7 tested controls, 4 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Delay Time: 3rd harmonic -46 → -79 dB. 2 do nothing with the others at default. Measured with 74 captures: 33 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 17 on matched probes (spectralSweep ×11, impulseTail ×3, stereoRouting ×3), 24 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -36.4 dBFS RMS (crest 20.4 dB); stereo width 0.92, L/R correlation -0.70; spectral tilt +0.49 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -73 dB, H3 -46 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: Delay Time×EQ High Gain, Delay Time×EQ Low Gain, Delay Time×Wet Output Phase, EQ High Gain×Wet Output Phase, EQ Low Gain×EQ High Gain, EQ Low Gain×Wet Output Phase (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Caveats:

EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Delay Time: 3rd harmonic -46 → -79 dB. After that, EQ Low Gain and EQ High Gain make the next biggest differences. DryWet sets how much of the effect you hear and how loud it is. EQ High Freq and EQ Low Freq made no measurable difference with the other controls at default. At default left and right are largely independent, so it sounds wide.

In other words, the main points:

4 of 7 tested controls measurably change the sound; 2 do nothing with the others at default.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Delay Time, 11.8× the smallest change that matters (3rd harmonic -46 → -79 dB).
At default: stereo width 0.92, output -36.4 dBFS RMS.
Main caveat: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design.
Still to measure: T1, T13 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [12]:

show_knobs('Ambience')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Not shown, because these recordings show no measurable change from them: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [13]:

show_gapfill('Ambience')

How to read these charts. Each chart is one control. Left to right is the control's raw value as sent to the Motif (low to high setting); the height of the line is the physical quantity that control sets, measured from the recording. The title names the control, then the test signal used.

Delay-Time · sweepTail. Played: a sweep followed by silence. The line is s T30: the reverb decay time (extrapolated to 60 dB of decay); here it goes from 0.0145 at raw 0 to 0.0144 at raw 127, peaking at 0.0147, dipping to 0.0144.

Beat Change¶

Show code

In [14]:

show_card('Beat Change')

Beat Change: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 9 tested controls, 5 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Beat Change: modulation depth 0.22 → 0.62 by raw 63, then modulation depth 0.62 → 0.22 by raw 127. 4 do nothing with the others at default. Measured with 117 captures: 66 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 19 on matched probes (rhythmicGrid ×19), 32 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -28.2 dBFS RMS (crest 12.2 dB); stereo width 0.23, L/R correlation +0.89; spectral tilt +0.46 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -73 dB, H3 -55 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: Beat Change×Accuracy Type, Beat Change×Beat Range, Beat Change×EQ Gain, Beat Change×Pitch Change, EQ Gain×Accuracy Type, Pitch Change×Accuracy Type, Pitch Change×Beat Range, Pitch Change×EQ Gain (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Caveats:

EQ Freq, EQ Width did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Beat Change: modulation depth 0.22 → 0.62 by raw 63, then modulation depth 0.62 → 0.22 by raw 127. After that, Pitch Change, EQ Gain and Accuracy Type make the next biggest differences. DryWet sets how much of the effect you hear and how loud it is. Beat Range, EQ Freq, EQ Width and Pitch Range made no measurable difference with the other controls at default. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

5 of 9 tested controls measurably change the sound; 4 do nothing with the others at default.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Beat Change, 9.9× the smallest change that matters (modulation depth 0.22 → 0.62 by raw 63, then modulation depth 0.62 → 0.22 by raw 127).
At default: stereo width 0.23, output -28.2 dBFS RMS.
Main caveat: EQ Freq, EQ Width did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design.
Still to measure: T1, T13 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [15]:

show_knobs('Beat Change')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Not shown, because these recordings show no measurable change from them: Beat Range, EQ Freq, EQ Width, Pitch Range.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [16]:

show_gapfill('Beat Change')

How to read these charts. Each chart is one control. Left to right is the control's raw value as sent to the Motif (low to high setting); the height of the line is the physical quantity that control sets, measured from the recording. The title names the control, then the test signal used.

Pitch-Change · pureSine. Played: a steady 440 Hz sine. The line is Hz LFO rate: how many times a second the modulation cycles; here it goes from 5.77 at raw 0 to 8.19 at raw 127, peaking at 8.78, dipping to 3.23.

Dynamic Filter¶

Show code

In [17]:

show_card('Dynamic Filter')

Dynamic Filter: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 14 tested controls, 9 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Dyna Level Offset: raises a band around 7.1 kHz by up to 28 dB (~2.9 octaves wide). 5 do nothing with the others at default. Measured with 118 captures: 69 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 29 on matched probes (steppedTransients ×29), 20 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -26.5 dBFS RMS (crest 15.6 dB); stereo width 0.31, L/R correlation +0.81; spectral tilt -0.28 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -80 dB, H3 -41 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: Dyna Level Offset×Direction, Dyna Level Offset×Resonance, Resonance×Direction, Sensitivity×Direction, Sensitivity×Dyna Level Offset, Sensitivity×Resonance (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Caveats:

EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Dyna Level Offset: raises a band around 7.1 kHz by up to 28 dB (~2.9 octaves wide). After that, EQ High Gain, Resonance and EQ Low Gain make the next biggest differences. DryWet sets how much of the effect you hear and how loud it is. Attack Time, EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq, Release Curve and Release Time made no measurable difference with the other controls at default. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

9 of 14 tested controls measurably change the sound; 5 do nothing with the others at default.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Dyna Level Offset, 16.0× the smallest change that matters (raises a band around 7.1 kHz by up to 28 dB (~2.9 octaves wide)).
At default: stereo width 0.31, output -26.5 dBFS RMS.
Main caveat: EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq did nothing because the matching gain sits at 0 dB in the one-at-a-time design.
Still to measure: T1, T13 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [18]:

show_knobs('Dynamic Filter')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Not shown, because these recordings show no measurable change from them: Attack Time, EQ High Freq, EQ Low Freq, Release Curve, Release Time.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [19]:

show_gapfill('Dynamic Filter')

Dynamic Ring Modulator¶

Show code

In [20]:

show_card('Dynamic Ring Modulator')

Dynamic Ring Modulator: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 14 tested controls, 10 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Dyna Level Offset: early energy arrives by 0 → 135 ms. Measured with 129 captures: 68 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 29 on matched probes (steppedTransients ×29), 32 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -24.3 dBFS RMS (crest 11.9 dB); stereo width 0.35, L/R correlation +0.76; spectral tilt +2.49 dB/octave; 6% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms.

Two-control pairs captured: Attack Time×Release Time, Dyna Level Offset×EQ High Gain, Dyna Level Offset×LPF Cutoff Freq, Dyna Level Offset×Sensitivity, EQ High Gain×Sensitivity, LPF Cutoff Freq×EQ High Gain, LPF Cutoff Freq×Sensitivity, Sensitivity×Dyna Threshold (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Dyna Level Offset: early energy arrives by 0 → 135 ms. After that, LPF Cutoff Freq, EQ High Gain and Sensitivity make the next biggest differences. DryWet sets how much of the effect you hear and how loud it is. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

10 of 14 tested controls measurably change the sound.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Dyna Level Offset, 33.2× the smallest change that matters (early energy arrives by 0 → 135 ms).
At default: stereo width 0.35, output -24.3 dBFS RMS.
Still to measure: T1 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [21]:

show_knobs('Dynamic Ring Modulator')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [22]:

show_gapfill('Dynamic Ring Modulator')

Harmonic Enhancer¶

Show code

In [23]:

show_card('Harmonic Enhancer')

Harmonic Enhancer: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 3 tested controls, 3 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Drive: THD at full input -100 → -39 dB. Measured with 35 captures: 16 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 7 on matched probes (harmonicTwoTone ×7), 12 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -15.2 dBFS RMS (crest 12.4 dB); stereo width 0.25, L/R correlation +0.88; spectral tilt +1.84 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -40 dB, H3 -20 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: Drive×HPF Cutoff Freq, Drive×Mix Level, Mix Level×HPF Cutoff Freq (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Drive: THD at full input -100 → -39 dB. After that, Mix Level and HPF Cutoff Freq make the next biggest differences. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

3 of 3 tested controls measurably change the sound.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Drive, 20.3× the smallest change that matters (THD at full input -100 → -39 dB).
At default: stereo width 0.25, output -15.2 dBFS RMS.
Still to measure: T1, T3 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [24]:

show_knobs('Harmonic Enhancer')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [25]:

show_gapfill('Harmonic Enhancer')

How to read these charts. Each chart is one control. Left to right is the control's raw value as sent to the Motif (low to high setting); the height of the line is the physical quantity that control sets, measured from the recording. The title names the control, then the test signal used.

Drive · transferSine. Played: a 100 Hz sine at −6 dBFS. The line is dB THD: total harmonic distortion: how loud the added overtones are against the note itself. −40 dB is clean, 0 dB would be overtones as loud as the note; higher on the chart means more distortion; here it goes from -103 at raw 0 to -55.3 at raw 127.

Drive · twoToneLadder. Played: two notes together (220 and 697 Hz), stepped from very quiet to loud. The line is dB intermodulation: how loud the extra tones created between two notes are against the notes themselves, which is what makes chords sound harsh; higher means harsher; here it goes from -86.6 at raw 0 to -47.2 at raw 127.

HPF-Cutoff-Freq · pinkPluck. Played: pink-noise bursts at three levels, then plucked notes. The line is Hz spectral centroid: the spectrum's centre of gravity, a measure of brightness; higher means brighter; here it goes from 5,059 at raw 0 to 2,947 at raw 58, peaking at 10,276.

Ring Modulator¶

Show code

In [26]:

show_card('Ring Modulator')

Ring Modulator: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 12 tested controls, 12 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is OSC Freq Coarse: THD at full input -50 → 39 dB. Measured with 111 captures: 58 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 25 on matched probes (harmonicTwoTone ×25), 28 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -29.9 dBFS RMS (crest 13.8 dB); stereo width 0.33, L/R correlation +0.79; spectral tilt +1.63 dB/octave; 77% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -38 dB, H3 -44 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: LFO Depth×LPF Cutoff Freq, LFO Speed×LFO Depth, OSC Freq Coarse×LFO Depth, OSC Freq Coarse×LPF Cutoff Freq, OSC Freq Coarse×OSC Freq Fine, OSC Freq Fine×LFO Depth, OSC Freq Fine×LPF Cutoff Freq (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is OSC Freq Coarse: THD at full input -50 → 39 dB. After that, OSC Freq Fine, LFO Depth and LPF Cutoff Freq make the next biggest differences. DryWet sets how much of the effect you hear and how loud it is. At default it has a moderate stereo spread.

In other words, the main points:

12 of 12 tested controls measurably change the sound.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: OSC Freq Coarse, 29.7× the smallest change that matters (THD at full input -50 → 39 dB).
At default: stereo width 0.33, output -29.9 dBFS RMS.
Still to measure: T1 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [27]:

show_knobs('Ring Modulator')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [28]:

show_gapfill('Ring Modulator')

How to read these charts. Each chart is one control. Left to right is the control's raw value as sent to the Motif (low to high setting); the height of the line is the physical quantity that control sets, measured from the recording. The title names the control, then the test signal used.

LFO-Depth · sustainedStereo. Played: a held chord, one note per channel. The line is cents pitch swing: how far the pitch bends, peak to peak (100 cents = one semitone); here it goes from 58.8 at raw 0 to 76.9 at raw 127, peaking at 109.

LFO-Speed · sustainedStereo. Played: a held chord, one note per channel. The line is Hz LFO rate: how many times a second the modulation cycles; here it goes from 0.283 at raw 7 to 5.2 at raw 127, peaking at 9.16.

OSC-Freq-Coarse · pureSine. Played: a steady 440 Hz sine. The line is Hz LFO rate: how many times a second the modulation cycles; here it goes from 25.1 at raw 7 to 6.75 at raw 127, peaking at 38.5, dipping to 0.

OSC-Freq-Fine · pureSine. Played: a steady 440 Hz sine. The line is Hz LFO rate: how many times a second the modulation cycles; here it goes from 3.57 at raw 0 to 2.1 at raw 119, dipping to 0.

Talking Modulator¶

Show code

In [29]:

show_card('Talking Modulator')

Talking Modulator: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 4 tested controls, 3 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is Vowel: 3rd harmonic -22 → -33 dB. 1 does nothing with the others at default. Measured with 38 captures: 21 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 9 on matched probes (speechFormant ×9), 8 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -18.8 dBFS RMS (crest 14.8 dB); stereo width 0.02, L/R correlation +1.00; spectral tilt +1.55 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -73 dB, H3 -22 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: Vowel×Drive, Vowel×Move Speed (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Caveats:

at least one setting mutes the output; those captures are excluded from spectral analysis

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is Vowel: 3rd harmonic -22 → -33 dB. After that, Drive makes the next biggest difference. Output Level sets how much of the effect you hear and how loud it is. Move Speed made no measurable difference with the other controls at default. At default the output is close to mono.

In other words, the main points:

3 of 4 tested controls measurably change the sound; 1 does nothing with the others at default.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: Vowel, 6.8× the smallest change that matters (3rd harmonic -22 → -33 dB).
At default: stereo width 0.02, output -18.8 dBFS RMS.
Main caveat: at least one setting mutes the output; those captures are excluded from spectral analysis.
Still to measure: T1, T3 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [30]:

show_knobs('Talking Modulator')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Not shown, because these recordings show no measurable change from them: Move Speed.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [31]:

show_gapfill('Talking Modulator')

How to read these charts. Each chart is one control. Left to right is the control's raw value as sent to the Motif (low to high setting); the height of the line is the physical quantity that control sets, measured from the recording. The title names the control, then the test signal used.

Drive · transferSine. Played: a 100 Hz sine at −6 dBFS. The line is dB THD: total harmonic distortion: how loud the added overtones are against the note itself. −40 dB is clean, 0 dB would be overtones as loud as the note; higher on the chart means more distortion; here it goes from -98.6 at raw 0 to -100 at raw 127, peaking at -96.6.

Drive · twoToneLadder. Played: two notes together (220 and 697 Hz), stepped from very quiet to loud. The line is dB intermodulation: how loud the extra tones created between two notes are against the notes themselves, which is what makes chords sound harsh; higher means harsher; here it goes from -85.6 at raw 0 to -83.3 at raw 127, peaking at -81.7, dipping to -88.8.

Voice Cancel¶

Show code

In [32]:

show_card('Voice Cancel')

Voice Cancel: what the measurements say¶

Recap. An effect with 2 tested controls, 2 of which measurably change the sound. Beyond mix and level, the biggest lever is High Adjust: early energy arrives by 0 → 2 ms. Measured with 20 captures: 11 on the main sweep + tone probe (one control at a time), 5 on matched probes (stereoRouting ×5), 4 two-control pairs.

Technical explanation. At default settings: output -31.3 dBFS RMS (crest 12.9 dB); stereo width 0.66, L/R correlation +0.14; spectral tilt -0.05 dB/octave; 100% of the impulse response's energy in its first 5 ms; harmonics H2 -78 dB, H3 -58 dB re the linear response.

Two-control pairs captured: Low Adjust×High Adjust (interaction analysis in the main notebook).

Plain explanation: The control to reach for first is High Adjust: early energy arrives by 0 → 2 ms. After that, Low Adjust makes the next biggest difference. At default left and right are largely independent, so it sounds wide.

In other words, the main points:

2 of 2 tested controls measurably change the sound.
Biggest lever beyond mix and level: High Adjust, 12.9× the smallest change that matters (early energy arrives by 0 → 2 ms).
At default: stereo width 0.66, output -31.3 dBFS RMS.
Still to measure: T1 (see TESTS_NEEDED.md).

Show code

In [33]:

show_knobs('Voice Cancel')

barely changes the soundchanges it a lot■no measurable change

Click a knob to select it, then move the slider to turn it. A ring is that knob's own travel: green stretches barely change the sound, red stretches change it a lot. Rings show each knob with the others at their defaults; a knob outlined in cyan was also recorded together with the selected one, and its ring follows the slider.

Gap Fill: each control in physical units¶

Every control stepped on a probe matched to what it does (17 steps for time and rate controls, 9 for the rest), read as the physical quantity it sets: how far a delay tap moves, level or treble lost per repeat, LFO rate and pitch swing, gate length, THD, intermodulation, compressor ratio, knee, attack and release, and where a gate opens and closes. Times are read inside one capture (channel against channel) because Gap Fill runs fully wet and file starts wander by about ±50 ms.

Show code

In [34]:

show_gapfill('Voice Cancel')

Revision 36 · 2026-10-15

Revision history

Rev 36 · 2026-10-15: The Distortion drive ladders are re-recorded in the current setup (80 takes) and replace those of 2026-09-28, whose flat-topped waves came from the levels of the setup at the time, not from the effects: with the drive up, each distortion gives a square wave whose tops sag, and its Output Level only scales it.
Rev 35 · 2026-10-12: The main page folds by topic and each family's detail page folds by effect: every section is closed until opened, with one control to open or close them all.
Rev 34 · 2026-10-12: Every sheet: a play button steps through each control's settings; every recorded pair of controls drawn, with whether they simply add or one changes the other; EQ frequency and width controls drawn with their band at full boost. New detailed charts on every board: which controls depend on each other; the EQ bands moving; the ring modulator's pitch against its controls.
Rev 33 · 2026-10-12: Every control on every effect's sheet: all its tested settings overlaid in one cell, and its measured law in physical units where a probe reads one. Misc board: the equalisers' bands at full cut and boost.
Rev 32 · 2026-10-12: Headline findings set apart with larger titles; a note under the three whose graphic shows less than the headline says (Lo-Fi rate, delay feedback, repeats).
Rev 31 · 2026-10-12: Main page: a graphic under each of the eight headline findings (the delay feedback one animated), each with a plain-terms line.
Rev 30 · 2026-10-12: Main page opens with a chart of where every capture went and the central technique in pictures: the sweep, and the spikes the matched filter turns a recording of it into.
Rev 29 · 2026-10-12: Misc board: the ring modulator's carrier pitch against OSC Freq Coarse and Fine, read from the sine takes.
Rev 28 · 2026-10-11: Fifth capture batch in: the Reverb board gains the gap before the reverb starts against Initial Delay, the Chorus and Flanger boards gain the delay length against the delay knob.
Rev 27 · 2026-10-11: Waves: a third page, what the instrument and effect waves measure: the note each one plays, where it starts repeating and how long the loop is, how long it rings, and the harmonics of each pitched wave.
Rev 26 · 2026-10-11: Waves: the instrument and effect tiles now show the opening of the note (its first 8 cycles) instead of the whole take, so the individual waves can be seen.
Rev 25 · 2026-10-11: Waves: a second page for the 955 instrument and effect waves, each drawn as the whole take of one note with one cycle of the sound under it where the wave holds a steady pitch.
Rev 24 · 2026-10-08: Reverb knob pairs recorded (288 takes over the 12 distinct reverbs), so the reverb consoles' rings follow each other too; 799 knob pairs measured in all.
Rev 23 · 2026-10-08: Every family page now opens with a comparison board (one row per effect, shared scales down each column) and control sheets with all tested settings side by side; each family's detailed charts are folded in beneath and the earlier pages are kept as detail pages.
Rev 22 · 2026-10-08: Knob consoles: 2,120 new recordings of knob pairs, so within each effect's four strongest controls every knob's ring now follows every other (679 pairs measured, up from 155). A Waves page shows the 904 drum and percussion waves.
Rev 21 · 2026-10-07: Delay page rebuilt the same way: every delay's echoes side by side, and each control's tested settings next to each other as echo patterns.
Rev 20 · 2026-10-07: Reverb page rebuilt for comparison: one board with every distinct reverb as a row and every measure as a column on a shared scale, then each reverb's controls with all tested settings side by side. The detailed charts are folded in beneath; the earlier page is kept as the detail page. Knob consoles now use a slider for the selected knob, and controls with nothing measurable are listed, not drawn.
Rev 19 · 2026-10-07: A knob console on every effect: each ring shows where along the knob's travel the sound changes, and turning a knob shows how the knobs captured together with it respond.
Rev 18 · 2026-10-07: Reverb taken apart in time: how fast separate reflections merge into a wash; the tail's colour through time; how alike left and right are at each pitch and through the decay; how smooth each tail is against noise of the same tone; the Reverb Time control against Yamaha's table; and the twenty reverb names compared pair by pair.
Rev 17 · 2026-10-07: Charts that only compared output level or gain are removed from every page except the compressors and gates, where level is what the effect does.
Rev 16 · 2026-10-07: Capture set finished and audited (14,635 takes; the takes recorded through a reverb are all replaced). Corrections: Celeste 1's control shown as Delay is its Feedback Level, and Symphonic's shown as Feedback is its Delay Offset; two Symphonic controls that do not exist on the effect are removed. New charts in time and wave shape rather than level: Delay, where every echo lands as each time control is turned; Distortion, the wave that comes out as the drive rises; Lo-Fi, the output wave sample by sample at each Sampling Freq setting; Chorus and Flanger, the delay line followed as it sweeps; Phaser and Wah, where each notch or peak sits in Hz from moment to moment; Reverb, the separate early reflections in the first quarter second after one click; Modulation and Tech, each side turned up and down from moment to moment.
Rev 15 · 2026-10-06: Pitch Change: a click train in, and when each click comes out.
Rev 14 · 2026-10-06: Distortion: output and distortion against input level on a smooth ramp, harmonics against the pitch of the note, high-note harmonics folding back off 44.1 kHz (no oversampling), a bass note modulating a treble note, input-against-output loops, and the amp and cabinet filters' level and phase.
Rev 13 · 2026-10-06: Lo-Fi on a smoothly rising tone: Word Length sets a clipping ceiling and adds no quantisation noise; the five Lo-Fi effects compared on the same ramp.
Rev 12 · 2026-10-06: Lo-Fi: a rising note against everything that comes out with it, at each sampling-rate setting. Pitch Change: the cluster of lines a shifted note returns as, and the splice window read from it (about 35 ms and 28 ms).
Rev 11 · 2026-10-06: The same routing fault is confirmed for the 1,835 re-takes of 2026-09-30/10-01 (the dry-plus-wet timing takes and the full-rate Lo-Fi takes). No published chart used them; they are withdrawn from the counts and are being re-recorded.
Rev 10 · 2026-10-06: Correction: the all-effects comparison (section 17 of the main report), added earlier today, is withdrawn. Its 625 recordings were made with the Motif's System Reverb left in the signal path and are being re-recorded. New: compressor timing inside the distortion chains, wah filter sweeps, reverb decay per octave band.
Rev 9 · 2026-10-06: Follow-up captures analysed: compressor attack and release against step size, MultiBand Comp 2 band by band, Noise Gate opening, hold and closing times, and distortion on level steps (no sag: the clippers act instant by instant). Release times now require the level to stay recovered for 50 ms, which fixes readings fooled by ringing or by a delay's echo. Capture counts include the overnight batches.
Rev 8 · 2026-10-05: Beyond level curves: gain-reduction speed, release shape, phase-space orbits, harmonic matrices, intermodulation maps, parallel coordinates, a behaviour map and loudness in phon and sone on the Dynamic atlas; harmonic-against-drive matrices (Distortion), stereo LFO orbits (Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Modulation), an echo map (Delay) and a decay-rate matrix (Reverb).
Rev 7 · 2026-10-04: All figures vector and stacked one per row; control tables replaced by interactive charts; every section in four parts (recap, professional, plain, main points); capture counts include Gap Fill; six more Gap Fill probes analysed (dynamics timing, band staircase, gate ramp, two-tone ladder, tone triplet, pink pluck).
Rev 6 · 2026-10-04: Complete 13-category analysis with detail ladders; all notebooks rebuilt with executed cells and interactive charts.
Rev 5 · 2026-10-01: T28/T29 re-take analysis (dry/wet time references, Lo-Fi full-rate captures); Reverb detail ladders.
Rev 4 · 2026-09-30: Reverb analysis from full 9,876 Gap Fill run; two-voice explanations added to main page sections 1–15.
Rev 3 · 2026-09-29: Gap Fill captures: delay and feedback time laws, LFO maps, drive transfer curves, Lo-Fi rate, early reflections; Gate/Reverse Gate relabelled; interactive charts, atlas links, dark theme.
Rev 2 · 2026-09-28: Gate Reverb time origin fixed; Auto Pan phase and Distortion harmonics computed from data.
Rev 1 · 2026-09-27: First complete report: main analysis and 13 atlas notebooks.