DDSP-VST

DDSP is an utterly unique audio synthesizer and effect plugin that will work with your favorite audio editor or workstation, including Audacity, Ardour, and Bitwig. It's unique in a couple of ways, with the first being that there's no official Linux compatibility. It can be built on Linux, however, by applying a simple patch currently under review in the project's GitHub repository. This will generate a Linux-native VST library that can be dropped into your VST path (usually /usr/lib/vst or $HOME/vst). With that done, you're free to explore the other aspect that makes DDSP unique, and that's a sound model derived from a neural network. Differentiable Digital Signal Processing is what the DDSP name represents, an academic research project and upstream computational library that generates sounds from models. This model learns from example recordings to create an instrument that preconfigures a collection of linear filters and sinusoidal oscillators to generate a sound closely related to the example recordings. DDSP is differentiable because it's able to adapt to different datasets, and thus, lots of different sound characteristics, from natural acoustic sounds to purely fictional frequency curves. I don't understand any of this either, but it's easy to hear that the output and control DDSP offers is utterly unique.

Eleven presets are included for the bundled pre-trained models, including flute, trumpet, violin, and a collection of vowels. The synth accepts MIDI input and generates a tone, but this can be manipulated like a physical instrument by dragging a reticule across the grid of pitches. This dynamically adjusts the complex series of filters generating the sound to emulate different mouth shapes and positions, for example, or different playing positions for strings. When this reticule is controlled externally, such as with a touch surface or a MIDI wind instrument, the output can sound incredibly organic and natural, even if it doesn't always sound too similar to the source recordings. This is due to the complicated interrelationship between all the elements built into the model being controlled and calculated in real time, and not at all like what you get from a more traditional subtractive synthesizer. It's also monophonic, which means you'll need to combine more than one instance to play more than one note at a time, but that's completely normal for a lead instrument or bass sound.

The other interesting aspect to this plugin is that it can be used as an audio effect to process any audio sent through it. Cleverly, the pitch and amplitude of the incoming audio are automatically detected and used to drive the model characteristics applied to the incoming sound. The sound can then be manipulated in exactly the same way as the synthesizer, using the rectangular reticule to change the model parameters and adjusting the amount of harmonics, noise, and pitch shift. The noise alone can create some great drum sounds, while other inputs can generate output that sounds anywhere between digital noise and scary whispering. Finally, a layer of professional sheen can be added to the output with inbuilt reverb. It's definitely experimental, but also unique and a lot of fun to play with.

Project Website

https://github.com/magenta/ddsp-vst/blob/main/README.md

DDSP generates uniquely organic and evolving sounds that can be controlled like acoustic instruments.

The project includes its own web portal where you can drop your own sound sources to general neural network models that can be loaded into DDSP-VST.

Steam Deck manager

Decky Loader

Valve's Steam Deck has undoubtedly been a success, with well over one million units reportedly sold. But it's also been an interesting experiment in just what happens when the gaming public comes into contact with Linux (Arch Linux, no less!). The results have been remarkable. Perhaps it's because many gamers are used to tinkering with their Windows system to get every drop of extra performance from their hardware and installing hundreds of mods, or perhaps it's because they're realizing the potential in a completely open system for the first time. But either way, there's now a flourishing ecosystem of third-party plugins, skins, intro animations, and other add-ons that augment the factory Steam Deck functionality. The only problem is that, just like the mod scene itself, all those dozens of projects and their components soon become difficult to manage, configure, and keep up-to-date. Decky Loader solves this problem.

Decky Loader is a plugin that sits within Valve's default right-side Steam Deck UI menu and provides quick access to menu themes, system sounds, screen saturation, PowerTools system settings, and a plugin system that can add many more options. This menu is always available, which means settings can be accessed while you're in a game. It still feels unusual seeing a general project have install instructions that include switching to the Plasma desktop and running a file from Dolphin, but it works without a hitch. When the Steam Deck UI is started, Decky is then the bottom option in the right Steam Deck UI menu. Any plugins that are already installed will be listed and their settings values accessible, but you can also install plugins directly from the integrated "store" link. From here you can directly download plugins, including CSS themes, a notebook, MPRIS music control, the PowerTools add-on, and badges for your games to show ProtonDB compatibility. It feels fully integrated with the Steam Deck UI and is constantly being updated.

Project Website

https://github.com/SteamDeckHomebrew/decky-loader

Decky Loader does need to be installed from desktop mode, but it's then fully self-contained and a brilliant add-on for your Steam Deck.