Sandbox marks the second installment in the sineqube library of software. Simply put, the application is primarily for mixing two audio files. But Sandbox offers much more than bland remixes. Musicians are able to modulate any source material using sine waves and FM synthesis, granular synthesis, full ADSR envelopes with graphic breakpoints, a built-in delay unit, and independent volume levels to insure the perfect mix. Plus, all work done in Sandbox can be saved to disk for further processing.

Key features:

• variable loop points, playback speed & direction
• 2 forms of file modulation: sine wave and FM synthesis
• ADSR modulation envelope
• independent processing of sound files
• preset storage of FM and ADSR envelopes
• independent mixer sections
• built-in delay effect unit
• randomization features yield aleatoric composition
• ouput can be saved to disk

Getting started:

Working with Sandbox is incredibly simple. To begin, simply load a sound file you wish to process by clicking on the “load file” button in the first console on the left. You will be presented with a dialog box asking you to locate the file you want to import. Next, click the “audio 0/1” button at the bottom of the application to turn audio on. Adjust the “FILE01 GAIN” level to hear your file play. Repeat the process to load a second file into Sandbox. (Note: When loading the first 2 files, it may be necessary to click on and off the “audio 0/1” button to retrigger the sound. Thereafter, this should not be necessary when loading subsequent files).

The first console:

The first slot of Sandbox with purple input boxes is where you control the playback speed and set the loop points of your file playback. The “rnd loop 0/1” section turns on and off the randomization of the loop point. In the “rnd rate” and “rnd range” sections, you can set the speed at which Sandbox randomizes the loop point, and the length of the file you want processed, respectively. The default rate is once per second, and the default range is 4 seconds of audio. (Note: Reverse playback is only possible with randomization off).

Mod FM:

The Mod FM section offers control over the carrier frequency, harmonicity, modulation index, and amplitude of each sound file’s FM modulation. The modulation index and amplitude both feature graphic breakpoint envelopes for easy editing. New points are added just by clicking in the window, and deleting points is done by shift-clicking. Conveniently, there exists a gray box for storing your graphic breakpoint presets for simple retrieval as you work. To call a preset, click on a box with a small black square (which indicates there is data stored there). To store a new preset, shift-click in an empty box (or in a box with data to overwrite it). The Mod FM section also features a randomization of both the carrier frequency and harmonicity, with control over rate and range similar to that of the loop section. (Note: As with any audio software, prolonged listening to high frequencies can damage hearing. Exercise caution when adjusting frequency parameters).

Mod sine:

The sine modulation section appears minimal in design, but hides some powerful features beneath its humble interface. With frequency set to lower settings, the console acts as an LFO (low frequency oscillator). At higher settings, bell-like tones similar to that of ring modulation are produced. Experiment with the Mod sine in conjunction with the Mod FM to discover a wide spectrum of synthesis. As with the loop and FM consoles, the sine section provides randomization of rate and range.

Mod env:

In this section, Sandbox features an ADSR envelope for both the sine and FM modulation. The graphic breakpoint editor window works in the same way as those found in the Mod FM section, and a similar preset storage box is available to the user. The “env rate” box sets the time that will elapse before the envelope is retriggered. Some preset times are provided for quicker transitions in the boxes found above the “env rate” box. A setting of 500 translates to twice per second, 1000 = once per second, 4000 = once every 4 seconds, etc.

Delay:

Sandbox features a built-in delay unit. Most of the settings will be fairly self-explanatory to the user: “time” sets the delay time, “feedback” sets the amount of signal regenerated in the given time, and “level” sets the volume of the delay effect. The “o/1” button can be used to quickly turn off the delay altogether, and some delay presets are provided which are functionally equivalent to those found in the Mod env section.

Mixer:

The mixer section offers independent signal routing to the main volume from the file, the file and the modulation section combined, and the modulation section by itself. All three of these can also be routed independently to Sandbox’s delay unit. Here would be a good place to bring up another feature of the application -- it is possible to bypass the signal of the imported files altogether, outputting only the synthesis sections of Sandbox. In this way, one could conceivably use the program as a realtime synthesizer, although traditional MIDI sequencing goes beyond the scope of this application.

Recording:

Sandbox is a powerful tool for both studio work and in a live setting. This is especially true with its ability to export audio. By saving your mix as an audio file, you can import your work back into your favorite sequencer, sampler, or Sandbox itself for further processing. Since Sandbox allows for realtime recording, the user can set up their mix, bounce an audio file to disk, then reimport that new file back into the application without missing a beat. In this way, it is entirely possible to build a mix of several files by ‘pingponging’ source material back and forth between Sandbox’s two consoles. To prepare recording, first click the “set audio record path” box to tell Sandbox where to store your resulting audio file. A dialog will be presented asking you to name the file and pick a place on your hard drive for the file to be saved. When you are ready to start recording, click the “start/stop recording” button. When you are done, simply click the button again to stop the recording.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: When recording, make sure you are mindful of how much hard drive space you are taking for each file. You will not be presented with a window showing how much time has elapsed, or how much space has been taken up. It is up to the user to decide how long the recording will be. As such, be careful not to accidentally engage recording without knowing what you are doing).