How do voicing algorithms work, and why do they introduce a small latency?

PolySWAM translates the notes you play into specific voices based on the rules of the algorithm chosen for your preset. To ensure your ensemble sounds musical and orchestrated rather than chaotic, the engine needs to analyze your input before making allocation decisions.

The Role of the Capture Buffer

To distribute notes in a musically coherent way, the engine cannot process every note the millisecond it hits; it must analyze the notes that compose a chord or melodic gesture as a unified block.

• Jitter Compensation: When you play a chord, your fingers rarely strike every key at the exact same time; there is always a natural, human "jitter" or delay between the first and last note of a chord.

• The Analysis Window: Upon receiving the first note, the system opens a very brief analysis window (known as a capture buffer). This window is only a few milliseconds long, acting as a buffer that waits to collect all the notes you intended to play as part of that specific gesture.

Customizing the Experience: The "Legato Response" Knob

The capture buffer is not a fixed constraint; it is a dynamic element governed by the Legato Response knob, located in the Interpretation section of the interface.

• Dynamic Analysis Control: By adjusting the Legato Response knob, you are directly modifying the duration of the capture buffer.

• Precision vs. Latency:

  • Increasing this value widens the analysis window, giving the engine more time to analyze complex chords and transitions, which improves the accuracy of Voice Leading and the detection of legato gestures.

  • Decreasing this value restricts the window, resulting in a faster, more immediate response (lower latency), which is ideal for fast, percussive playing or precise melodic lines.

• Performance Matching: This knob allows you to find the perfect "sweet spot" between your keyboard technique and the engine's ability to orchestrate your performance.

Why is there a small latency?

The small delay you might perceive at the start of a note is a direct result of this analysis process.

• The Orchestration Trade-off: By waiting just a few milliseconds to gather your input, the engine is able to perform intelligent voice leading, prevent unnatural instrument crossings, and ensure that the right notes are assigned to the right instruments.

• Musical Integrity: This brief period is essential to allow the engine to "see" the full picture of your musical intent. Without this analysis time, the engine would have to make "blind" decisions note-by-note, which would likely result in disjointed, mechanical-sounding voice assignments.

In short, this micro-latency is a deliberate design choice: it is the "price" paid for the engine to function as a true, intelligent orchestrator, ensuring that every time you strike a chord, the resulting arrangement is fluid, balanced, and musically sound.