Snare Drum

Or clap or whatever. I don’t actually like snare drums or their ilk very much.
Here’s the part where I can push faders around to get good values:

(
 SynthDef(snare, {|out = 0, freq, rq, hpf_d, hpf_cv, curve, dur, amp, pan = 0|
 
  var noise, hpf, hpf_env, env, panner, imp;
  
  noise = PinkNoise.ar(1);
  imp = Impulse.ar(1/(dur + 0.1), 0, amp);
  
  env = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(0.0005, dur, amp), doneAction:2);
  hpf_env = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(0.001, hpf_d, hpf_cv, curve)) - 12;
  hpf = RHPF.ar(noise, (freq.cpsmidi + hpf_env).midicps, rq) * env;
  
  panner = Pan2.ar(hpf + imp, pan);
  
  Out.ar(out, panner);
 }).store;
 

 Conductor.make({|cond, freq, rq, hpf_d, hpf_cv, curve, dur, db|
 
  freq.spec_(freq, 200+660.rand);
  rq.spec_(rq, 0.45 + 0.1.rand);
  hpf_d.sp(1, 0.0001, 1.45, 0, 'linear');
  hpf_cv.sp(24, 0, 36, 0, 'linear');
  dur.sp(1, 0.0001, 1.5, 0, 'linear');
  db.spec_(db, 0.2.ampdb);
  curve.sp(-3, -1, -8, 1, 'linear');
  
   
  cond.pattern_(
   Pbind(
    instrument, snare,
    db,   db,
    freq,  freq,
    rq,   rq,
    hpf_d,  hpf_d,
    hpf_cv,  hpf_cv,
    dur,  dur,
    curve,  curve
   )
  );
 }).show;
)

That requires the Conductor Quark. I’m not sure about that sound design, anyway. And here’s the final version:

 SynthDef(snare, {|out = 0, hit_dur, amp = 0, pan =0|
  var noise, hpf, hpf_env, env, panner, imp;
  
  noise = PinkNoise.ar(1);
  imp = Impulse.ar(1/(hit_dur + 0.1), 0, amp);
  
  env = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(0.0005, hit_dur, amp), doneAction:2);
  hpf_env = EnvGen.kr(Env.perc(0.001, 0.92, 16.8, -5)) - 12;
  hpf = RHPF.ar(noise, (78.34 + hpf_env).midicps, 0.57) * env;
  panner = Pan2.ar(hpf + imp, pan);
  Out.ar(out, panner);
 }).store;

Make of it what you will. That single impulse at the beginning gives it a good start, but it doesn’t have that paff or bappff – that roundness of attack – of a real snare or even a good analog drum machine. I used to have such a machine, which I didn’t actually make ver much use of. Now it lies abandoned in California, alas and woe.