Risset Drum

Generates a drum sound of the kind described by Jean-Claude Risset: a set of inharmonic partials over a low fundamental, mixed with a narrow band of noise, all decaying together. The result sits somewhere between a bell and a drum and is easy to tune, so it works well for percussion and for sound-design material.

Where to find it

The Generate menu.

Controls

• Frequency (Hz) — 50 to 2000, default 100. The fundamental pitch of the drum.
• Decay (seconds) — 0.1 to 60, default 2. How long the sound takes to die away; this is also the length of the generated audio.
• Center frequency of noise (Hz) — 100 to 5000, default 500. Where the noise component sits.
• Width of noise band (Hz) — 10 to 1000, default 400. How broad that noise band is.
• Amount of noise in mix (percent) — 0 to 100, default 25. How much noise is blended with the tonal part.
• Amplitude (0 - 1) — 0 to 1, default 0.8. The peak level of the result.

Notes

More noise and a wider band give a drier, more percussive attack; less noise leaves the inharmonic tone exposed and the sound turns bell-like. A short decay with the fundamental low gives a usable kick, while longer decays drift towards a gong.

Last updated 3 September 2026