Gong
The Gong is a physically modelled synthesiser based on nonlinear plate equations. As you play harder, energy cascades into higher vibrational modes — just like striking a real gong.
How It Works
The synthesis engine implements the Föppl–von Kármán nonlinear plate equations as a modal system with cubic coupling between oscillators. This captures the characteristic wash of evolving harmonics that gives gongs their complex, meditative sound.
Parameters
Available across the standalone app, the Gong instrument plugin, and the Gong Resonator effect plugin:
| Parameter | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 0.15–0.60 m | Plate radius — sets fundamental pitch and overtone spacing |
| Strike Position | 0–100% | Where on the plate the strike lands (centre to rim) |
| Nonlinearity | 0–100% | Energy transfer between modes |
| Damping | 0–100% | Decay rate |
| Excitation | 0–100% | Strike character |
| Brightness | 0–100% | High-frequency content |
| Reverb | 0–100% | Room ambience |
| Volume | –60 dB to +6 dB | Output level |
Plugin-only controls:
| Parameter | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MIDI Channel | All / 1–16 | Restrict triggered notes to a channel |
Size
The Size parameter continuously controls the plate radius from 0.15m to 0.60m. Smaller sizes produce higher pitches with tighter overtone spacing; larger sizes produce deeper, more expansive tones.
The generative sequencer uses three gong instances (small, mid, large) but the parameter is fully continuous for manual playing.
Continuous Excitation
Hold or drag on a gong to enter continuous excitation mode. This produces a sustained bowed tone that evolves over time as energy transfers between modes.
Resonator Effect
The gong also ships as Orbiter Gong Resonator — an audio-effect plugin that drives the same nonlinear plate model with audio from your DAW track instead of MIDI notes. The Size parameter sets where the resonance sits in the frequency spectrum; works especially well with percussive sources. See Resonator Effects for routing and controls.