1 About

2 Table of Contents

3 Features

• arbitrary number of instrument tracks
  • arbitrary number of lanes per track
  • alternative MPE, lane-per-channel (LPC), voice-round-robin (VRR), drum pad sampler (drum kit), and timeline modes
  • side chain inputs
  • mid / side processing
  • routing between lanes, tracks and outputs
    • arbitrary number of outputs per track and lane
  • track mod matrix
    • for modulating module parameters via MIDI
    • cubic bezier curve note velocity, pitchbend, pressure, and CC / RPN / NRPN controller shaping
    • note and velocity range filters
    • continuous controller filters
      
• built-in lane modules
  • sampler
  • delay
  • gain / pan / stereowidth
  • 3-band equalizer
  • mid / side conversion
  • (cross-track) sync (+- 100ms)
  • Audio to MIDI RPN
  • MIDI RPN to Audio
  • Gate to Audio
  • Idle detection
  • CLAP plugin (plugin database)
  • VST2 plugin
  • STFX plugin
    
• sampler
  • arbitrary number of instances
  • arbitrary number of samples
    • stored as .wav + .esa files
    • (optional) YAML export for Rossum-Electro Assimil8or eurorack sampler
      • set b_write_yml_project = true; to enable this (see eureka_config.tks)
  • up to 32 sample namespaces
    • e.g. for separating audio clips and drum kits from regular samples
  • seamless sample switching
    • via MIDI program change or RPN
  • extensive (per voice) mod matrix
    • up to 16 entries per sample zone
    • up to 16 matrix variations per sample zone
    • 207 sources
    • 213 destinations
    • log / lin / exp curve per entry
    • slew per entry
      • can also be used to generate attack / decay mini-envelopes
    • 4 per-voice scratch registers
    • 4 per-samplebank global registers
    • 13 op modes per entry (add, mul, replace, blend, compare, step, ..)
    • support for 14 bit hi-res continuous controllers (CCs)
      • modwheel (CC#1), breath control (CC#2), foot control (CC#4), expression (CC#11)
  • arbitrary number of zones (layers) per sample
    • mono or stereo
    • note, velocity, modulation (e.g. modwheel) filters
    • "alt" groups
    • "mutex" groups
  • up to 32 voice buses
    • for routing audio between sample zones
    • sample zone cross modulation (RM, AM, FM, ..)
  • arbitrary number of sample loops per zone
    • pitch or time based number of repeats
    • oneshot, forward, backward, pingpong, xfade loop modes
    • loops can be selected and switched via MIDI and mod matrix
    • modulatable granular/overlap loops
  • monophonic and polyphonic glide
    • time or pitch based
    • separate up / down settings
    • sample / envelope / LFO / modseq legato retrig settings
    • free-running sample option
  • 1D / 2D wavetables
    • static cycle length (2..4096 frames)
    • dynamic, pitch-dependent cycle length ("lo-fi timestretch")
  • additive (re-)synthesis
    • up to 256 partials
    • configurable stereo spread
    • up to 8 realtime-interpolatable resynthesis parameter sets
    • partial bit and sample rate reduction
    • conversion to regular wavetables (export to sample clipboard)
  • 4x3 ASR cubic bezier envelopes per voice
    • modulatable attack / decay+sustain / release speeds and levels
    • loopable sustain section
  • 4 LFOs per voice
    • sine / saw up+down / triangle / pulse / noise shapes
    • configurable start phase (fixed or random)
    • delay and fade-in
    • oneshot and loop modes
    • global or per-voice
  • 4 mod sequencers per voice
    • oneshot and loop modes
    • slew
    • forward, backward, pingpong, random, random(no repeat) play modes
    • time, note on, note off, mod rise / fall / edge / zcross step modes
    • up to 16 patterns, selectable via MIDI / mod matrix
  • MIDI or threshold triggered sampling
    • polyphonization of monophonic (oscillator) sound sources
      • update rate is ~300Hz
  • sample start and loop point modulation
    • random, velocity-based, and / or mod matrix controlled
    • snap to zero-crossing (optionally)
  • per-sample-frame volume and pitch interpolation
  • volume ramping (fade in and out)
  • sample and bit rate reduction
  • linear, Lancsoz and variable-sample-rate (VSR) interpolation modes
  • configurable anti-aliasing / anti-imaging filter
  • voice calibration tables
    • for (subtle) voice modulation
    • up to 6 lanes
  • microtuning
    • import .scl and .tun files
  • per-voice plugins
    • free and open source STFX plugin format
    • filters, waveshapers, ring-modulation, distortion, oscillators, ..
    • sample FM (sample read-rate modulation, SR plugin destination)
    • sample AM (amplitude modulation, AM plugin destination)
    • envelopes / modulation (VM1..VM8 plugin destinations)
  • Cycle software modular
    • "offline" sample synthesis
    • can also generate native code / realtime STFX voice plugins
  • procedural mono+stereo track rendering
    • zero disk space audio clips
    • can also be used for generating multi-samples
      
• sample editor
  • cut / copy / paste / trim / fade-in+out / crossfade / invert / reverse / normalize / declick / ..
  • high quality resampling and other effects via SoX
  • time stretching / pitch shifting via Rubberband
  • undo / redo
  • snap to zero crossings or quarter notes (BPM based)
  • automatic region detection
  • automatic pitch detection
  • automatic loop point detection
  • .wav, .8svx, .aiff, .aiffc, .au, .caf, .cdda, .cdr, .flac, .ogg, .opus, .sds, .txw, .voc, .w64 import
    
• sample import from field recorders
  • audition sample (regions) via keyboard or MIDI
    • oneshot or loop playback
  • copy selected samples to local folder
  • tested with Zoom H4n pro and Tascam DR-05x
    
• instrument and effect plugin host
  • CLAP (Windows, macOS, Linux(todo: editor UIs))
  • VST2 (Windows, macOS, Linux(todo: editor UIs))
  • STFX (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • plugin browser(s)
  • patch browser(s)
    • import / export .clp (CLAP)
    • import / export .fxp / .fxb (VST2)
  • generic parameter editors with filterable parameter selection
    • in addition to plugin editor UIs
  • up to 32 MIDI-controllable parameter sets per module instance
    • abs and smooth interpolation modes
    • up to 5 parameter set groups per track
      
• multi-core rendering
  • automatic or explicit track CPU core assignment
    
• multi-track stem recording
  • .wav export
  • recorded audio (regions) can immediately be played via MIDI
    • "live capture" mode: record+autotrim incoming audio
  • various options for creating new multi-samples from recorded audio
    
• multi-track timeline editor
  • Timeline track mode
    • arbitrary number of simultaneous timelines (one per track)
  • up to 128 MIDI-program-changeable variations per timeline
    • e.g. for splitting larger timelines into sections which are then arranged in Synergy
    • or for switching audio timelines in a live performance
      
• (not released, yet): stand-alone player library
  • up to 256 tracks
  • supports (almost) every sampler feature
  • supports procedural samples (Cycle)
  • supports (custom) STFX voice and track plugins
    
    

4 Prerequisites

• a PC running Windows 10 or higher
• or a PC or other computer running Linux (e.g Debian 12)
• or a Mac running macOS 10.12+ (x64) or 13.x+ (arm64)
• an audio interface capable of low-latency I/O (required on Windows, recommended on macOS)
  

• Synergy sequencer
  

For building custom STFX plugins from Cycle patches, a C compiler is required (e.g. Clang or GCC). Please see the "STFX plugin export: compiler command line" section in eureka_config.tks or the Cycle manual for installation details.

5 Installation

1. install Synergy
2. open the "stop button" menu and select Start "Eureka" audio host.. to launch the application
3. in Eureka, open the preferences dialog (Prefs.. button), and configure the audio device, sample rate, paths, .. as required.
   • The settings will be saved to eureka_config_local.tks when the preferences dialog is closed.
     
     

5.1 MIDI loopback (deprecated)

since v20230803, Synergy and Eureka come with a built-in virtual MIDI driver ("LocalMIDI") so the following MIDI loopback configuration is not necessary anymore.

1. install MIDI loopback device driver (e.g. loopMIDI on Windows), or use the built-in IAC driver on macOS
2. add two loopback devices named remote_audio and remote_seq
3. add four loopback devices named vst_a, vst_b, vst_c, vst_d (optional: also add vst_e..vst_h)
4. set b_enable_localmidi = false; in both synergy_config.tks and eureka_config.tks
   

on macOS, launch the Audio MIDI Setup.app, select Window ⇒ Show MIDI Studio, double click the IAC driver (red), set Device Name to "" (empty string), then add the remote_audio, remote_seq, vst_a, vst_b, vst_c, vst_d, vst_e, vst_f, vst_g, vst_h MIDI ports, and click "Apply".

5.2 Optional

1. open eureka_config.tks in a text editor
2. adjust b_minimal_startup variable (false=enable VST/voiceplugin/samplecache scans)
3. adjust rootpath variable
4. adjust audiotrack_wav_rootpath variable
5. adjust exported_samples_wav_rootpath variable
6. adjust project_samples_wav_rootpath variable
7. adjust sample_rootpath variable
8. adjust b_force_single_thread variable (set to false to enable multicore rendering (default on macOS))
9. adjust clap_paths / vst_paths variables
10. adjust atrk_rec_skip_num_frames (latency compensation) as required (default=-80)
    

on macOS, multi-threaded audio rendering is enabled by default

on Windows, for best multi-core performance, clone of the SetAffinity_*() functions in eureka_config.tks and adjust it to your CPU (CPU core info is printed to console during startup, look for [dbg] cpuinfo).

5.3 Audio input and output channel aliases

1. open eureka_config_local.tks in a text editor
2. edit the audio_in_aliases and / or audio_out_aliases arrays
   
   

6 UI

6.1 Windows and dialogs

• RMB-clicking a window title bar closes the window (e.g. the Scope or wave browser)
• LMB-clicking outside a popup-type dialog or pressing ESCAPE closes it (most other windows)
  

6.2 FloatParams

• vertical RMB-drag or cursor UP / DOWN coarse edits the value
• horizontal RMB-drag fine edits the value
• holding lshift before / while starting to drag increases the coarse / fine precision (ten-fold)
• holding lctrl snaps to integers
• LMB-click during RMB-drag reverts the value (same with sliders and dials)
• mouse WHEEL up / down increments / decrements the value in coarse steps
• lshift WHEEL or cursor UP / DOWN increments / decrements the value in fine steps
• LMB-hold-click or p shows the preset combobox popup (if there are any presets)
• LMB-double-click cycles through reset values
• RMB-click or SPACE shows FloatParam dialog (dial + range edit + reset)
  • note: some parameters have auto-extending ranges which can be reset here
• t / r scale the value by +-50%
• i / u double / halve the value
• n flips the sign
• h toggles hexadecimal mode
• m toggles mouse drag precision (float value decimal places, default=enabled)
  

many floatparam widgets use different precisions (decimal places) for mouse drag and text editing (i.e. mouse drag is often less precise)

6.3 Statusbar

• displays messages
• doubles as a command line for executing "page commands" (e.g. resize / allocate waveform on sample page)
  • lctrl-backtick (or ^) sets keyboard focus
  • RMB click shows presets commands (with default args)
  • UP shows history
  • DOWN shows presets
    

6.4 Tables

• MMB-click toggles between paging and row selection mousewheel scrolling mode
• a opens the context menu (if any)
• RMB-click previews the selected item or starts cell editing (when available)
• RMB-drag or lshift-LMB-click selects multiple items / range (when available) (lctrl click toggles item selection)
• SPACE or RETURN selects item (same as double-clicking row)
  
  

7 Keyboard Shortcuts

shortcuts assume a US keyboard layout (unless stated otherwise).

7.1 Global

7.2 "Audio" page

7.3 "Samples" page

see Cycle curve editor for all bezier editor shortcuts

LMB-click modseq editor panel to set keyboard focus