Gong
The Gong is a physically modelled synthesiser based on nonlinear plate equations. As you play harder, energy cascades into higher vibrational modes — just like striking a real gong.
How It Works
The synthesis engine implements the Föppl–von Kármán nonlinear plate equations as a modal system with cubic coupling between oscillators. This captures the characteristic wash of evolving harmonics that gives gongs their complex, meditative sound.
Parameters
| Parameter | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 0.15–0.60 m | Plate radius — controls fundamental pitch and overtone spacing |
| Nonlinearity | 0–100% | Energy transfer between modes |
| Damping | 0–100% | Decay rate |
| Excitation | 0–100% | Strike character |
| Brightness | 0–100% | High-frequency content |
| Reverb | 0–100% | Room ambience |
| Volume | -60 to +6 dB | Output level |
Size
The Size parameter continuously controls the plate radius from 0.15m to 0.60m. Smaller sizes produce higher pitches with tighter overtone spacing; larger sizes produce deeper, more expansive tones.
The generative sequencer uses three gong instances (small, mid, large) but the parameter is fully continuous for manual playing.
Continuous Excitation
Hold or drag on a gong to enter continuous excitation mode. This produces a sustained bowed tone that evolves over time as energy transfers between modes.
Effect Plugin
Orbiter Gong FX routes incoming audio through the nonlinear plate model. The signal excites the resonator in real time, with the Size parameter tuning where the resonance sits in the frequency spectrum.
Works especially well with percussive sources like drums, but any audio can be processed.