ns Quick Reference
1
Whats New in Kyma.5 (Release Notes)
1
Kyma 4.5 Sound Design Environment (aka the big book)
1

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Layers of Kyma
3
Reusable Sounds
4

The Sound Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Navigating through the disk file hierarchy
5
Colored-coded check boxes at the top of the Browser
6
Information on the selected Sound or file
6
Spawning a Sub-Browser
7
Auditioning a File in the Sound Browser
7
Using the Virtual Control Surface
8

DSP Status Window
9

Trying out combinations of Sounds in the browser.
10

One Input, Many Effects
10
One effect on many inputs
11
Saving a new combination
12

Finding a Sound in the Library
13

How to optimize your searches in the Sound Browser
13

Combinatorial explosion
13

The Virtual Control Surface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Presets and Dice
15

Customizing the Kyma Sound Library
15

Saving a snapshot of a preset
15

Changing Sounds using the Sound Browser
16

A Random Walk through Timbre Space
16
Rearranging the Widgets
17
Unlocking the Virtual Control Surface
17
Multi-level Virtual Control Surfaces
21
VCS Editor Menus
22

Layout menu
22
Arrange
23

Align horizontal (tops)
23
Distribute horizontal (centers)
23
Squeeze horizontal
23

Options
23

Interaction of the Virtual Control Surface and the Motor Mix
23
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Merging several MIDI streams with the Motor Mix output
25

License to Explore
25

The Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Overview
27

How does the Kyma timeline differ from a hard disk editor or a sequencer?
28

Dragging from the Sound Browser into the Timeline
28
Creating a new track
29
Copying and pasting Sounds within and between windows
29

Moving a Sound from a timeline to another window
29
The difference between the Prototypes and the Sound Browser
30

Sound Info Display and Editing
30
Zooming
31
Changing the duration of a Sound in the Timeline
31
Time units and quantization
32
Nudging and track-changing with the arrow keys
32
Grid menu
33
Transport controls
33
Mute and Solo
33
Markers
34
Positioning the Time Cursor
35

Using external time code to control the time cursor
35
Typing in a new position for the time cursor
35
Clicking in the time ruler to move the time cursor
35
Using the transport buttons to move the time cursor
35

Applying an effect to a Sound in the timeline
36
Undo and removing the last-applied effect
36
Replacing the input of a Sound in the timeline
37
The implied mixing architecture of the timeline
37

Track status icons
37
Effects processing applied to submixes of tracks
38
Routing the output of a track to a submix
38
Using a submix as the input to a track
39
How is the audio input used in a track?
39

Quick trick for creating a new track
40

Routing tracks to specific output channels
40

What actually happens when you press Play in the timeline?
41

The Timeline Virtual Control Surface and Layouts
42
Controlling Parameters in the Timeline
43

Increasing the size of the controller editor
43

Local, Track and Master Controls for Parameters
44
Sources of parameter control
44
Live controls
45
Capturing the current settings of the VCS in the timeline
45
Displaying automated parameters
46
Recording VCS or MIDI fader moves
46

MIDI controllers versus MIDI note events
47

Editing automated parameters
47

To Compile or Not to Compile
48
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Slaving one control to another
49
Controller transformations
50
Info displays for the automation controls
51
Audio Signals as Controls
52

Extracting an amplitude or frequency envelope from an audio signal
52
Using the live audio signal as a live controller
53

Using the timeline to create MIDI continuous controllers
54
Using the same controller for both Kyma and an external MIDI device
55

BPM
55

Setting or changing the tempo
55
Setting the value of BPM based on the duration of a sample
56

Minutes, seconds, and fractions of seconds
57

Mixing
57

Creating a virtual mixing desk for a timeline
57
Submix levels
58

Spatializing
58

Specifying a position in polar coordinates
59
Panning the position of a track
59
Panning the position of a Sound relative to its track
60
Position panning versus routing to specific output channels
60
How to set up your speaker configuration
61

Recording a timeline to the hard disk
61

Recording each audio output channel into its own mono disk file
62
Caching individual Sounds to disk to save DSP resources
62

Controlling the flow of time in a live performance
63

What stops and what keeps on going?
63
Example of how to use WaitUntil to pause the time cursor
64

A typical session with the timeline
65

MIDI and Spatializing in the timeline
65

The Sound Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Signal Flow (the upper half of the Sound editor)
67

Hiding and displaying branches of the signal flow
67
Color-coding of modules
67
The Replaceable input
68

But Wait; Theres More!
68

Three Modes of Using Kyma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Default Parameter Ranges
71
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D

OCUMENTING



THE

D

OCUMENTATION

The Kyma.5 documentation is presented in several forms, each appropriate for a different mode of work-
ing. This section gives you an overview of which document is best suited to which situation.

Kyma.5 Walkthrough

For tyros and veteran users alike, this is a guide to nding your way around the Kyma.5 envi-
ronment. This document gives you an overview of the environment, a strategy for approaching
this deep system one layer at a time (so you can experience Kyma as an inexhaustible source of
delight rather than a steep learning curve), and then walks you step-by-step through the new
features like your own personal tour guide. If you are new to Kyma, we recommend doing the
Kyma.5 Walkthrough rst and then proceeding to the Introduction and Tutorials sections of the
Kyma 4.5 Manual. Veteran Kyma users are also advised to begin here, with the walkthrough.

Graphical Quick Reference

For instant gratication, look at this rst. But then keep it around so you can refer to it anytime
you are using Kyma (thats why we printed it on card stock, so it would stand up to a lot of
use). If you are wondering what you can do in a specic window or a subpart of a window, just
nd the window in the Graphical Quick Reference and read the description associated with it.
If English is not your rst language and you are looking for the minimum documentation that
you could translate, this is it! This document has the highest ratio of graphics to words, so it
would provide the most information for the least translation time. This document replaces the
Quick Reference section of the Kyma 4.5 manual.

Expressions Quick Reference

There are several new real-time operators and functions that you can use in parameter elds.
This document replaces pages 213-214 of the Kyma 4.5 manual.

Whats New in Kyma.5 (Release Notes)

If you are already familiar with Kyma 4.5, this is a quick way to peruse the list of

changes



and
additions

that have been made since the previous software release. If you are a Kyma veteran
eager to see whats new, and you dont have the patience to go through the walkthrough just
yet, we recommend perusing this list of changes and the Graphical Quick Reference rst and

then

using the Kyma.5 Walkthrough to guide you through the details of some of the powerful
new user interface options.

Kyma 4.5 Sound Design Environment (aka the big book)

This is a reference manual, graphical quick reference, and tutorials for Kyma version 4.5. Nearly
everything in this manual still applies to Kyma.5, so you should still keep this manual around
for reference and we recommend that you read it-especially the Introduction and the Tutorials.
Everything related to Kyma.5 is intended as an Addendum to the large manual, rather than as a
replacement for it.
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I

NTRODUCTION

Whether you are new to Kyma or an experienced Kyma user looking for a quick introduction to the new
features in Kyma.5, these mini-tutorials will give you a rapid, hands-on immersion in all of the new fea-
tures, so you can immediately begin using them in your work.
If this is your rst introduction to Kyma, we recommend that you also work through the tutorials in the
main manual in order to complete your training as a Kyma Master Power User!
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O

VERVIEW

Kyma is a deep program, but it is organized in layers. You can create rich and unique sounds
straight out of the box, and, over time, begi