[PD-dev] interpolating scalar dsp fuctions

[Larry Troxler]

On Thursday 02 September 2004 17:08, Tim Blechmann wrote:
> hi all ...
>
> at the moment the scalar dsp fuctions are working on one float ... if
>
> this float changes it will most likely produce an audible click:
>      |float 1(
> |
> |*~ 0|
>
> the usual way to avoid that in pd is to use a line~ object, that both
> uses cpu power itself and adds overhead since it's a vector/vector
> operation, not a vector/scalar operation any more ...
>
> it would be possible to implement an interpolation between the two
> scalars (for one dsp block or so) and thus smooth the transition from
> one float argument to another ...
>
> on the one hand this would add some overhead (the check if the scalar
> has been changed), but it would be possible to replace line~ objects
> with line objects that don't have the dsp overhead ...
>
> i'm curious, what other people think of this ... i could change the
> behaviour of the pd interal object or write an external for that ...
>
> cheers ... tim

As others have suggested, I don't think changing the behavior of such a basic 
object would be very wise, because it would break a lot of existing uses.

For example, I use *~ all the time in the chain to set the pitch of a poly 
instrument patch. Although portemento is usefull sometimes, I wouldn't want 
it forced. In a patch used in a poly setting, for example, this would cause 
the new pitch to ramp from the old pitch of the last event using that voice, 
which is usually not what you would want.

Larry