aperiodic-oscillator

Non-periodic replacement for OscillatorNode from Web Audio API

Examples

Quick start (unison supersaw)

import {UnisonOscillator} from 'aperiodic-oscillator';

const context = new AudioContext();

const supersaw = new UnisonOscillator(context, {
  type: 'sawtooth',
  numberOfVoices: 5,
  spread: 6.9,
  frequency: 110,
});

const output = context.createGain();
output.gain.value = 0.2;
supersaw.connect(output);
output.connect(context.destination);

supersaw.start();
supersaw.stop(context.currentTime + 2);
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Inharmonic timbre (aperiodic wave)

import {AperiodicOscillator, AperiodicWave} from 'aperiodic-oscillator';

const context = new AudioContext();

const partials = Array.from({length: 128}, (_, i) => i + 1);
const spectrum = partials.map(n => n ** 1.5); // inharmonic partial ratios
const amplitudes = partials.map(n => 0.3 * n ** -1.5);

const timbre = new AperiodicWave(
  context,
  spectrum,
  amplitudes,
  7, // maxNumberOfVoices
  0.1 // tolerance in cents
);

const tine = new AperiodicOscillator(context, {
  aperiodicWave: timbre,
  frequency: 220,
});

const output = context.createGain();
output.gain.value = 0.2;
tine.connect(output);
output.connect(context.destination);

// Optionally schedule a finite note.
tine.start();
tine.stop(context.currentTime + 2);
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Browser autoplay note: Most browsers block audio until a user gesture occurs (for example, a button click). If you hear silence, create/resume the AudioContext inside a click/tap handler.

API Overview

The package exports four primary public classes from src/index.ts: AperiodicWave, MultiOscillator, UnisonOscillator, and AperiodicOscillator.

AperiodicWave

Builds an aperiodic timbre description that can be applied to an AperiodicOscillator.

Constructor:

new AperiodicWave(context, spectrum, amplitudes, maxNumberOfVoices, tolerance)
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• maxNumberOfVoices (count, integer): no default in the constructor; caller must provide a finite integer >= 1.
• tolerance (cents): no default in the constructor; caller must provide a finite number >= 0.

MultiOscillator

A base class wrapping one or more OscillatorNode voices and exposing oscillator-like behavior as one unit.

Constructor:

new MultiOscillator(context, options?)
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options (all optional):

• frequency (Hz): default 440.
• detune (cents): default 0.

UnisonOscillator

Extends MultiOscillator with evenly distributed voice spread.

Constructor:

new UnisonOscillator(context, options?, mode?)
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• mode defaults to 'detune'.
• options (all optional):
  • frequency (Hz): default 440 (inherited).
  • detune (cents): default 0 (inherited).
  • numberOfVoices (count): default 1.
  • spread:
    • In mode = 'detune' (default), spread is in cents and is distributed symmetrically from negative to positive offsets across voices.
    • In mode = 'frequency', spread is in Hz and is distributed symmetrically from negative to positive frequency offsets across voices.
    • Default 0 in either mode.

AperiodicOscillator

Extends MultiOscillator to apply AperiodicWave data per voice.

Constructor:

new AperiodicOscillator(context, options?)
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options (all optional):

• frequency (Hz): default 440 (inherited).
• detune (cents): default 0 (inherited).
• aperiodicWave: no default; when provided, setAperiodicWave() is called during construction.

Methods quick reference

Class	Method	Purpose
MultiOscillator	setPeriodicWave(wave)	Set a shared PeriodicWave for all voices (switches behavior to custom waveform).
AperiodicOscillator	setAperiodicWave(wave)	Apply per-voice detunings and per-voice PeriodicWave data from an AperiodicWave.
MultiOscillator / subclasses	dispose()	Disconnect and stop managed audio nodes/voices safely.

Validation and errors

Input validation in src/harmonic-allocator.ts enforces:

• spectrum.length === amplitudes.length.
• maxNumberOfVoices must be a finite integer >= 1.
• tolerance must be a finite number >= 0.
• every spectrum[i] must be a finite number > 0.
• every amplitudes[i] must be a finite number >= 0.

Violations throw Error with a message naming the invalid parameter and the received value.

Installation

Install the published package:

npm install aperiodic-oscillator
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Development

Set up the repository locally:

npm install
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Documentation

Documentation is hosted at the project Github pages.

To generate documentation locally run:

npm run doc
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