https://tonalux.org/blog.html Audio engineering insights, plugin development, and sound design — from working professionals. en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:05:38 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/gabor-uncertainty-granular-synthesis.html https://tonalux.org/blog/gabor-uncertainty-granular-synthesis.html The blurriness you hear when grain size drops below 20 milliseconds is not a design flaw. It is physics. Dennis Gabor derived the mathematical boundary in 1947, and every granular synth still operates within it. Sound Design Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/zero-delay-feedback-filters.html https://tonalux.org/blog/zero-delay-feedback-filters.html Classic digital models of analog filters had a fundamental flaw — an artificial delay baked into every feedback loop. Zero-Delay Feedback filters fix this, and it explains why some synth filters sound so much more alive than others. Development Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/partitioned-convolution-realtime-reverb.html https://tonalux.org/blog/partitioned-convolution-realtime-reverb.html A two-second impulse response at 48 kHz contains 96,000 samples. Direct time-domain convolution needs 96,000 multiply-accumulate operations per output sample. Here is how partitioned convolution reduces that to something a CPU can handle in real time. Development Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/waveshaping-transfer-functions-saturation.html https://tonalux.org/blog/waveshaping-transfer-functions-saturation.html Every saturation plugin — from tape emulation to tube overdrive — applies a single mathematical function to your audio. The shape of that function determines exactly which harmonics you add. Here's the mechanism. Sound Design Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/auditory-masking-critical-bands.html https://tonalux.org/blog/auditory-masking-critical-bands.html Your ear throws away information constantly — not by accident, but by design. Understanding the 24 critical bands your cochlea uses to organize sound explains why certain mixes feel clear, why MP3 sounds bad at low bitrates, and why loud bass destroys your high-mids. Mixing Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/karplus-strong-plucked-string-synthesis.html https://tonalux.org/blog/karplus-strong-plucked-string-synthesis.html A feedback delay line and a two-point averaging filter — that is all it takes to generate convincing plucked string sounds from random noise. The Karplus-Strong algorithm was discovered by accident in 1983 and later proved to be mathematically identical to classical string physics. Sound Design Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/phase-vocoder-time-stretching.html https://tonalux.org/blog/phase-vocoder-time-stretching.html Every DAW time-stretches audio by decomposing it into overlapping spectral frames and carefully propagating phase. Here is exactly how that works, why transients smear, and what modern algorithms do about it. Sound Design Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/weekly-plugin-roundup-april-20-2026.html https://tonalux.org/blog/weekly-plugin-roundup-april-20-2026.html Three vintage synth emulations dropped this week alongside a playable polyphonic filter and a free delay update, with TAL's JX-8P at €55 intro and Cherry Audio's obscure 1978 Italian polysynth at $59. Plugin Roundup Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/efficient-fft-implementation.html https://tonalux.org/blog/efficient-fft-implementation.html A comprehensive guide to optimizing Fast Fourier Transforms for realtime audio applications. From SIMD instructions to buffer management strategies. Development Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/why-ui-ux-matters.html https://tonalux.org/blog/why-ui-ux-matters.html Great audio processing means nothing if users can't find the controls. Here's why interface design is crucial for creative tools. Audio Basics Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/layering-impact-sounds.html https://tonalux.org/blog/layering-impact-sounds.html Building powerful cinematic hits through strategic sound layering. Frequency stacking, transient design, and spatial placement. Sound Design Sun, 28 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://tonalux.org/blog/audio-buffer-sizes.html https://tonalux.org/blog/audio-buffer-sizes.html The eternal trade-off between latency and stability. How to choose the right buffer size for recording, mixing, and live performance. Audio Basics Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT