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Tone.js
A Web Audio framework for synthesis, playback, timing and effects.
Installation
RequireJS is the recommended way to use Tone.js but it can also be used just as well without it.
RequireJS
RequireJS is a JavaScript module loader which Tone.js uses internally for dependency management. It is a powerful tool for development and deploying. Using r.js (RequireJS's optimizer) can bring package size down significantly since it will only include the modules used in your code.
To use Tone with RequireJS, add a path to the base directory where the library is stored and then refer all Tone module dependencies starting with "Tone/".
require.config({
baseUrl: './base',
paths: {
"Tone" : "pathto/Tone.js/Tone"
}
});
require(["Tone/core/Transport"], function(Transport){
//...
without RequireJS
Tone.js can also be used like any other script or library by dropping the Tone.js Build into the <head> of your page. A global called Tone will be added to the window.
<script type="text/javascript" src="pathto/Tone.js"></script>
To use any of the presets on instruments or effects, be sure to grab the Tone.Presets build which is not included in the default build.
AudioContext
Tone.js creates an AudioContext when it loads and shims it for maximum browser compatibility. The AudioContext can be found at Tone.context or from within any Object extending Tone as this.context.
Tone also let's you set your own AudioContext using Tone.setContext
Tone.Source
Tone.js has a number of built in audio sources:
Tone.Oscillator
A wrapper around the native OscillatorNode which simplifies starting and stopping and includes additional parameters such as phase rotation.
//a square wave at 440hz:
var osc = new Tone.Oscillator(440, "square");
//connect it to the master output
osc.toMaster();
osc.start();
Tone.Player
//a buffer player which plays as soon as it's loaded
//the second argument is an onload callback
var player = new Tone.Player("./sound.mp3", function(){
player.start();
});
player.toMaster();
Tone.Transport
A unique feature of the library is the oscillator-based Transport which allows for application-wide synchronization of sources and signals. The Transport allows you to register callbacks at precise moments along the timeline which are invoked right before the event with the exact time of the event. Additionally, because the Transport is implemented with an oscillator, it is capable of elaborate tempo curves and automation.
There are three methods for timing events with Tone.Transport:
Tone.Transport.setTimeline
Tone.Transport.setTimeline will schedule an event relative to the start of the timeline. These events will start, stop and loop with the Transport.
Tone.Transport.setInterval
like the native setInterval, Tone.Transport.setInterval will schedule a repeating event at the interval specified. These events will only be invoked when the Transport is playing.
//this will start the player on every quarter note
Tone.Transport.setInterval(function(time){
player.start(time);
}, "4n");
//start the Transport for the events to start
Tone.Transport.start();
Tone.Transport.setTimeout
Set a single event in the future relative to the current Transport position with Tone.Transport.setTimeout
//this will start an oscillator 5 seconds from now
Tone.Transport.setTimeout(function(time){
osc.start(time);
}, 5);
Tone.Transport.start();
Time
In the Tone library, time can be described in a number of ways. Any method which takes a time as a parameter will accept any of these forms:
Number: these will be taken literally as the time (in seconds).
Notation: describes time in BPM and time signature relative values.
- "4n" = quarter note
- "8t" = eighth note triplet
- "2m" = two measures
Transport Time: will also provide tempo and time signature relative times in the form BARS:QUARTERS:SIXTEENTHS.
- "32:0:0" = start of the 32nd measure.
- "4:3:2" = 4 bars + 3 quarter notes + 2 sixteenth notes.
- "1:2" = 1 bar + 2 quarter notes (sixteenth notes omitted)
Frequency: seconds can also be described in Hz.
- "1hz" = 1 second
- "5hz" = 0.2 seconds
Now-Relative: prefix any of the above with "+" and it will be interpreted as "the current time plus whatever expression follows"
- "+1m" = 1 measure from now
- "+0.5" = half a second from now
Expressions: any of the above can also be combined into a mathematical expression which will be evaluated to compute the desired time.
- "3:0 + 2 - (1m / 7)" = 3 measures + 2 seconds - a 7th note
- "+1m + 0.002" = the current time + 1 measure and 2 milliseconds.
No Argument: for methods which accept time, no argument will be interpreted as 0 seconds or "now" (i.e. the currentTime) depending on the context.
Components
Tone.js provides a number number of useful components for building synthesizers and effects.
- Tone.DryWet
- Tone.Envelope
- Tone.EQ
- Tone.Filter
- Tone.Follower
- Tone.Gate
- Tone.LFO
- Tone.Merge
- Tone.Meter
- Tone.Panner
- Tone.Split
Signals
Like the underlying Web Audio API, Tone.js is built with audio-rate signal control over nearly everything. This is a powerful feature which allows for sample-accurate synchronization of multiple parameters with a single signal. Signals are built entirely without any ScriptProcessorNodes, so they do not introduce much latency and processing overhead. Instead, all signal math and logic let GainNodes and WaveShaperNodes do all of the work so that all processing is done in the underlying Assembly/C/C++ provided by the API. Signals are used extensively internally and are also useful for general DSP and control signal logic and transformations.
Math
- Tone.Abs
- Tone.Add
- Tone.Clip
- Tone.Max
- Tone.Min
- Tone.Multiply
- Tone.Negate
- Tone.Scale
- Tone.ScaleExp
- Tone.Signal
Logic
Audio-rate logic operator output 1 when true and 0 when false.
Routing
Signal can also be routed and gated for maximum flexibility.
Instruments
Tone.js has a few built in synthesizers.
Each of these synthesizers can be fed to the second argument of Tone.PolySynth to turn the monophonic voice into a polyphonic synthesizer.
Presets
Each of the instruments also has a number of presets which can be found in the Tone/instrument/presets folder. These named synthesizer configurations are a starting point for exploring the features of each synthesizer.
Effects
Tone.js also has a few stereo and mono effects which also have their own presets.
Performance
Tone.js uses very few ScriptProcessorNodes. Nearly all of the ToneNodes find a native Web Audio component workaround, making extensive use of the GainNode and WaveShaperNode especially. While the ScripProcessorNode is extremely powerful, it introduces a lot of latency and the potential for glitches more than any other node. The
Examples
Examples can be found here.
Documentation
JSDocs are here.