The signal bank — a library of analog-emulation DSP building blocks that help you build VCV Rack modules with convincing analog behaviour and sound. Part of the Sam-e signal system (S- is the signal). The library is the product; the modules here are demos that use it to prove it works and show how.

The DSP is native, header-only C++, so it tests without the Rack SDK.

Modules

• Vactrol LPG — a Buchla-292-style vactrol low-pass gate: dirty, resonant, with the lag and bloom of a real opto-isolator. Switches between low-pass, VCA, and combined responses.
• Strike — a clean, zero-bleed, envelope-driven low-pass gate. Sharp percussive pings with no tone leaking through a closed gate, plus a continuous material morph.

Install

Not yet in the VCV Library. For now:

• Pre-built: download the .vcvplugin for your platform from the Releases page and drop it into Rack's user plugins/ folder (Rack → Help → Open user folder).

• From source: you need the VCV Rack SDK.

  cd modules/rack && make install RACK_DIR=/path/to/Rack-SDK

Repo layout — the library vs. the demos

• modules/ — VCV Rack modules built on the library:
  • rack — the native C++ VCV plugin: DSP cores (src/dsp/SBankDSP.hpp), module sources, panels, and plugin.json.
• tools/ — panelgen: declarative panel generator (one spec → both the SVG art and the C++ widget coordinates).
• site/ — the Sam-e / S- brand living document.
• docs/ — design notes (DESIGN.md).

Develop

The DSP is header-only, so the tests need no Rack SDK:

modules/rack/test/run_golden.sh                # golden regression (locks the sound)
c++ -std=c++11 -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -I modules/rack/src \
  modules/rack/test/dsp_smoke.cpp -o /tmp/sbank_dsp_smoke && /tmp/sbank_dsp_smoke

Panels are generated — edit the spec in tools/panelgen, never the SVG/.inc by hand, then python3 tools/panelgen/generate.py. The PR template lists what CI enforces (golden regression, panel sync, SPDX headers).

License

S-Bank is open source with a per-area split — see LICENSE.md for the authoritative breakdown:

• Reusable DSP (modules/rack/src/dsp/) — MIT OR Apache-2.0. Embed it in your own modules, open or commercial.
• The demo plugin and everything else — GPL-3.0-or-later.
• Brand assets — the panel designs (res/*.svg), the Sam-e / S-Bank names, the S- mark, and site/ are © Gabriel Almeida, all rights reserved, and are not covered by the code licenses. Please don't reuse the names or the panel look on derivative works.
• Bundled fonts (Fira Code, Space Grotesk) are under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.