The Alternative Csound Reference Manual
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# pan

pan -- Distribute an audio signal amongst four channels.

## Description

Distribute an audio signal amongst four channels with localization control.

## Syntax

a1, a2, a3, a4 pan asig, kx, ky, ifn [, imode] [, ioffset]

## Initialization

ifn -- function table number of a stored pattern describing the amplitude growth in a speaker channel as sound moves towards it from an adjacent speaker. Requires extended guard-point.

imode (optional) -- mode of the kx, ky position values. 0 signifies raw index mode, 1 means the inputs are normalized (0 - 1). The default value is 0.

ioffset (optional) -- offset indicator for kx, ky. 0 infers the origin to be at channel 3 (left rear); 1 requests an axis shift to the quadraphonic center. The default value is 0.

## Performance

pan takes an input signal asig and distributes it amongst four outputs (essentially quad speakers) according to the controls kx and ky. For normalized input (mode=1) and no offset, the four output locations are in order: left-front at (0,1), right-front at (1,1), left-rear at the origin (0,0), and right-rear at (1,0). In the notation (kx, ky), the coordinates kx and ky, each ranging 0 - 1, thus control the 'rightness' and 'forwardness' of a sound location.

Movement between speakers is by amplitude variation, controlled by the stored function table ifn. As kx goes from 0 to 1, the strength of the right-hand signals will grow from the left-most table value to the right-most, while that of the left-hand signals will progress from the right-most table value to the left-most. For a simple linear pan, the table might contain the linear function 0 - 1. A more correct pan that maintains constant power would be obtained by storing the first quadrant of a sinusoid. Since pan will scale and truncate kx and ky in simple table lookup, a medium-large table (say 8193) should be used.

kx, ky values are not restricted to 0 - 1. A circular motion passing through all four speakers (inscribed) would have a diameter of root 2, and might be defined by a circle of radius R = root 1/2 with center at (.5,.5). kx, ky would then come from Rcos(angle), Rsin(angle), with an implicit origin at (.5,.5) (i.e. ioffset = 1). Unscaled raw values operate similarly. Sounds can thus be located anywhere in the polar or Cartesian plane; points lying outside the speaker square are projected correctly onto the square's perimeter as for a listener at the center.

## Examples

    instr     1
      k1           phasor    1/p3                     ; fraction of circle
      k2           tablei    k1, 1, 1                 ; sin of angle (sinusoid in f1)
      k3           tablei    k1, 1, 1, .25, 1         ; cos of angle (sin offset 1/4 circle)
      a1           oscili    10000,440, 1             ; audio signal..
      a1,a2,a3,a4  pan       a1, k2/2, k3/2, 2, 1, 1  ; sent in a circle (f2=1st quad sin)

                   outq a1, a2, a3, a4
    endin

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