Beginning in RTcmix 4.0, a new system for controlling Instrument parameters was installed. This replaces the original makegen system for various Instrument envelopes, although it is still supported for nearly all of the older instruments. This new system also allows the user to control Instrument parameters in real-time as a note is being executed. For example, the pitch parameter of an Instrument might be “pfield-enabled”. This means that the pitch of an executing note could be controlled by an RTcmix ‘table’ or it could be controlled by an external connection, so that the pitch can be altered dynamically (perhaps in response to mouse movement or an external controller) as the note is sounding.
PField control is accomplished using special RTcmix variables called pfield-handles or table-handles. The parsers for RTcmix are configured to allow a number of basic operations (arithmetic, etc.) on these variables. There are also a number of specialized filters and operator commands for these handle variables. PField-enabled parameters can also be single values or ‘regular’ RTcmix variables, of course.
The Basic RTcmix Tutorial has examples of how this control system works, and the RTcmix Instrument Design Tutorial discusses how to incorporate PFIeld control into user-written Instruments.
See the Short Tour of PField Capabilities tutorial for more information about various PField scorefile commands.
maketable, makeconnection, makemonitor, makeLFO, makefilter, makerandom