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sdwarwick / js80p

A MIDI driven, performance oriented, versatile synthesizer.

Home Page:https://attilammagyar.github.io/js80p/

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JS80P

A MIDI driven, performance oriented, versatile synthesizer VST plugin.

To download JS80P, visit its website at https://attilammagyar.github.io/js80p/.

Screenshot of JS80P

The source code is available at https://github.com/attilammagyar/js80p under the terms of the GNU General Public License Version 3.

VST® is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, registered in Europe and other countries.

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System Requirements

  • Operating System: Windows 7 or newer, or Linux (e.g. Ubuntu 22.04)
  • CPU: SSE2 support, 32 bit (i686) or 64 bit (x86-64)
    • separate packages are available for AVX capable 64 bit processors
  • RAM: 150-300 MB per instance, depending on buffer sizes, etc.

Tested with REAPER 6.79.

Dependencies on Linux

On Linux, the libxcb, libxcb-render, and libcairo libraries, and either the kdialog or the zenity application are required to run JS80P. To install them on Debian based distributions (e.g. Ubuntu), you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get install libxcb1 libxcb-render0 libcairo2 zenity kdialog

Note that if you want to run the 32 bit version of JS80P on a 64 bit system, then you will have to install the 32 bit version of the libraries, for example:

sudo apt-get install libxcb1:i386 libxcb-render0:i386 libcairo2:i386 zenity kdialog

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Installation

If your plugin host application does not support VST 3, but does support VST 2.4, then you have to download and install the FST version of JS80P. Otherwise, you should go with the VST 3 bundle on both Windows and Linux.

If your CPU supports AVX instructions and you use a 64 bit plugin host application, then you should download a JS80P package that is optimized for AVX compatible processors. If you have an older computer, or if you experience crashes, then you should go with one of the SSE2 compatible JS80P packages.

If your plugin host application fails to recognize JS80P from the VST 3 bundle, then you have to download and install the VST 3 Single File version that matches the CPU architecture for which your plugin host application was built.

(For example, some 32 bit (i686) versions of Reaper are known to be unable to recognize VST 3 bundles when running on a 64 bit Linux system, so you would have to download the 32 bit VST 3 Single File JS80P package.)

VST 3 Bundle on Windows

  1. Download the plugin.
  2. Extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Copy the entire js80p.vst3 directory to your VST 3 directory which is usually C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Programs\Common\VST3.

VST 3 Bundle on Linux

  1. Download the plugin.
  2. Extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Copy the entire js80p.vst3 directory to your VST 3 directory which is usually ~/.vst3.

VST 3 Single File on Windows

  1. Download the plugin.
  2. Extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Copy the js80p.vst3 file to your VST 3 directory which is usually C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Programs\Common\VST3.

VST 3 Single File on Linux

  1. Download the plugin.
  2. Extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Copy the js80p.vst3 file to your VST 3 directory which is usually ~/.vst3.

FST (VST 2.4) on Windows

  1. Download the plugin.
  2. Extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Copy the js80p.dll file to the directory where you keep your VST 2.4 plugins.

FST (VST 2.4) on Linux

  1. Download the plugin.
  2. Extract the ZIP archive.
  3. Copy the js80p.so file to the directory where you keep your VST 2.4 plugins.

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Usage

  • Move the cursor over a knob, and use the mouse wheel for adjusting its value, or start dragging it.

  • Hold down the Control key while adjusting a knob for fine grained adjustments.

  • Double click on a knob to reset it to its default value.

  • Click on the area below a knob to assign a controller to it.

  • It is recommended to use a small buffer size for lower latency, for example, 3-6 milliseconds, or 128 or 256 samples at 44.1 kHz sample rate.

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Presets

JS80P has a few built-in presets, and in case you don't like your plugin host application's preset browser, you can load and save them as ordinary files. For each plugin type, you can find these presets in the presets folder in the ZIP archive, and you can load them into JS80P by clicking on the Import Patch icon near the top left corner of the main screen of the plugin.

Blank

The default, empty patch, a blank canvas.

Bright Organ

A bright, clean, Hammond-like organ sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato. The softer you play, the slower the attack, the harder you play, the harder the attack.

Chariots-Aftertouch

A Vangelis-inspired split keyboard patch. Notes below C3 are modulated with and inverse sawtooth LFO, notes above C3 get some wavefolding treatment if you use aftertouch. The mod wheel controls the vibrato of notes above C3, and the pitch wheel also affects only these notes.

Chariots

A Vangelis-inspired split keyboard patch. Notes below C3 are modulated with and inverse sawtooth LFO, notes above C3 get some wavefolding treatment, depending on the velocity. The harder you play, the longer it takes for the wavefolder to kick in. The mod wheel controls the vibrato of notes above C3, and the pitch wheel also affects only these notes.

Demo 1

The patch from the first demo video of JS80P. The mod wheel makes the sound brighter, the volume knob (CC 7) adjusts the inverse sawtooth LFO which controls the filter before the wavefolder.

Demo 2

The patch from the second demo video of JS80P. This split keyboard patch has slow tremolo bass notes below Gb3, with extremely long release (just press a key, and you're good for about 2 measures with your left hand being free, even without a sustain pedal), and plucky lead notes, with the mod wheel and the volume knob (CC 7) controlling the timbre. (However, it is not recommended with this patch to adjust the mod wheel while a right hand note is playing.)

Kalimba

A simple kalimba sound with percussive attack and short decay. The sustain pedal adds more reverb and echo, and lengthens note decay.

Rock Organ

A little darker, overdriven Hammond-like organ sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato. The softer you play, the slower the attack, the harder you play, the harder the attack.

Sandstorm

A dirty, harsh, detuned FM lead sound. Mod wheel and aftertouch make it even dirtier and harsher.

Stereo Saw

A little bit metallic sounding sawtooth wave. Note velocity slightly affects the timbre, mod wheel and aftertouch add wavefolding. The volume knob adjusts an LFO which controls filter resonance.

Acid Lead 1

Sawtooth wave based acid lead sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato, the sustain pedal lengthens the decay.

Acid Lead 2

Square wave based acid lead sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato, the sustain pedal lengthens the decay.

Acid Lead 3

Another sawtooth wave based acid lead sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato, the sustain pedal lengthens the decay.

Bells 1

A bright bell sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato, the sustain pedal lengthens the decay.

Bells 2

A slightly darker bell sound. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato, the sustain pedal lengthens the decay.

Flute

A synth flute sound with a couple of tricks: the pitch of the notes decreases slightly when they end, and the mod wheel adds a little embellishment to the beginning of each note. Aftertouch adds more emphasis to the note.

FM Womp 1

A clean FM sound where the modulator and the carrier use different envelopes, so the notes start with a slight "wah" effect. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato. Aftertouch also adds more modulation.

FM Womp 2

A slightly distorted FM sound where the modulator and the carrier use different envelopes, so the notes start with a slight "wah" effect. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato. Aftertouch also adds more modulation, making the sound brighter and more distorted.

FM Womp 3

A more distorted FM sound where the modulator and the carrier use different envelopes, so the notes start with a slight "wah" effect. Aftertouch and mod wheel increase the vibrato. Aftertouch also adds more modulation, making the sound brighter and more distorted.

Tech Noir Lead 1

A brass sound for futuristic sci-fi dystopias with a slower filter sweep at the beginning of notes, depending on note velocity. Mod wheel adds vibrato, aftertouch adds emphasis and brightness.

Tech Noir Lead 2

A brass sound for futuristic sci-fi dystopias with a harsher filter sweep at the beginning of notes, depending on note velocity. Mod wheel adds vibrato, aftertouch adds emphasis and brightness.

Tech Noir Lead 3

A darker brass sound for futuristic sci-fi dystopias with a filter sweep at the beginning of notes, depending on note velocity. Mod wheel adds vibrato, aftertouch adds emphasis and brightness.

Derezzed

This Daft Punk inspired patch is built around sawtooth waves with lots of distortions. Mod wheel makes upcoming notes brighter (without affecting the currently sounding ones), and it increases the distortion. Aftertouch adds vibrato.

Ambient Pad 1

Slowly evolving pad sound with sci-fi vibe. The mod wheel destabilizes the tuning, the aftertouch increases that effect, and adds slight distortions.

Ambient Pad 2

Slowly evolving pad sound with a dark sci-fi vibe. The mod wheel destabilizes the tuning, the aftertouch increases that effect, and adds slight distortions.

Ambient Pad 3

Slowly evolving pad sound with a dark sci-fi vibe. The mod wheel destabilizes the tuning, the aftertouch increases that effect, and adds ghostly, distant screams.

Saw Piano

A sawtooth wave based sound where high notes decay quickly, lower notes decay slowly, but decay time is also affected by note velocity. The harder you play, the brighter and richer the timbre, and the harder the note attack. Mod wheel controls the vibrato, and aftertouch controls filtering. The sustain pedal lengthens note decay.

Saw Piano Reversed

A sawtooth wave based sound which sounds like as if you were playing a recording backwards. The time it takes for notes to un-decay depends on note pitch and velocity. The harder you play, the brighter and richer the sound gets. Mod wheel controls the vibrato, aftertouch adjusts the filtering.

Nightmare Lead

Starts out as a nice, filtered sawtooth wave, but as you begin to turn the mod wheel and add some aftertouch, it becomes more and more menacing and distorted, until it finally descends into madness.

Tremolo Lead

Thick lead sound. Aftertouch adds vibrato and harmonics, mod wheel opens up the filter and adds a tremolo effect. Filtering also responds to note velocity.

Monophonic Saw

A sawtooth wave based monophonic, sustained sound with smooth legato glides. The harder you play, the brighter and richer the timbre, and the harder the note attack. Mod wheel controls the vibrato, and aftertouch controls the filtering and the wavefolder. The sustain pedal lengthens note decay.

Table of Contents

Bugs

If you find bugs, please report them at https://github.com/attilammagyar/js80p/issues.

Table of Contents

Signal Chain (Simplified)

                                                           (x64)
Oscillator --> Filter --> Wavefolder --> Filter --> Volume -----> Mixer --+
                                                         |        ^       |
 (Frequency, Phase, and Amplitude Modulation)            |        |       |
 +-------------------------------------------------------+        |       |
 |                                                                |       |
 v                                                          (x64) |       |
 Oscillator --> Filter --> Wavefolder --> Filter --> Volume ------+       |
                                                                          |
        +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
        |
        v
        Volume --> Overdrive --> Distortion --> Filter --> Filter --+
                                                                    |
        +-----------------------------------------------------------+
        |
        v
        Volume --> Chorus --> Echo --> Reverb --> Volume --> Out

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Features

  • 64 notes polyphony
  • last-note priority monophonic mode
    • legato playing will either retrigger or smoothly glide to the next note, depending on the portamento length setting
  • 2 oscillators with 10 waveforms:
    • sine
    • sawtooth
    • soft sawtooth
    • inverse sawtooth
    • soft inverse sawtooth
    • triangle
    • soft triangle
    • square
    • soft square
    • custom
  • 2 filters for each oscillator, 7 filter types:
    • low-pass
    • high-pass
    • band-pass
    • notch
    • bell (peaking)
    • low-shelf
    • high-shelf
  • portamento
  • wavefolder
  • split keyboard
  • amplitude modulation
  • frequency modulation
  • phase modulation
  • built-in effects:
    • overdrive
    • distortion
    • 2 more filters
    • chorus
    • stereo echo (with side-chaining)
    • stereo reverb (with side-chaining)
    • volume controls at various points of the signal chain
  • 6 envelopes
  • 8 low-frequency oscillators (LFO)
  • MIDI controllers and macros
  • channel pressure (aftertouch)
  • MIDI learn
  • logarithmic and linear scale filter frequencies
  • LFO and effects tempo synchronization
  • use the peak level at various points of the signal chain to control parameters:
    • oscillator 1 output
    • oscillator 2 output
    • volume control 1 input
    • volume control 2 input
    • volume control 3 input

Frequenctly Asked Questions

Which distribution should I download?

If your plugin host application does not support VST 3, but does support VST 2.4, then you have to download and install the FST version of JS80P. Otherwise, you should go with the VST 3 bundle on both Windows and Linux.

If your CPU supports AVX instructions and you use a 64 bit plugin host application, then you should download a JS80P package that is optimized for AVX compatible processors. If you have an older computer, or if you experience crashes, then you should go with one of the SSE2 compatible JS80P packages.

If your plugin host application fails to recognize JS80P from the VST 3 bundle, then you have to download and install the VST 3 Single File version that matches the CPU architecture for which your plugin host application was built.

(For example, some 32 bit (i686) versions of Reaper are known to be unable to recognize VST 3 bundles when running on a 64 bit Linux system, so you would have to download the 32 bit VST 3 Single File JS80P package.)

The 32 bit versions are usually only needed by those who deliberately use a 32 bit plugin host application, e.g. because they want to keep using some really old plugins which are not available for 64 bit systems.

If you are in doubt, then try the VST 3 bundle, and if your plugin host application doesn't recognize it, then try the 64 bit VST 3 version, then the 64 bit FST version, then the 32 bit VST 3 version, and so on.

Note that all versions use the same high-precision sound synthesis engine internally, so the CPU architecture does not affect the sound quality.

Table of Contents

Mac version?

Sorry, it's not likely to happen anytime soon, unless someone is willing to create and maintain a Mac fork of JS80P. For me to do it, it would require quite a large investment, both in terms of effort and financially. If MacOS would be available (at a reasonable price) for installing it in a virtual machine that could be used for testing, I'd consider that. But as long as it cannot be obtained (legally) without also buying a Mac, and I'm happy with my current computer, I'm not going to invest in a new one.

Table of Contents

Parameters, Envelopes, and polyphony: how do they work?

By default, knobs and toggles act globally. This means that if you adjust a knob with your mouse, or if you assign a MIDI value (controller, note velocity, etc.), a Macro, or an LFO to it and adjust the parameter via that, or if you use automation in your plugin host application, then that parameter will change for all sounding notes.

But if you assign an Envelope as a controller to a parameter, then each polyphonic note will use its own timeline for that parameter, and the parameter's value will change over time for each note independently according to the envelope's settings. By default, these settings are only evaluated once for each note, at the very beginning of the note, so if the parameters of the envelope are changed, then it will only affect the notes that start after the adjustment.

To have polyphonic notes sample and hold a MIDI value or a Macro's momentary value for a parameter for the entire duration of the note, independently of other notes and subsequent changes of the value (e.g. to use lower filter cutoff frequency for low-velocity notes so that they sound softer), then you have to use an Envelope: turn up all the levels of the Envelope to 100%, assign the MIDI value or the Macro to the Amount parameter of the Envelope, and assign the Envelope to control the parameter.

If an Envelope is switched to Dynamic mode, then polyphonic notes will still track their own independent timelines for each parameter that has that Envelope assigned, but the parameter's value will converge to the value that it should have at each moment according to the momentary settings of the Envelope.

Table of Contents

The knobs in the Custom Waveform harmonics secion don't do anything, is this a bug?

To hear the effect of those knobs, you have to select the Custom waveworm using the WAV knob in the top left corner of the Oscillator sections.

(Note that these parameters are CPU-intensive to process, so they are not sample accurate, they are not smoothed, and they are processed only once for each rendering block. Due to this, if you change them while a note is playing, or assign a controller to them, then you might hear "steps" or even clicks.)

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How can parameters be automated? What parameters does the plugin export?

The intended way of automating JS80P's parameters is to assign a MIDI Control Change (MIDI CC) message to a parameter (or use MIDI Learn), and turn the corresponding knob on your MIDI keyboard while playing, or edit the MIDI CC events in your host application's MIDI editor.

However, the VST 3 plugin format requires plugins to export a proxy parameter for each MIDI CC message that they want to receive, and as a side-effect, these parameters can also be automated using the host application's usual automation editor. For the sake of consistency, the FST plugin also exports automatable parameters for each supported MIDI CC message.

For example, in both plugin types, you might assign the MIDI CC 1 (Modulation Wheel) controller to the Phase Modulation (PM) parameter of the synthesizer, and then add automation in the host application to the MIDI CC 1 (Modulation Wheel) (VST 3) or ModWh (FST) parameter. JS80P will then interpret the changes of this parameter the same way as if you were turning the modulation wheel on a MIDI keyboard.

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Aren't Phase Modulation and Frequency Modulation equivalent? Why have both?

The reason for JS80P having both kinds of modulation is that they are not always equivalent. They are only identical when the modulator signal is a sinusoid, but with each added harmonic, PM and FM start to differ more and more. A detailed mathematical explanation of this is shown in pm-fm-equivalence.md.

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Where does the name come from?

In 2022, I started developing a browser-based synthesizer using the Web Audio API, mostly being inspired by the Yamaha CS-80. I named that project JS-80. Then I started adding one little feature and customization option after the other, then it got out of hand, and I also started finding limitations of doing audio in the browser. So I decided to implement a cleaned up version of this synth in C++ as a DAW plugin (with a better waveshaper antialiasing method than what's available in the browser), and so JS80P was born.

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FL Studio: How to assign a MIDI CC to a JS80P parameter?

Unlike decent audio software (like for example REAPER), FL Studio does not send all MIDI events that come out of your MIDI keyboard to plugins, and unfortunately, MIDI Control Change (MIDI CC) messages are among the kinds of MIDI data that it swallows. To make everything work, you have to assign the MIDI CC events to a plugin parameter.

JS80P does not directly export its parameters (in order to avoid conflict between the host's automations and JS80P's internal control assignments), but it exports proxy parameters which represent MIDI CC messages that it handles.

For example, let's say a physical knob on your MIDI keyboard is configured to send its values in MIDI CC 7 messages. To make this knob turn the Phase Modulation (PM) virtual knob in JS80P, you have to do the following steps:

  1. Click on the small triangle in the top left corner of the plugin window of JS80P, and select the "Browse parameters" menu item.

  2. Find the parameter named "Vol" (FST) or "MIDI CC 7 (Volume)" (VST 3) in the browser. Click on it with the right mouse button.

  3. Select the "Link to controller..." menu item.

  4. Turn the knob on your MIDI keyboard until FL Studio recognizes it.

  5. Now click on the area below the Phase Modulation (PM) virtual knob in JS80P's interface.

  6. Select either the "MIDI CC 7 (Volume)" option, or the "MIDI Learn" option, and turn the physical knob on your MIDI keyboard again.

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FL Studio: How to assign Channel Pressure (Aftertouch) to a JS80P parameter?

Unlike decent audio software (like for example REAPER), FL Studio does not send all MIDI events that come out of your MIDI keyboard to plugins, and unfortunately, Channel Pressure (also known as Channel Aftertouch) messages are among the kinds MIDI data that it swallows.

Getting the Channel Pressure to work in FL Studio is a similar, but slightly more complicated procedure than setting up MIDI CC:

  1. Click on the small triangle in the top left corner of the plugin window of JS80P, and select the "Browse parameters" menu item.

  2. Press a piano key on your MIDI keyboard, and hold it down without triggering aftertouch.

  3. While holding the piano key down, find the parameter named "Ch AT" (FST) or "Channel Aftertouch" (VST 3) in FL Studio's browser. Click on it with the right mouse button.

  4. Select the "Link to controller..." menu item (keep holding the piano key).

  5. Now push the piano key harder to trigger aftertouch.

  6. Click on the area below the Phase Modulation (PM) virtual knob in JS80P's interface.

  7. Select the "Channel Aftertouch" option.

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FL Studio: How to use the Sustain Pedal?

Unlike decent audio software (like for example REAPER), FL Studio does not send all MIDI events that come out of your MIDI keyboard to plugins, and unfortunately, the MIDI Control Change (MIDI CC) message which contains information about the sustain pedal's state is among the kinds of MIDI data that it swallows. To make everything work, you have to assign the sustain pedal's MIDI CC events to the plugin parameter where JS80P expects them.

  1. Open "Options / MIDI settings" from the main menu.

  2. Turn off the "Foot pedal controls note off" option.

  3. Close the Settings dialog window.

  4. Click on the small triangle in the top left corner of the plugin window of JS80P, and select the "Browse parameters" menu item.

  5. Find the parameter named "Sustn" (FST) or "MIDI CC 64 (Sustain Pedal)" (VST 3) in the browser. Click on it with the right mouse button.

  6. Select the "Link to controller..." menu item.

  7. Press the pedal.

Table of Contents

Development

This section contains information for those who downloaded the source code of JS80P and want to compile it themselves.

Tools

Linux

Windows

Dependencies

The lib/ directory contains code from the following projects:

Note that the lib/ directory does not include the whole SDK packages, it only contains what's required for compiling JS80P.

Linux

To compile JS80P on e.g. Ubuntu Linux 20.04 for all supported platforms, the following packages need to be installed:

apt-get install \
    binutils \
    build-essential \
    g++ \
    gcc-multilib \
    g++-multilib \
    libcairo2-dev \
    libcairo2-dev:i386 \
    libx11-dev \
    libx11-dev:i386 \
    libxcb1-dev \
    libxcb1-dev:i386 \
    libxcb-render0-dev \
    libxcb-render0-dev:i386 \
    mingw-w64

Compiling

Windows

Assuming that you have installed MinGW-w64 to C:\mingw64, you can use the following commands to run tests and compile JS80P for Windows:

SET PATH=C:\mingw64\bin;%PATH%
SET TARGET_PLATFORM=x86_64-w64-mingw32
SET DEV_OS=windows

mingw32-make.exe check
mingw32-make.exe all

Linux

Run make check for running tests.

The following commands (on a 64 bit Linux environment) will compile JS80P for 64 bit Windows, 32 bit Windows, 64 bit Linux, and 32 bit Linux respectively:

TARGET_PLATFORM=x86_64-w64-mingw32 make all
TARGET_PLATFORM=i686-w64-mingw32 make all
TARGET_PLATFORM=x86_64-gpp make all
TARGET_PLATFORM=i686-gpp make all

Table of Contents

Theory

Table of Contents

About

A MIDI driven, performance oriented, versatile synthesizer.

https://attilammagyar.github.io/js80p/

License:GNU General Public License v3.0

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