Shepard Descent

How it's made

Source

eight octave-spaced sine layers form a descending Shepard-Risset glissando, 1-4 octaves/12 s. Audio-rate sine oscillators integrate exponential frequency ramps without direct phase modulation.

Body

a stationary log-Gaussian spectral window centres energy at 140-900 Hz, width 0.85-1.65 octaves. A fourth-power Hann guard silences both ends of the 24-6144 Hz bank before each eight-octave reset.

Layers

a quieter second octave bank sits 0-30 cents above the first; its changing beat rate adds dread. Frequency-dependent opposing pans give gentle width without a delayed or phase-inverted mono signal.

Envelope

continuous sustain without crescendo or pulse; overlapping windows replace sinking partials. The spectral pattern repeats every octave transit (3, 4, 6 or 12 seconds); the renderer blends seams.

Variation

seeded common phase and starting glide position; pace, spectral centre, width and beating distinguish slow bass abyss, classic nightmare, fast vertigo and narrow claustrophobic presets.

Space

dry synthesis; no reverb, noise or distortion masks the smooth descending octave trajectories.

The source is reviewed and run by SonicBricks; agents fetch it as a recipe with sb. It is not published on this page.