Behringer has a very cheap interface that has two RCA audio inputs, without pre-amp. It should cost around 30 euros. Pisound is one of the latest sounds cards for the Pi with a stereo jack input and output. This costs around 80 euros though.
I've been using Focusrite Scarlett sound cards with embedded computers like the Pi or the Odroid (or even my laptop) and Linux in general and they work really great. Of course they're not meant to be embedded, but if you're up for hacking them and tearing them off their housing, they could be an option. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 in my 3dPd modular synth, which runs on an Odroid-U3, posted here https://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/10845/3dpd-a-physical-modular-synthesizer-programmed-in-pd-and-arduino

I've been using the Odroid to create a modular synthesizer programmed in Pd and Arduino. I've finally made it but haven't made documentation yet, it will come in the next month or so.
Another option is of course the very popular Raspberry Pi. You'll need an external sound card to get Pd's audio outputs into the real world. If your sound card has at least three inputs and outputs (which is not the most common thing, IMHO) then you're probably good to go. Otherwise you'll have to implement some sort of physical patching that can be translated into Pd language. One good example is the rePatcher by Open Music Labs. This is what I based my synthesizer on and turned it into a modular synth.

Depending on what you want to do there can be different approaches, but I would recommend starting off with a Raspberry Pi and an Arduino.

hi all! long time lurker/reader, first time poster. thanks for sharing all your knowledge, it has been invaluable to my education in PD!

I'm building a sort of modular synth in PD and have arrived at an issue: feedback. I've search this (and other) forums and found that feedback is possible if one uses send and receive objects, and indeed this works... sometimes.

Each of my modules exists as it's own PD file - I think that's called an abstraction. I have them set to "graph on parent" so there is a little GUI/module front panel that can be manipulated. When I instantiate a module, such as an oscillator, it works great but if I route the output back into the input (through a *~ object or something) I get the "DSP loop" error. I have a block~ object in the abstraction set to 64 (block~ 64) per some instructions i found in this forum.

However,** if I am "inside" the abstraction** (if I open the abstraction file) I can successfully connect the output of the oscillator (from a r~ object) back into itself (into a s~ object).** The patch feeds back** and it sounds awesome!

I don't understand why this feedback works inside the abstraction but not when I'm "zoomed out" (I'm not sure what the terminology is). I suspect I'm missing some key piece of understanding.

If anybody has any ideas, I'd be grateful! Once my little modular system is a little less buggy I'll share the whole thing on github and here.

Here is the oscillator abstraction:
vco.pd

I'm working for Rebel Technology, a London based modular synth company, and we're making tutorials about running PD vanilla patches (via heavy) on the OWL modular synth (a reconfigurable module which supports C++, Pure Data and Faust). Here are the first two:

http://www.rebeltech.org/2016/04/pure-data-patch-introduction/
http://www.rebeltech.org/2016/05/pure-data-tutorial-2-sampler-looper/

And here's a video of a little "acid groovebox" written in PD, running on the OWL:

Hi,

I've been working on a library of abstractions that behaves like a modular synthesizer. It has all the usual modules: VCO, VCA, ADSR, VCF...

All modules work with audio signals from -5 to 5 "volts". Control signals are usually from 0 to 5 "volts". As in modular synthesizers, control signals can be used to make sound and viceversa.

I recommend using pd-l2ork. All externals used in b4p are within this package.

You can download it on this link:
https://github.com/JoseFuzzNo/b4p

There is a couple of examples in the "examples" folder.

Any feedback will be appreciated.

Jose.

im programming something similar for my analog modular system control voltage sequencer and came up with this patch. it lets you select seperate curves for attack and decay by interpolating log, lin and exp curves. add 2 sliders from 0-100% and you get 0=log, 50=lin 100=exp. ... sounds great on my modular.

http://www.pdpatchrepo.info/hurleur/send-envelope.pd

there's info here:

http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/~clark/nordmodularbook/nm_speech.html

the book is aimed originally at the nord modular, but the info is valid for any modular music system (eg. pd)

Awesome, thanks for the jackosx help.

plugin support would be helpful because say I have a plugin that is a really good filter or distortion etc. etc. yes I could build something in PD that would be equivalent, but I guess the whole point of what I am thinking of is to have options open to use almost any hardware or software sound devices together. Although on the other hand maybe I will learn more if I try to emulate the plugins I would use in PD instead of integrating the plugins themselves into my modular system.

As far as standards go I guess I was thinking more that patches for the modular system be designed not just as a standalone item (although some could be used standalone as well) but to be able to be opened inside of another patch with inlets and outlets for controlling the parameters and inputting and outputting sound.

Thanks for the recommendation of the diy2 library I will check it out.

I have been working a lot with PD lately and have built some synths that I think make some pretty interesting sounds. I have also built some sequencers that produce complex patterns.

I have lately been researching modular analogue sequencers, the big rack type things. This has been giving me ideas about building a complete modular system with PD.

I have been thinking I could use my synths and sequencers together much more easily if they were modular. Also if a modular standard was developed, like standard CV ranges in analogue gear, we could trade module patches back and forth and build huge systems.

I have a few things I have been trying to figure out.

• since this system is modular would I be better off with something with vst au rtas ladspa etc. support? like a daw with reaktor? I would be able to patch back and forth between the effects and sound generators.

• does anyone know a good way to run the output from a program like reason or a daw into PD on OSX? I can't figure out how to do it with jack. I have been running out to my sound card and then back into it with a patch cable(completely ridiculous)

• it appears there will always be some type of delay/lag/buffer/latency with PD, maybe with all software synths? In my masterplan giant modular system with a computer and some external analogue effects / sound generators I could patch out of the computer and then back into it. Will the latency kill me doing this? will a crazy quad core tons of ram computer deal with super low latency?

I know that is a bunch of questions in one post, but if anyone has any ideas let me know.

Thanks

@slvmchn said:

a couple years ago i played around with pdvst, it was cool but i didn't have much use for it at the time.

now i'm tinkering with the idea of using it along with ableton to get some realtime visuals controlled with ableton (at least until max4live comes out, the "duke nukem forever" of modular dsp software).

however it appears it hasn't been updated since 2004. does anyone know of either some other plugin or where i can find an updated version?

also i should mention i only ask because this 2004 version won't seem to load in ableton for me, i have the folder/dll in my VST folder but it doesn't show up. i haven't tested it in other hosts but without it working in ableton it's pretty useless for me.

I have no idea sorry, but I would have thought that development wouldn't have stopped. I presume that you tried to contact the author?

(at least until max4live comes out, the "duke nukem forever" of modular dsp software).

will that spell the end of Pd for you?