Chapter 02: Synthesis Engine & Layer Morphing

2.1 Dual Layer Architecture (Layers A & B) and Morphing

The core of TOMiC's sound engine is built around the Dual Layer Architecture. Each of the drum channels contains two complete, independent synthesizer instances: Layer A and Layer B (defined as ChannelParams::a and ChannelParams::b — both full instances of VoiceParams).

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Morph Control Panel

Figure 2.1: Real-time Morphing control panel blending between Layer A and Layer B.

How Layer Morphing Works

The global Morph control continuously interpolates and blends multi-parameter DSP states between layers:

2.2 Synthesis Types (SynthesisType)

Each oscillator (OSC1 and OSC2) within each layer (A/B) can operate in one of 11 synthesis architectures (SynthesisType):

The GUI splits carrier selection across two dropdowns: Type picks the architecture (Wave/FM/Ring/Cluster/Harmonics/Ring+Braids/Plaits/FM+Braids/FM+Plaits), while the unified Wave dropdown picks the actual sound source — a standard waveform, one of the 33 Braids algorithms, or one of the 9 Plaits engines — depending on which architecture is active. Picking a Braids or Plaits entry from Wave automatically swaps the Type to the matching Braids/Plaits carrier while preserving whichever FM/Ring architecture was already selected (e.g. picking a Braids wave while in FM stays FM+Braids rather than resetting to plain Braids).

An FM Engine switch (FmEngine: Linear / Phase) changes how the modulator affects the carrier for all FM-family architectures: Linear adds the modulator directly to the carrier's frequency each sample (TOMiC's original behavior); Phase adds it to the carrier's phase for textbook Chowning/DX7-style FM sidebands. Braids/Plaits FM carriers only honor Phase mode for the subset of algorithms/engines that have a genuine phase concept (most of them — see 2.4/2.5); the rest silently fall back to Linear.

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Synthesizer Oscillator Section

Figure 2.2: Oscillator and sound synthesis section interface.

2.3 Oscillator Waveforms (Wave Mode)

In Wave mode, the following waveforms are available (Waveform enum):

2.4 Braids Macro Oscillator

TOMiC includes an integrated macro oscillator engine derived from the eurorack module Mutable Instruments Braids. Available algorithms (BraidsWave, 33 total, listed in code/discriminant order):

Each algorithm exposes 3 modulatable macro controls — Timbre, Color, Aux — but their meaning is remapped per algorithm (e.g. for AnalogBd, Timbre is tone/click amount, Color is decay length, Aux is pitch-drop depth; for Vowel, Timbre/Color/Aux sweep vowel position, formant shift and nasality). Hover any knob in the editor for a per-algorithm tooltip. Aux is always centred at 0.5 (the neutral/classic sound) rather than at 0.

Braids can be combined with other architectures from the Type dropdown: plain Braids (via Wave), Ring+Braids (ring-modulated), and FM+Braids (Braids as an FM carrier, frequency-input only).

2.5 Plaits Macro Oscillator

Alongside Braids, TOMiC ships a second, independently-ported macro-oscillator family: a clone of Mutable Instruments Plaits (dsp/plaits_osc), built fresh from Plaits' own DSP rather than reusing Braids code, so it contributes genuinely different sound categories. The first pass ships 9 engines (PlaitsModel):

Plaits reuses the same three macro knobs as Braids, remapped as Harmonics (onto the timbre param), Timbre (onto color), and Morphology (onto aux) — the labels differ per engine (e.g. for AnalogBassDrum: Harmonics = attack sharpness, Timbre = pitch drop depth, Morphology = decay time).

Plaits can be combined with FM (FM+Plaits, Plaits as the FM carrier) but not with Ring or the Granular carrier slot. It is not available while Granular, Ring+Braids or FM+Braids are active, since those are Braids-carrier-only modes.

2.6 Granular Processor (CloudsProcessor)

TOMiC utilizes a port of the Mutable Instruments Clouds engine with 5 granular processor instances:

The oscillator granular layer is enabled per-oscillator via the universal Granulate checkbox (gran_layer_enabled), which layers the grain cloud on top of whatever synthesis architecture is active rather than replacing it — this is what superseded the old dedicated Granular SynthesisType.

Active Granular Controls

Older Grain Scatter, the pre-Clouds Grain Density/Grain Window pair, and Grain Reverse are legacy parameters kept only so older DAW sessions still recall correctly — they are no longer read by the audio engine.

2.7 Cluster Oscillator

The Cluster architecture (ClusterOscillator) generates a bank of 2–6 detuned partials (Cluster Cnt, default 6) for dense chords and bell-like harmonic structures:

2.8 Harmonics Oscillator

The Harmonics architecture (HarmonicOsc) is a Tremor-inspired additive oscillator with two operating modes (HarmonicsMode: Membrane default, or Harmonic) and a selectable per-partial waveform (HarmonicsWave: Sine, Triangle, Square, or Sawtooth):

2.9 Per-Voice Signal Topology

Beyond the oscillator/noise carriers, each Layer (VoiceParams) exposes a small set of controls that shape how its signal is routed and combined: