Elements

Sound texture synthesizer based on the four elements of nature in the ancient world (water, fire, air and earth) created in plugdata for use as a VST plugin inide any DAW

🌿 Elements – Sound Texture Synthesizer Based on the Four Classical Elements

Elements is a sound texture synthesizer based on the four elements of nature in the ancient world — water, fire, air, and earth — created in PlugData for use as a VST plugin inside any DAW.

It allows users to blend and modulate elemental sonic textures in real time through an XY pad, generating rich, shifting, and holographic soundscapes via synthesis — no samples involved.

🔧 Features

• Water – Bubbling, fluid, and irregular textures. It flows in pulses, echoing the motion of a stream or dripping rain.
• Fire – Flickering, sizzling and unstable. Rhythmic bursts evoke crackles, sparks, and the restless presence of flames.
• Air – Whispering, light, and grainy. Soft patterns flutter and dissipate like wind or distant breath.
• Earth – Heavy, deep, and grounded. Dense textures that feel organic, granular, and rooted in vibration.
• XY Vector Pad – Real-time interpolation between the four elemental sources. The closer the cursor is to an element, the stronger its influence.
• Pure Synthesis – Built entirely with oscillators, noise, filtering, and modulation inside PlugData.

🧰 Included Files

• Elements~.pd – Main patch (compatible with PlugData and Pure Data)
• gui.png – Interface screenshot
• logo_elements.png – Project logo

💻 Requirements

• PlugData (latest stable version recommended)
• DAW capable of loading VST3 plugins
• Audio interface or built-in sound system

🚀 How to Use

1. Open Elements~.pd in PlugData.
2. If using inside a DAW, load PlugData as a VST plugin and open the patch.
3. Make sure your audio system is active and routed correctly.
4. Use your mouse to move across the XY pad and explore sonic combinations.
5. Experiment with proximity and direction to modulate intensity and texture.

🎓 Conceptual Context

This device was developed as part of a Master’s Final Project in Sound Art at the University of Barcelona (2025).
"Elements" investigates the expressive capacity of sonic texture through the ancient symbolic system of the four elements. It invites intuitive exploration of textural sound as a perceptual and conceptual experience, shaped by motion and interaction.

👤 Author

Developed by [Diego Serrano]
[https://linktr.ee/HProject_music]
2025

@ Powered by Pure Data /plugdata community.

📚 Acknowledgements

Parts of the synthesis code and design concepts are inspired by the work of Andy Farnell, particularly his book Designing Sound, which provided key insights into procedural audio and sound modeling.