INTERSECT

INTERSECT is a sample slicer instrument plugin (VST3/AU/Standalone) with per-slice locking, multiple time/pitch algorithms, and MIDI-triggered slice playback.

Table of Contents

• Quick Start
• Installation
• Workflow Basics
• Interface Layout
• Controls and Shortcuts Reference
• MIDI Controller Routing (NRPN)
• Theme Customization
• Build from Source
• Dependencies
• License
• Support / Known Limitations

Quick Start

1. Load a sample with LOAD, click the sample name area in the header, or drag an audio file onto the waveform.
2. Create slices with ADD (draw on the waveform), LAZY (real-time chop), or AUTO (transients / equal split).
3. Use the bottom Signal Chain bar in GLOBAL mode to set playback, filter, amp, and output defaults for the whole sample.
4. Select a slice, switch the Signal Chain to SLICE, and edit per-slice overrides where needed.
5. Trigger slices from MIDI. New slices are mapped from root note C2 (MIDI 36) upward.
6. Toggle FM if you want played MIDI notes to auto-select slices in the UI.

Installation

Download the latest release zip from Releases, then place plugin files in your system plugin folders.

Release package contents

Platform	Included binaries
Windows x64	INTERSECT.vst3, INTERSECT.exe
Linux x64	INTERSECT.vst3, INTERSECT (standalone)
macOS arm64	INTERSECT.vst3, INTERSECT.component, INTERSECT.app
macOS x64	INTERSECT.vst3, INTERSECT.component, INTERSECT.app

Plugin install paths

Format	Windows	macOS	Linux
VST3	C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\	~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/	~/.vst3/
AU	n/a	~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/	n/a

After copying files, rescan plugins in your DAW.

macOS unsigned build note

If macOS reports that INTERSECT is damaged or blocked, clear quarantine flags:

xattr -cr ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/INTERSECT.vst3
xattr -cr ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/INTERSECT.component
xattr -cr /Applications/INTERSECT.app

Workflow Basics

1. One sample at a time: INTERSECT loads one audio file per instance (.wav, .ogg, .aiff, .flac, .mp3).
2. Current editor layout: header bar, slice lane, waveform, time/zoom bar, action bar, and bottom signal-chain editor.
3. Slice creation: draw slices manually, chop live with LAZY, or split a selected slice via AUTO.
4. Inheritance model: GLOBAL in the Signal Chain edits sample defaults. SLICE edits the selected slice and locks fields that diverge from the global value.
5. Playback model: MIDI triggers slices by note mapping; mute groups can choke voices in the same group.
6. Algorithms:
   • Repitch: pitch and speed are linked.
   • Stretch: independent time/pitch via Signalsmith Stretch (TONAL, FMNT, FMNT C).
   • Bungee: granular stretch mode with GRAIN choices (Fast, Normal, Smooth).
7. Repitch + Stretch interaction: when ALGO=Repitch and STRETCH=ON, PITCH and TUNE become BPM-driven read-only displays.
8. SET BPM: available in the Playback module for both GLOBAL and SLICE; it calculates BPM from musical duration.
9. Filter model: the filter is per-voice and resolves its settings at note-on. Cutoff changes affect newly triggered notes immediately, but do not retarget voices that are already playing.
10. Filter envelope amount: AMT is measured in semitones, so +12 st means the envelope can push cutoff up by one octave and -12 st means one octave down. This stays consistent across low and high base cutoff values.
11. Key tracking: KEY is a percentage of note tracking. 0% ignores note pitch, 100% makes cutoff follow pitch at full keyboard scaling, and intermediate values blend between them.
12. Drive: DRIVE is pre-filter saturation. It adds harmonics before the filter rather than simply turning the signal up.
13. Load behavior: file decoding/loading is asynchronous (off the audio thread).
14. Undo/redo: snapshot-based history for slice and parameter edits.
15. MIDI host stop handling: responds to All Notes Off (CC 123) and All Sound Off (CC 120).

Interface Layout

Header Bar

Area	Function	Notes
Sample name / status	Shows loaded file name and length, or missing-file relink prompt	Click to load a sample; missing-file text opens relink
SLICES	Slice count	Read-only
ROOT	Root note for new slices	Editable only while there are no slices
UNDO / REDO	History navigation	Same as Ctrl/Cmd + Z and Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z
PANIC	Kills active voices immediately	Also stops lazy chop
LOAD	Open file browser	Replaces current sample
SET	Popup for theme, UI scale, and NRPN settings	Also shows current plugin version

Slice Lane and Waveform

Area	Function	Notes
Slice lane	Compact slice-region overview above the waveform	Reflects selection and zoom
Waveform	Main editing surface	Drag-and-drop loading, slice selection, boundary editing, move/duplicate, preview
Overlay hints	Contextual help and action prompts	Used by ADD, AUTO, and other actions
Playback cursors	Voice-position display	Shows active playheads
Transient preview markers	Auto Chop preview	Dashed markers shown before applying transient split

Time / Zoom Bar

Area	Function	Notes
Time ruler	Shows time markings for the current view	Updates with zoom level
Drag horizontally	Scroll	Uses the current zoom level
Drag vertically	Zoom	Anchored to the drag start position

Action Bar

Button	Function	Notes
ADD	Toggle draw-slice mode	Drag on the waveform to create a slice
LAZY / STOP	Start/stop real-time lazy chopping	Label changes while active
AUTO	Open/close Auto Chop panel	Requires a selected slice
COPY	Duplicate selected slice	Equivalent to duplicate command
DEL	Delete selected slice	No effect with no selection
ZX	Snap edits to nearest zero crossing	Toggle
FM	Follow MIDI note selection	Auto-selects the played slice

Signal Chain Bar

The bottom bar is the main parameter editor. It has GLOBAL and SLICE tabs plus four modules: PLAYBACK, FILTER, AMP, and OUTPUT.

When a slice is selected, the SLICE tab also shows:

• slice length
• note name
• MIDI note number
• override count

General behavior:

• Drag up/down on a value to edit it.
• Double-click a value to type it directly.
• In SLICE mode, editing a field locks that field for the selected slice when it differs from the global value.
• In SLICE mode, clicking a locked field label or right-clicking the field clears that override.

Controls and Shortcuts Reference

Header Bar

Control	Function	Notes
Sample info text	Load / relink sample	Click the text area
SLICES	Slice count	Read-only
ROOT	Root note for new slices	Editable only before any slices exist
UNDO / REDO	History navigation	Buttons in the header
PANIC	Kill active voices immediately	Also stops lazy chop
LOAD	Open file chooser	Replaces current sample
SET	Theme, scale, and NRPN popup	Theme chooser, +/- 0.25 scale, and NRPN settings

Signal Chain Bar

Playback Module

Control	Function	Notes
BPM	Tempo reference	20 to 999
SET BPM	Calculate BPM from duration menu	16 bars to 1/16 note
PITCH	Semitone shift	-48 to +48 st
TUNE	Fine detune	-100 to +100 ct
ALGO	Playback algorithm	Repitch, Stretch, Bungee
TONAL	Tonality limit	Stretch only
FMNT	Formant shift	Stretch only
FMNT C	Formant compensation	Stretch only
GRAIN	Grain mode	Bungee only: Fast, Normal, Smooth
STRETCH	Tempo-sync stretch toggle	Works with the selected algorithm
1SHOT	One-shot playback	Ignores note-off until the slice ends

Playback notes:

• When ALGO=Repitch and STRETCH=ON, PITCH and TUNE become BPM-derived read-only displays.
• In SLICE mode, the context row also exposes the selected slice's note name and MIDI note number.

Filter Module

Control	Function	Notes
ON	Enable/disable the filter	Per-voice filter toggle
TYPE	Filter mode	LP, HP, BP, NT
SLOPE	Filter steepness	12 dB or 24 dB
CUT	Base cutoff frequency	Displayed in Hz
RESO	Resonance amount	Higher values emphasize the cutoff region
DRIVE	Pre-filter saturation	Adds harmonics before filtering
KEY	Key tracking amount	0-100%, relative to the slice/root note mapping
ATK / DEC / SUS / REL	Filter envelope shape	Separate from the amp envelope
AMT	Filter envelope depth	Bipolar semitone offset (st) applied to cutoff

Filter notes:

• Start with ON, TYPE=LP, modest RESO, and a lower CUT to hear the filter clearly.
• Raise DRIVE if you want a dirtier or more aggressive tone before the filter stage.
• Use KEY when you want higher MIDI notes to sound brighter and lower notes darker.
• Use positive AMT for a classic opening filter envelope and negative AMT for an inverted sweep.
• AMT is in semitones because it controls octave-style movement of cutoff. +12 st doubles the cutoff, -12 st halves it.
• Filter settings resolve at note-on, so changing cutoff while a note is already playing affects the next note rather than re-tuning the current voice.

Amp Module

Control	Function	Notes
ATK / DEC / SUS / REL	Amp envelope	Standard ADSR for voice level
TAIL	Release-tail toggle	Allows playback to continue past slice boundary during release

Output Module

Control	Function	Notes
REV	Reverse playback	Toggle
LOOP	Loop mode	OFF, LOOP, PP
MUTE	Mute group	Voices in the same group choke each other
GAIN	Gain	-100 to +24 dB
OUT	Output bus	SLICE mode only, 1 to 16
VOICES	Max playable voices	GLOBAL mode only, 1 to 31

Action Bar

Button	Function
ADD	Toggle draw-slice mode (shows a waveform hint to drag and create a slice)
LAZY / STOP	Start/stop real-time lazy chopping
AUTO	Open Auto Chop panel for the selected slice (prompts you to select a slice first if none is selected)
COPY	Duplicate selected slice
DEL	Delete selected slice
ZX	Snap edits to nearest zero crossing
FM	Follow MIDI (auto-select played slice)

Auto Chop Panel

Requires a selected slice before opening.

Control	Function
SENS	Transient sensitivity (0-100%) with live marker preview
SPLIT TRANSIENTS	Split selected slice at detected transients
DIV	Equal split count (2-128)
SPLIT EQUAL	Split selected slice into equal divisions
CANCEL	Close panel without applying

Waveform and Mouse Gestures

Gesture	Result
Drag-and-drop file	Load sample
Click slice	Select slice
Click empty waveform in ADD mode	Begin draw-slice gesture
Drag S / E edge handles	Resize selected slice
Drag inside selected slice	Move slice
Ctrl + drag selected slice	Duplicate slice to new position
Alt + drag waveform	Temporary draw-slice gesture
Press ADD / Shift + A	Enters draw mode and shows an on-waveform hint
Shift + click waveform	Preview from clicked sample position
Mouse wheel	Cursor-anchored zoom
Shift + mouse wheel	Horizontal scroll
Middle-button drag	Combined horizontal scroll + vertical zoom
Drag in time / zoom bar	Horizontal drag scrolls, vertical drag zooms

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + Z	Undo
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z	Redo
Shift + A	Toggle ADD mode
Shift + Z	Toggle LAZY / STOP
Shift + C	Toggle Auto Chop panel
Shift + D	Duplicate selected slice
Delete / Backspace	Delete selected slice
Shift + X	Toggle ZX
Shift + F	Toggle FM
Right Arrow or Tab	Select next slice
Left Arrow or Shift + Tab	Select previous slice
Esc	Close Auto Chop panel

Single-letter action shortcuts are intentionally unbound so DAW keyboard-MIDI note entry remains available.

MIDI Controller Routing (NRPN)

INTERSECT supports NRPN-based slice editing from a hardware or software MIDI controller. Enable it via the SET button in the header bar — the popup contains an NRPN section with channel and consume options.

Controller requirements: The controller must have endless rotary encoders (not fixed-range knobs) and must support NRPN mode with configurable MSB/LSB address values. Crucially, it must send relative data bytes — CC 96 (Data Increment) and CC 97 (Data Decrement) — one step per click. Controllers that only send absolute values (CC 6 Data Entry) will not work, nor will standard fixed-range knobs. Examples include the Akai MPD32 and MPD218. Results may vary.

Select the slice to edit by enabling FM (Follow MIDI) and playing its MIDI note. Then use the start/end knobs to adjust the slice boundaries. Commit happens automatically ~300ms after the knob stops moving — the same feel as releasing a parameter slider. Zoom in for finer control; each knob step moves viewWidth / 16383 samples.

NRPN Parameter Table

NRPN numbers use CC 99 (MSB address) / CC 98 (LSB address) to select the parameter, then CC 96 (Data Increment) or CC 97 (Data Decrement) to send a ±1 step. No absolute-value data bytes (CC 6/38) are used.

When programming a hardware controller, set the knob to NRPN mode with MSB 64 and the LSB from the table below.

NRPN	MSB	LSB	Name	Direction	Notes
8193	64	1	Zoom	CC 96 / CC 97	Zoom in / out
8194	64	2	Slice start	CC 96 / CC 97	Each step = viewWidth / 16383 samples
8195	64	3	Slice end	CC 96 / CC 97	Each step = viewWidth / 16383 samples

SET Button — NRPN Settings

Open with the SET button in the header bar.

Control	Function
NRPN	Enable/disable NRPN slice editing
CONSUME CCs	Strip NRPN edit CCs from MIDI output so they don't reach downstream instruments
CH − / CH +	MIDI channel filter (0 = omni)

Settings are saved to the INTERSECT settings file alongside theme and UI scale.

DAW-specific notes

Ableton Live: NRPN control does not work in Ableton Live. Ableton intercepts the CC 96/97 data-increment bytes before they reach the plugin, so the plugin only ever sees the address bytes (CC 98/99) and can never fire an event. This is an Ableton routing limitation with no known workaround on the plugin side.

REAPER / Bitwig: Route a MIDI track to the plugin instance as normal. No additional configuration is needed; all CC messages are forwarded to the plugin.

Theme Customization

INTERSECT supports custom .intersectstyle themes. On first launch it creates default dark.intersectstyle and light.intersectstyle in the user theme directory.

OS	Theme folder
Windows	%APPDATA%\Roaming\INTERSECT\themes\
macOS	~/Library/Application Support/INTERSECT/themes/
Linux	~/.config/INTERSECT/themes/

Create a custom theme:

1. Copy one of the starter files from themes/ and rename it, for example mytheme.intersectstyle.
2. Set a unique name: value (used in the UI theme list).
3. Edit colors as 6-digit hex RRGGBB.
4. Place the file in your user theme folder.
5. Restart the plugin, then use the SET button in the header to select the theme.

The SET button popup also controls interface scale (0.5x to 3.0x in 0.25 steps).

Build from Source

Prerequisites

• CMake 3.22+
• C++20 compiler
• Git

Platform setup

Pick your platform below to install the required toolchain and libraries, then follow the shared Clone and build steps.

Windows

1. Install Visual Studio 2022 (Community edition is free). During installation, select the "Desktop development with C++" workload.
2. Install CMake (add to PATH during install) and Git.

macOS

1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools:

   xcode-select --install

2. Install CMake via Homebrew:

   brew install cmake

Linux — Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential cmake git libasound2-dev libfreetype-dev \
  libx11-dev libxrandr-dev libxcursor-dev libxinerama-dev \
  libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev

Linux — Fedora

sudo dnf install -y gcc-c++ cmake git alsa-lib-devel freetype-devel \
  libX11-devel libXrandr-devel libXcursor-devel libXinerama-devel \
  webkit2gtk4.1-devel libcurl-devel

Linux — Arch

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel cmake git alsa-lib freetype2 \
  libx11 libxrandr libxcursor libxinerama webkit2gtk-4.1 curl

Clone and build

git clone --recursive https://github.com/tucktuckg00se/INTERSECT.git
cd INTERSECT
cmake -B build
cmake --build build --config Release

Build outputs

• VST3: build/Intersect_artefacts/Release/VST3/INTERSECT.vst3
• Standalone:
  • Windows: build/Intersect_artefacts/Release/Standalone/INTERSECT.exe
  • Linux: build/Intersect_artefacts/Release/Standalone/INTERSECT
  • macOS: build/Intersect_artefacts/Release/Standalone/INTERSECT.app
• AU (macOS): build/Intersect_artefacts/Release/AU/INTERSECT.component

Release workflow (repo maintainers)

Pushing a tag matching v* triggers the GitHub Actions release workflow, which builds and packages:

• Windows x64
• Linux x64
• macOS arm64
• macOS x64

Dependencies

• JUCE (git submodule)
• Signalsmith Stretch (MIT)
• Signalsmith Linear (dependency of Signalsmith Stretch)
• Bungee (MPL-2.0)

License

INTERSECT is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

Support / Known Limitations

• INTERSECT currently works with one loaded sample per plugin instance.
• Project recall stores sample file paths; if files move, relink is required.
• Builds are unsigned; platform security prompts (especially macOS) may require manual trust/quarantine removal.
• Report bugs or request features via GitHub Issues on this repository.