CTAG-FX

Reinterpreting Synthesizer Parameter Spaces

for Expressive Tone-Shaping Audio FX Design

Overview

Recent text-guided audio FX research has focused on translating natural-language descriptions into parameters or chain configurations within existing FX systems. However, comparatively little attention has been paid to how the internal control space of an individual FX processor can itself be constructed. To address this gap, we propose CTAG-FX, which functionally reinterprets the roles of 78 parameters in a text-conditioned synthesizer configuration as controls of a tone-shaping FX processor. Each synthesizer configuration defines a fixed tone-shaping processor that can be repeatedly applied to new audio inputs rather than producing only a one-off rendered output. The text-conditioned synthesizer configurations are generated using A&R-CTAG, a retrieval-enhanced extension of CTAG. We evaluate CTAG-FX through signal-level analysis, together with a scrambled-mapping ablation in which parameter-to-control assignments are randomly permuted to assess the contribution of the proposed role assignment. Role-based mapping produces prompt-distinct spectral and nonlinear behavior, whereas scrambling reduces this prompt-specific differentiation and yields a more prompt-insensitive nonlinear profile. Overall, these results suggest that synthesizer parameter spaces can serve not only as sound-generation spaces but also as design resources for constructing new audio-FX control spaces.

CTAG-FX overall workflow

CTAG-FX workflow from text prompt to tone-shaping FX processing.

Performance

Once a CTAG-FX configuration is fixed, its input-output response can be captured with Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) and loaded into a compatible host for real-time processing. The examples below demonstrate the resulting playable guitar tones.

Step 1. Tone-Shaping FX Operation Test

This test examines whether the reinterpreted synth-to-FX mapping functions as an actual tone-shaping processor. The same guitar inputs are processed with configurations generated for four tone prompts, ranging from mild clean/crunch characters to strongly nonlinear fuzz/distortion characters.

Listening Notice RAW input tracks are quieter than the processed FX outputs. Please lower your volume before moving from RAW inputs to effected audio.

RAW Input (Chord)

Input Components
Guitar
Fender American Vintage Reissue 65 Strat
Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's Pickups / Neck
Processing Chain
  1. Channel EQ
  2. UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor (Plug-in)
  3. T-Racks EQ 73 (Plug-in)
  4. Teletronix LA-2A Leveler (Plug-in)

RAW Input (Melody)

Input Components
Guitar
Fender American Vintage Reissue 65 Strat
Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's Pickups / Neck
Processing Chain
  1. Channel EQ
  2. UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor (Plug-in)
  3. T-Racks EQ 73 (Plug-in)
  4. Teletronix LA-2A Leveler (Plug-in)

Chewy Amp Crunch

Prompt-Consistent Output (Chord)
Prompt-Consistent Output (Melody)

Germanium Fuzz

Prompt-Consistent Output (Chord)
Prompt-Consistent Output (Melody)

RAT-style Distortion

Prompt-Consistent Output (Chord)
Prompt-Consistent Output (Melody)

Soft Creamy Clean

Prompt-Consistent Output (Chord)
Prompt-Consistent Output (Melody)

Step 2. Character-Reinterpretation FX Test

This test examines whether character cues encoded in A&R-CTAG's synth-side representations can be plausibly recast as tone-shaping FX characters for external audio. The materials support separate comparisons of reference-to-synth concept correspondence and synth-to-FX character correspondence.

Reference–Synth Character Correspondence

Four reference sounds used in the user study are compared with the corresponding A&R-CTAG synthesized character representations.

Little Birds Chirping

CLAP Score: 0.7963

Reference Sound
A&R-CTAG Synth Character

Cow Moo

CLAP Score: 0.7591

Reference Sound
A&R-CTAG Synth Character

Emergency Police Siren

CLAP Score: 0.7544

Reference Sound
A&R-CTAG Synth Character

Wooden Box Open

CLAP Score: 0.6556

Reference Sound
A&R-CTAG Synth Character

Additional A&R-CTAG Character Samples

These are additional A&R-CTAG synthesized character examples. They are included as standalone listening samples beyond the user study examples.

Pencil Writing on Paper

CLAP Score: 0.6944

A&R-CTAG Synth Character

High-Pitched Mouse Squeak

CLAP Score: 0.7859

A&R-CTAG Synth Character

A Beautiful Ocean Tide

CLAP Score: 0.6129

A&R-CTAG Synth Character

A Kitty Cat Meow

CLAP Score: 0.7818

A&R-CTAG Synth Character

A Playful Monkey Ook-Ook

CLAP Score: 0.7947

A&R-CTAG Synth Character

Pig Oink Oink with Lower Tone

CLAP Score: 0.4257

A&R-CTAG Synth Character

Synth–FX Character Correspondence

The following examples show how A&R-CTAG character representations are applied to guitar RAW input as final tone-shaping FX outputs.

Little Birds Chirping

CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Chord)
CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Melody)

Cow Moo

CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Chord)
CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Melody)

Emergency Police Siren

CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Chord)
CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Melody)

Wooden Box Open

CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Chord)
CTAG-FX Reinterpreted Output (Melody)

Code

Code release coming soon.

Contact

Geonung Jo
taylor3527eg@gmail.com

Parameters