The Kyma Language for Sound Design, Version 4.5

Playing Back Samples from the Capybara RAM
If you read the samples from Capybara RAM, rather than from disk, you can get greater polyphony at the
expense of a slightly longer wait during the compile step while Kyma loads the samples from disk into
the Capybara RAM. For an instrumental-sounding example, try out 20-harp subset in RAM.
If there are too many samples to fit into the RAM of one expansion card, you can split the samples up into
separate folders and assign a different KeyMappedMultisample to each folder. For example, open the
Sound called hrp on two exp cards:
Feeding into the Mixer called fullharp sampler are two MIDIVoices: 3 e - 6 e and 2 c - 3 d sharp. Doubleclick
3 e - 6 e and notice how LowPitch and HighPitch are set in the parameter fields. This restricts the
range of MIDI key numbers that can trigger the KeyMappedMultisample. The KeyMappedMultisample
has celthrp 3 e as its FirstSample.
Compare this to the lower branch of the signal flow graph. The lower MIDIVoice has a different range of
key numbers and a different FirstSample (from a different folder) for its KeyMappedMultisample.
Choosing Samples other than by MIDI Key Number
velocity violin is an example of a MultiSample. The MultiSample takes a list of samples file names and
an Index. The index selects which of the samples should be read the next time the MultiSample is gated.
This allows you to select samples using something other than MIDI key numbers. This example uses
!KeyVelocity * 7
to index into the array of seven samples files.
But why stop with MIDI events? Double-click on live input selects samples and look at the parameter
settings of MultiSample9. This MultiSample is triggered when the input from the GenericSource exceeds
an amplitude threshold. Its Frequency is derived from a frequency tracker on the GenericSource, and it
is scaled by an AmplitudeFollower on the GenericSource. The Index selecting which sample to trigger is
determined by the expression:
( freq L * SignalProcessor sampleRate * 0.5 hz) nn removeUnits mod: 5
In other words, it is the frequency of the input in hertz, converted into units of half steps (nn stands for
note number). The units of half steps are removed, because this is just an index, not a frequency. Then the
number is taken modulo 5, ‡ so that each half step should trigger a different sample up until the 5th half
step when it starts to repeat the pattern.
‡ Just as a refresher, modulo arithmetic is a kind of circular arithmetic similar to arithmetic you perform every day
when you are figuring out time. Time on a circular clock is usually numbered modulo 12. For example, if it is 9
o’clock and you want to know what the time will be in two hours, you can think (9 + 2 = 11). At 11 o’clock if you
were asked what the time would be in two hours, you would think (11 + 2 = 13) if you were in the military, but as a
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