Core Architecture

Chapter 01: Introduction & Architecture

1.1 What is TOMiC Drum Synth?

TOMiC Drum Synth is a professional drum synthesizer with a built-in step sequencer, crafted for music production across Techno, Electro, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, and Experimental genres. Designed from the ground up in Rust using the nih-plug framework and egui GUI architecture, it achieves ultra-fast DSP rendering with memory safety and rock-solid stability.

The plugin provides up to 16 independent drum channels (8 visible by default; click "+ Add" to create more), each equipped with:

Dedicated Dual Layer (A/B) synthesis engine with real-time continuous morphing

Dual Oscillators (OSC1 + OSC2) with 11 synthesis architectures (Wave, Braids, FM, FM+Braids, FM+Plaits, Ring, Ring+Braids, Cluster, Harmonics, Granular, Plaits macro-oscillator)

Dual Noise/Sample Generators (NOISE1 + NOISE2) with 12 noise types (inc. Clocked S&H, Cluster, Chiptune LFSR, GrainGlitch, and FilterBank)

Filter chain featuring up to 8 filters and 12 analogue models

Extensive DSP FX chain (distortion, wavefolder, bitcrusher, Stutter/Beat Repeat slicer, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb, spectral gate, Rings Resonator, and more)

Integrated Sample Browser with live waveform audio preview and tree navigation

12 modulator types (LFO, ModEnv, Marbles, Markov, Lorenz, Cellular, Tidal, Orbital, Chladni, CvGranular, HandMade/Record, XY Pad)

7 per-channel Macro knobs + 4 Global Macros

Dedicated step sequencer track with 13 pattern slots (12 lettered banks A-L + a dedicated FILL override slot)

Powiększ (Zoom HD)

Main Header Bar & Navigation

Figure 1.1: TOMiC main navigation header bar — Master section, BPM tempo, preset browser, and operating modes.

1.2 Core Features & Capabilities

🎛️ Sound Engine

Up to 16 Drum Channels (8 visible by default): Each with independent synthesis, FX chain, and sequencer track

Dual Layer Architecture: Layer A + Layer B with real-time smooth morphing

11 Synthesis Architectures: Wave (standard waveforms), Braids (macro-oscillator, selected via the same Wave dropdown), FM, FM+Braids, FM+Plaits, Ring Modulation, Ring+Braids (BraidsRing), Cluster Oscillator, Harmonics (8-partial additive), Granular, and the Plaits macro-oscillator (9 engines: Virtual Analog, Waveshaper, Chord, Wavetable, Speech, Modal Resonator, Analog Bass Drum, Analog Snare Drum, Analog Hi-Hat)

Dual Oscillators: OSC1 + OSC2 with crossfade mixing

12 Noise Types: White, Pink, Brown, Metallic, Velvet, Sample, Karplus-Strong, Clocked (Digital S&H), Cluster (Inharmonic), Chiptune LFSR (8-bit Retro), GrainGlitch, FilterBank

Dual Noise Generators: NOISE1 + NOISE2 with dedicated Noise Filter Chain featuring up to 8 filter slots per layer (Freq, Drive, Q, Character, Serial/Parallel routing)

Integrated Sample Browser: Built-in folder tree navigation, live audio waveform preview, favorite folders, and drag-and-drop loading

🎚️ Modulation Matrix

Up to 4 LFOs per layer: 5 shapes (Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square, Random), up to 15 routing slots each

Up to 4 Mod Envelopes per layer: ADSR with up to 15 routing slots

Up to 4 Marbles per layer: Stochastic CV generator (inspired by MI Marbles)

7 Additional Modulator Types: Markov, Lorenz, Cellular, Tidal, Orbital, Chladni, CvGranular (4 instances per layer, 15 routing slots each)

HandMade / Record: Recorded/drawn custom modulation curves (4 instances per channel)

XY Pad: 2-dimensional modulation pad (2 instances per channel)

7 Macro Knobs per channel + 4 Global Macros: Instant access to key parameters

🎨 Per-Channel FX Chain

🎵 Step Sequencer

64 Steps (16/32/64): Per-channel step sequencer with individual track lengths

13 Pattern Slots: 12 regular, lettered pattern banks (A-L) for pattern switching and Song Mode chaining, plus a 13th dedicated FILL slot — a global, unlettered performance-override pattern that temporarily takes over every channel at once and isn't part of the A-L bank chain

Song Mode: Pattern chaining into complete arrangements with MIDI export

Per-Step Parameters: Velocity, Gate, Pitch, Probability, Ratchet (1-8), Micro-timing, Mutation (Morph), Accent, Reverse, Slice index

TrigConditions: Conditional step triggers (Ratio, NotRatio, First, NotFirst)

Swing + Groove Templates: 7 templates (None, Laid Back, Push, Shuffle, Bossa Nova, Funk Heavy, Human)

Euclidean Generator: Algorithmic pattern generation

Host Sync: Seamless DAW sync

🖼️ Generative Visual Art (Artchemy)

Artchemy Generative Visual Bridge: Integrated audio-reactive graphics engine converting drum triggers into live visual art canvas drawing in real time

16 Procedural Brushes & 14 Affects: Shapes, Splatter, Ink Blot, Stardust, Particles, Fractal, Network, Tunnel, Cellular Automata, Double Pendulum, Kaleidoscope, and Quadrant Symmetry

Embedded & External Browser Modes: View live canvas inside the plugin panel or stream wirelessly to system browser (WebSocket bridge 127.0.0.1) for VJing and OBS

1.3 System Architecture & Real-Time Audio Safety

TOMiC utilizes a strictly lock-free audio processing architecture. The DSP engine never allocates memory on the real-time audio thread, guaranteeing zero buffer underruns and zero latency glitches in DAWs.

Thread

Responsibility

Synchronization Mechanism

Audio (RT)

SynthEngine::process_block(), step sequencing, voice DSP

TripleBuffer (read), Atomics

UI (egui)

Editor::update(), parameter editing, visualization

Arc\, TripleBuffer (write), Atomics

Background Sync

Drains Automation/sample-trash events from Audio → updates Song → pushes to TripleBuffer

crossbeam::channel, Arc>

ElevenLabs / AI Gen

HTTP requests, WAV decoding, sample loading (spawned on demand)

crossbeam::channel

Artchemy

WebSocket server (127.0.0.1), Canvas visual rendering

crossbeam::channel, TcpListener

MIDI Input (Standalone)

Reads external MIDI CC/notes via midir, injects into the same atomics a DAW host would use

Atomics, Arc>> (CC map)

Key Design Principles:

🔒 Lock-Free Audio: Zero locks on the audio thread itself (TripleBuffer for state; the write side used by the UI/background threads is Mutex-guarded, but the audio thread only ever reads)

⚡ Zero Allocation DSP: Pre-allocated 64-sample buffer blocks, SIMD optimization via the wide crate's f32x8 lanes (compiled for AVX2 on Windows/Linux release builds, falling back to SSE2 where unsupported)

🧵 Thread Safe: AtomicBool/AtomicU8/AtomicUsize for flags and CC-learn state, Arc\/Arc\ for UI-and-background-owned data

📦 DrumPatch: Flat parameter snapshots copied every block — audio thread never reads Arc\ directly

1.4 Quick Start Guide

Synthesizing Your First Kick Drum:

1. Channel Selection: Click CH1 on the left sidebar navigation or press 1 on your keyboard.

2. Setup Layer A: Select the oscillator waveform (e.g. Sine for kick), adjust OscEnv Decay.

3. Pitch Envelope: Increase Pitch Mod Amount and set a fast Pitch Hold / Decay for a punchy transient click.

4. Add Noise: Switch to the NOISE tab, select Pink or Metallic noise to add top-end presence.

5. Create Pattern: In the bottom step sequencer, click steps 1, 5, 9, 13. Press Space to start playback!

6. Layer Morphing: Switch to Layer B, configure an alternative sound, and tweak the Morph knob to morph smoothly between layers A and B.

1.5 Free Version (v0.1) & Evolution to TOMiC v0.4 & v0.5

TOMiC v0.1 is available completely free of charge as an official entry for the prestigious [KVR Developer Challenge 2026](https://www.kvraudio.com/kvr-developer-challenge/2026/).

Download Free Version (v0.1):

💻 [Download TOMiC v0.1 for Windows (ZIP)](https://static.kvraudio.com/files/6401/tomicdrumsynth-windows.1783943478.zip)

🐧 [Download TOMiC v0.1 for Linux (ZIP)](https://static.kvraudio.com/files/6401/tomicdrumsynth-linux.1783943566.zip)

Please note that Version 0.1 is provided as-is as a frozen competition release and will not receive further updates or development. All active engineering, new features, and ongoing support continue in the commercial release of TOMiC.

Key Upgrades in TOMiC v0.5:

🔌 In-Process CLAP FX Hosting (Standalone): Standalone mode hosts external 3rd-party CLAP effect plugins (up to 8 slots per channel and Master bus) with 8 dedicated modulation lanes (ClapMod 1–8), RT-safe 64-sample planar buffers, soft circuit breaker protection, and process-isolated scanning.

🔄 Sequencer Range Ring & Copy Range Workflow: Dynamic draggable ribbon above the active step matrix for instant loop windowing, sliding, and correlated Copy/Paste Range staging for lightning-fast pattern fragment cloning on the same channel.

📐 Persistent UI Scaling & Window Geometry Memory: Interface zoom scale (80%, 100%, 125%, 150%) is automatically saved to disk (%APPDATA%\tomic\ui_settings.json) and remembered permanently across restarts.

🎯 Smart Multi-Variant Sample Drag & Drop: Dropping audio samples onto the Noise/Sample pad detects the active variant tab (A, B, C, D) in the Sample Manager, updating that exact variant without overwriting Slot A.

⚡ Offline CLAP Render Integration: Exporting WAV master files, channel bounces, and MIDI tracks now fully renders all loaded CLAP effect racks offline.

💎 UI Polish & Git Commit Hash in About: Expanded About dialog displaying compile-time Git commit hash (Version 0.5.0 ()) and widened mixer strips to eliminate text clipping.

Complete Overview of All Key Upgrades in TOMiC v0.4 vs v0.1:

#### 🥁 Architecture & User Interface

16-Channel Architecture: Expand beyond the fixed 8-channel kit in v0.1 to up to 16 fully independent drum tracks with on-the-fly [+ Add] creation.

Dockable Editor Panels: Flexible UI layout with dockable editor sections and layout locking.

Preset Navigation: Per-track factory preset browser with quick prev/next buttons.

#### 🎛️ Mixer Console & Master Bus

Mixer View Console: Full-screen console featuring 132pt volume faders, ballistic PPM peak meters (Peak-Hold), Mute/Solo, Pattern Lock (PAT), and inspector panel.

Master Bus: Master FX Chain, Master Filter, bus glue compressor, and digital Soft Clipper / Limiter.

#### 🔮 Synthesis Engines & Oscillators

Additive Harmonics Engine: 8-partial additive oscillator with independent waveform shapes (Sine/Triangle/Square/Saw) per partial.

Plaits Macro-Oscillator: A full 9-engine Mutable Instruments Plaits clone (Virtual Analog, Waveshaper, Chord, Wavetable, Speech, Modal Resonator, Analog Bass Drum, Analog Snare Drum, Analog Hi-Hat) as its own selectable synthesis architecture, plus Plaits-style AnalogBD/AnalogHH and Pluck/Blown/FltPk/FltHp physical-model algorithms folded into the Braids oscillator.

Oscillator Free-Run: Prevents phase retriggering transient clicks.

#### 🎙️ Sampler & Noise Generators

Multi-Sample Round-Robin (A/B/C/D): 4 variant sample bank cycling per hit to eradicate machine-gun repetition.

Noise Filter Chain (Up to 8 Slots): Noise filtering elevated to up to 8 filter slots per layer (Freq, Drive, Q, Character, Serial/Parallel).

Direct Sample Granulation: Granulate loaded audio samples directly within the Noise layer.

#### 🎚️ Modulation Matrix & Macros

4× Modulation Capacity: Expanded from 1 to 4 LFOs, 4 ModEnvelopes, and 4 Marbles per layer (15 routing slots each).

7 Physics & Math Modulators: Lorenz Chaos, Markov Chains, Cellular Automata, Tidal simulation, Orbital Mechanics, Chladni plates, CV Granulation.

Performance Modulators: Real-time HandMade gesture recording and 2D XY Pads.

Macro Control System: 7 channel macros + 4 global macros with drag-and-drop cable routing.

#### 🔊 DSP FX & Filter Chains

Chain of Up to 8 Filters: Up to 8 stacked filters per layer (12 analogue models, Serial/Parallel routing per slot).

Clouds Granular Engine in FX: Rust port of Mutable Instruments' Clouds granular firmware (originally C++) embedded in the FX chain (clouds_fx) for stereo post-filter granulation.

Res FX (Rings Resonator): Modal resonator based on Mutable Instruments Rings (Modal, Sympathetic, String modes).

Premium FX: Premium Delay (Digital/Tape/Multi), Premium Chorus (2-4 voices), and enhanced Snare Wire.

#### 🎹 Step Sequencer

Per-Lane Polymetry: Independent sequence lengths (step len) and clock dividers per parameter lane.

Dedicated Slice Sequencer: Trigger and preview slices per variant A/B/C/D.

Advanced Rolls & Ramps: Pitched rolls, velocity ramps, and scale-aware pitch drawing.

#### ⚡ Engine Optimization & Licensing

Zero Idle CPU Usage: Pass-gated rendering and early-out DSP logic when idle in DAW.

Offline-First Licensing: Ed25519 cryptographically verified license key validation.

1.6 Live Jam Sessions & Sound Demonstrations (YouTube)

Watch live performance sessions demonstrating the full sound synthesis, polyrhythmic sequencing, and expressive capabilities of TOMiC Drum Synth:

🎬 TOMiC Drum Synth — Freestyle Live Jam #1

🎬 TOMiC Drum Synth — Polyrhythmic Sound Sculpting Jam #2

🎬 TOMiC Drum Synth — Experimental Performance Jam #3