Research
Audio-plugin engineering, hardware reverse engineering, circuit reconstruction and DSP research at Prismal Labs.
Practical technical articles about the investigations behind our instruments, interfaces and studio tools: what we discovered, how we checked it, and how to apply it in another implementation.
This collection brings together 30 research articles, drawn from 76 retained research and engineering records. Each article includes concrete findings, equations or protocol details, evidence, applications and remaining questions. Hardware families have distinct articles; the 808 studies are split further by voice.
Steve Sims, TB303 Front View (2008), dedicated to the public domain. Image source. View full-size image
Reading the evidence
Manufacturer documents establish documented features and circuit connections. Hardware captures establish observations for the recorded device and firmware. Derived models, numerical tests, authored sound-design decisions and unfinished work are identified separately. A passing software or host test does not by itself establish an original-hardware match.
Complete parameter maps
The Analog Keys findings include the complete 298-row MIDI assignment table, 227-entry physical parameter map, and NRPN address coverage. The parameter and lock article explains channels, namespaces, byte encoding, precision and the other downloadable field maps.
Hardware research
Synthesis and sound design
Measurement and engineering
Find research by plugin
- PL-33 — TB-303: tracing the oscillator, filter and amplifier
- GranularSynth — Granular synthesis: source motion, grain pitch and bounded processing
- PadGenerator — Pad synthesis: layered timbres, XY motion and cinematic character
- SubGenerator — Cinematic sub synthesis: pitch, pressure and procedural rumble
- VocalGenerator — Vocal synthesis: vowel identity, formants and expressive control
- Vocoder — Vocoder research: analysis envelopes and MIDI-controlled carriers
- AudioTransformer — Audio transformation: relative pitch, formants, grains and freeze
- SaxGenerator — Saxophone research: reed acoustics, recordings and connected performance
- BreakbeatLab — BreakbeatLab: slicing, beat anchors and time stretching
- KickGenerator — TR-808 kick: the bridged-T resonator and retrigger history
- SnareGenerator — TR-808 snare: coupled body, wire and Tone network
- HiHatGenerator — TR-808 hats and cymbal: metallic sources and loaded filters
- TomGenerator — TR-606: circuit tracing, revision differences and shared metallic voices
- CymbalGenerator — TR-808 hats and cymbal: metallic sources and loaded filters
- ClapGenerator — TR-808 clap: comparator timing and the C140 discrepancy
- RimGenerator — TR-909: analog drum voices and sampled metallic sounds
- ClaveGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- WoodblockGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- CongaGenerator — LinnDrum: sampled voices, articulation and the LM-1 distinction
- CowbellGenerator — TR-808 cowbell: oscillators, loaded envelopes and nonlinear gates
- AgogoGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- TriangleGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- TambourineGenerator — TR-707: PCM playback, analog decay and missing source waveforms
- ShakerGenerator — LinnDrum: sampled voices, articulation and the LM-1 distinction
- TimbaleGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- SnapGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- PercussionGenerator — Alesis SR-16: archive extraction, catalogs and playback limits
- StudioAnalyzer — Studio analysis: spectra, stereo phase and time-domain measurements
- SignalExchange Child — Loudness research: measurement, automatic balance and true peaks
- SignalExchange Master — Loudness research: measurement, automatic balance and true peaks
- KeysSequencer — Analog Keys: USB, SysEx and the file/RPC surface
- Hello World — Native plugin engineering: independent tests and evidence boundaries