1. Overview
Gest is a sequencer for gesture.
Gest lies somewhere between a classical step sequencer and an automation curve generator. The goal of Gest is to be a better LFO.
To understand how Gest works, a few terms will be described.
Gest synthesizes Gestures: audio-rate control signals
intended to be mapped to parameters of other unit
generators in a modular synthesis environment. The overall
goal of Gest is to be able to use it as a way to add more
layers of nuance to computer-performed music, in
particular, lyrical music.
Similar to a step sequencer, Gest is clocked by an exernal
signal, known as a conductor signal. This signal is
expected to be a phasor signal, a periodic rising ramp
signal going from 0 to 1. Once instantiated with a
conductor signal, Gest can then be programmed to perform
Gestures.
A phasor is a continuous timing source. Not only does it
mark out pacing, but also position within a beat. Every
full ramp from 0 to 1 is a period, referred to as a beatof time.
Gestures are created in sequences of chunks. A single chunk
is known as a phrase. A phrase takes up duration measured
in beats from the conductor signal. The phrase analyzes the
conductor, and resynthesizes a new slower signal: a single
ramp going from 0 to 1 spannign the whole duration of the
phrase. This signal is called a monoramp. The monoramp
acts a blank canvas to make rhythms with. A monoramp can be
equally divided up into an arbitray number of smaller
ramps, known as a polyramp. Contiguous ramps in a
polyramp can be fused backtogether in monoramps, and then
more polyramps can be made from those. This builds a tree
hierarchy of ramps with various subdivisions, known as a
ramp tree.
The end leaves of the Ramp Tree are capped with what is
known as a target. A target is a scalar value. Using the
ramps from the Ramp Tree, consecutive targets are
interpolated together to generate a contiguous line
segment. The way segments travel from target A to B is
known as a behavior. Behaviors can be any number of
things, including linear, exponential, or step.
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