The SoundDoc nodes

Every field and node in a SoundDoc — the JSON synthesis graph tono renders. tono schema prints the machine-readable JSON Schema (for editor autocomplete and validation).

A doc skeleton: { "name": ..., "duration": secs, "sample_rate": 44100, "seed": 0, "root": <node> }. root is a single node; every node is a mono signal. Multiply a source by an envelope (mul), layer sources with mix, pipe a source through processors with chain. Any numeric param is a constant, a note name, or a modulator.

Node vocabulary

Document-level fields:

field	default	notes
name	—	label; names the output files
duration	0.3	length in seconds
sample_rate	44100	Hz
seed	0	drives every noise source, dust train, and pluck burst
version	2	current document schema; other revisions are rejected
engine	5	current deterministic DSP kernels; other revisions are rejected
stereo	mono	{ "mode": "wide" } or { "mode": "haas", "ms": 12, "pan": 0.3 } treatment on the final render; a tracks root builds its image from per-track pan instead
normalize	unset ⇒ a transparent −0.1 dBFS sample-peak safety limit only	loudness match + true-peak limit
playback	oneshot	or loop
root	—	the signal graph

Sources (output audio):

node	fields	what it is
sine / triangle / sawtooth	freq	basic waves
square	freq, duty = 0.5	pulse wave; modulate duty for PWM
noise	color = white	pink −3 dB/oct (wind/rumble), brown −6 dB/oct (booms)
fm	freq, ratio, index	2-op FM — bells, e-piano; slide index down for a struck attack
super	wave = sawtooth, freq, voices = 7 (1..=16), detune_cents = 15	detuned unison stack (supersaw)
seq	bpm, wave, env, notes, …	note sequencer — see Compose songs
impact	hardness = 0.5, velocity = 1	strike exciter; feed a modal bank
dust	density, decay = 0.02	Poisson click train; decay 0 = bare impulses
env	a, d, s, r, punch	ADSR control signal 0..1 (not audio)

Combinators:

node	fields	what it is
mix	inputs	sum (layer) all inputs
mul	inputs	multiply (typically source × envelope)
chain	stages	serial pipe: stage 0 is a source, later stages process it
tracks	tracks, master, buses	stereo mixing console — document root only

Processors (chain stages):

node	fields	what it is
gain	amount	scale the signal (modulatable)
lowpass / highpass / bandpass / notch	cutoff, q = 0.707	resonant filters; notch removes a narrow band (hum)
peak	cutoff, q = 0.707, gain_db = 0	boost/cut one band (surgical EQ)
lowshelf / highshelf	cutoff, gain_db = 0	tilt everything below/above the corner
delay	secs, feedback = 0	feedback echo / comb
reverb	room = 0, mix = 0	Schroeder-style reverb
modal	modes = [{freq, decay=0.4, gain=1}] (1..=64), mix = 1	resonator bank — a struck body
drive	amount, shape = tanh, aa?	waveshaper: tanh warm, hard clip, fold metallic; ADAA by default; aa: false selects the raw curve
tremolo	rate = 6, depth = 0.5	amp wobble
chorus	rate = 1.5, depth = 0.5, mix = 0.5	thickening / width
compress	threshold, ratio, attack = 0.005, release = 0.08, makeup = 0	glue / loudness

Sidechain ducking lives on the mixer: a tracks layer's sidechain (source, amount, attack, release) follows another layer's signal.

Modulators (any numeric param, in place of a constant). Unlike nodes they carry no type field: the modulator name wraps its fields, { "slide": { "from": 880, "to": 220, "secs": 0.3 } }. A pitch glide on a sine:

{
  "name": "glide",
  "duration": 0.4,
  "root": { "type": "mul", "inputs": [
    { "type": "sine", "freq": { "slide": { "from": 880, "to": 220, "secs": 0.3, "curve": "exp" } } },
    { "type": "env", "a": 0.005, "d": 0.3, "s": 0.0, "r": 0.05 } ] }
}

modulator	fields	what it does
constant / note name	440, "C4", "F#3", "Gb5", "midi:60"	note names resolve to Hz (A4 = 440)
slide	from, to, secs, curve = lin|exp	glide, then hold at to; exp reads as natural pitch glide
lfo	shape = sine (square/triangle/saw), rate, depth, center	periodic oscillation around center
arp	steps, rate	cycle values at rate steps/sec
env	a, d, s, r, punch + from, to	ADSR mapped onto the from→to range
rand	from, to, rate, seed = 0	smooth random walk; self-seeded and edit-stable