Generator Introduction and Features

The Daqarta Generator allows any Windows-supported sound card to become a continuous real-time signal generator. Unlike systems that simply play back a static buffer, Daqarta's continuous generation allows not only extremely fine frequency resolution, but also extremely long tone bursts and frequency sweeps (hours or days) and complex signal interactions. For example, two frequency components that are set to differ by 0.0001 Hz will only be in phase once every 2.78 hours. Modulation cycles can be combined to get even longer intervals, many millions or even billions of years.

Two output channels are supported. These may be used together for stereo, or independently. Buttons allow the two outputs to be quickly swapped, or to force one output to sound alone ( Solo), or to send one channel to both outputs ( Dual).

Each channel can be a combination of up to 4 independent signal streams, labeled L.0 through L.3 and R.0 through R.3, each with its own set of dialog controls. Each stream has independent control of Wave type, Frequency, level, and combination of modulators. Alternatively, instead of going to the output, a stream can be used as a modulation source for other streams of the same output, allowing extremely complex modulation schemes.

Complete signal configurations may be saved to files for automatic load on start-up, or may be saved or loaded at any time during operation.

Waveforms, resolution 0.0001 Hz, 0.05 degrees:

• Sine
• Triangle
• Ramp / Staircase
  • ( Adjustable / modulated slope)
  • (Continuous, or adjustable steps)
• Square
• Pulse
  • (Monophasic or biphasic)
  • (Adjustable height and width)
• Arbitrary waveform from file, one of 8 loaded
• Play complete recording from file, one of 8 loaded
  • (Adjustable start / stop and rate)
  • (Forward or Reverse direction)

Random sources:

• White noise, uniform distribution
• Gaussian (normal) distribution white noise
  • (Adjustable Standard Deviation)
• Pink noise
• Band-limited noise
  • (Adjustable band/gap edge frequencies and shapes)

Each waveform can be modulated by any or all of:

• Burst ( Shape, Lag, Rise, High, Fall, Cycle Length), Train Lag, Train Burst Count, overall Train Cycle length)
  • (Each duration can be independently modulated)
• AM (Amplitude Modulation)
• FM (Frequency Modulation)
• Phase / Ramp Slope / Pulse Width Modulation
• Frequency Sweep
  • ( Up or down, linear, exponential, or step)

Random (noise) sources do not repeat for over 6 million years. They can use Burst or AM modulators, and can also be slowed, stepped, smoothed, quantized, or time-shifted. (Two identical noise sources combined with a time shift give comb-filtered noise, for example.)

AM, FM, and Phase/Slope/Width modulators can use simple sine modulation (adjustable frequency, phase, and depth) or one or more of the other streams as modulators. For example, you can have a basic Pulse waveform, and apply FM that uses a noise generator as its source to provide controlled jitter. And that noise source can use AM so that the jitter changes in strength, and the AM source can be an Arb or Play file that is stepped through slowly to provide a test program of different jitter amounts.

A sine modulator or another stream can also be used to control Burst duration parameters, including the number of bursts per train.

Similarly, a sine modulator or another stream can control certain random source parameters. Modulation of quantization levels and quantizer offset bias allows creation of random pulses or bursts like a "Geiger counter". Modulation of the relative time shift between two random sources allows creation of "jet" sound effects due to changing comb filtering.

See also Basic Generator Operation - Your First Output Sound, Signal Generator Control Dialog