Tags and folders
Floe has 2 complimentary features for browsing, searching and filtering: tags and folders. These apply to a few different features of Floe: presets, instruments and impulse responses.
For developers, there are best practises for how to use tags and folders to offer the best experience for the user.
On this page, we use the term ‘item’ to mean either preset, instrument or impulse response: these all use tags and folders in a similar way.
Folders
Folders are used to group items under a common heading. Items are often displayed in folders, even when other filtering has been applied.
Folders should be categories that relate to the theme or objective of the library. For example, for Lost Reveries, we wanted to explore the technique of using three complimentary timbres to layer into a full-spectrum sound, so we choose folders: “Low”, “Mid” and “Air”. Another example might be a library of field recordings, folders might be “Urban/London”, “Urban/York” or “Nature/New Forest”.
Folders may contain slashes to represent a hierarchy, just like a filepath. For example: “Piano/1978 Steinway”. Use this to specify broad categories that narrow down to specific categories. It’s not usually best to have more than 2 levels of hierarchy.
It’s best to have 5 to 30 items per folder. Folders with not many items clutter the GUI and don’t offer much value. Folders with too many items loose their focus.
Folders might overlap with tags but, in general, they are more abstract and can use phrases that only make sense in the context of the library as a whole. However, if it makes sense to group items under a common heading such as ‘Percussion’ (a common tag), then that’s fine too — but you should also add this as a tag.
Tags
Tags are the properties of an item. They are used for filtering and searching items across all libraries. Therefore, tags should normally come from the standard pool of tags so that there is a common language that enables standard usage across all libraries. Custom tags are allowed, but they should only be used for a good reason.
Add as many relevant tags as possible.
Tags are case-insensitive.
Standard tags
We take a pragmatic approach to defining this set of standard tags. Rather than try to be completely comprehensive and technically accurate, we instead aim to strike a balance between correctness and common usage within the music production space. The goal of tags is to help users find the item they need. You can suggest edits to this list via Github or other means.
For best results setting tags, go over each of the following questions and add all tags that apply to the item.
1. Where did the sound come from? (Sound source)
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
synthesized | Generated by algorithms or circuits |
acoustic | Originating from a real instrument |
vocal | Originating from a human voice |
hybrid | Combines acoustic/vocal sounds with processed/synthesized elements |
field recording | Environmental or location recordings |
found sounds | Real objects not traditionally used for music |
It’s strongly recommended to specify a sound-source for instruments and impulse responses. This is sometimes not applicable for presets.
2. Does it fit in a real instrument category? (Real instrument type)
piano,
keys,
strings1,
violin,
cello,
plucked strings2,
struck strings3,
guitar,
bass,
brass,
wind,
percussion,
drums,
vocal,
choir,
folk,
organ,
tonal percussion
Number of instruments: solo, ensemble.
These are mostly relevant for acoustic or hybrid sounds, but can be used for synthesized sounds that emulate these instruments.
Bowed strings such as violin, viola, cello, double bass.
Plucked strings such as guitar, harp, mandolin.
Struck strings such as hammered dulcimer, santur.
3. Is it made from a specific material? (Material)
wood,
metal,
glass,
plastic,
rubber,
stone,
ice.
This is typically used for non-standard instruments in the acoustic or found sounds categories.
3. What reverb type is it? (Reverb type)
small room,
large room,
chamber,
studio,
hall,
church,
cathedral,
unusual,
open air.
Strongly recommended for impulse responses. Not applicable for instruments or presets.
4. What mood does the item evoke? (Mood)
Positive moods:
bright4,
dreamy,
ethereal,
hopeful,
nostalgic,
peaceful,
playful.
Negative moods:
aggressive,
chaotic,
dark5,
disturbing,
eerie,
melancholic,
menacing,
tense.
Mixed moods:
bittersweet,
hypnotic,
mysterious,
quirky.
Thematic moods:
dramatic,
dystopian,
epic,
experimental,
fantasy,
heroic,
noir,
romantic,
sci-fi,
western.
It’s usually recommended to specify moods for synthesised instruments and presets. Not typically used for well-known acoustic instruments.
‘bright’ as in: positive, uplifting, clear
‘dark’ as in: unhappy, dim, unpleasant
3. What are its pitch characteristics? (Pitch)
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
multi-pitched | Contains multiple distinct notes |
non-pitched | Lacks identifiable musical pitch |
dissonant | Contains harmonically clashing pitches |
Useful for non-typical sounds that have notable pitch characteristics. A sound is assumed to possess a musical pitch unless otherwise stated.
5. What type of sound is it? (Sound type)
5.1. Does it have a long duration?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
pad | Sustained, pitched background harmonic element |
texture | Sustained atmospheric element, typically less of a musical pitch than pad |
soundscape | Complex and rich sonic environment |
underscore | Background tones or sequences for underneath dialogue |
noise | Non-pitched and constant, similar to white noise |
5.2. Does it have a short duration?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
hit | Single impactful sound with pitch and percussive elements |
keys | Piano or keyboard-like |
oneshot | Non-looping single sound, typically not for playing chromatically |
percussion | Rhythmic element, typically non-pitched |
pluck | Short melodic notes |
stab | Extra-short melodic notes |
5.3. Is it a sequence or pattern?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
arp | Arpeggiated pattern of notes |
sequence | Sequenced pattern timbre changes |
underscore | Background tones or sequences for underneath dialogue |
loop | Sampled repeating phrase |
5.4. Does it play a standard role in a track?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
lead | Foreground melodic element |
bass | Low-frequency foundation |
riser | Building tension element |
downer | Descending tension element |
sound-fx | Special effect sound |
transition | Section change element |
6. What is its timbre like? (Timbre)
6.1. Is the sound modulated in some way?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
pulsing | Rhythmic modulation |
evolving | Changing over time |
glitched | Digital error artefacts |
grainy | Fine textural irregularities |
6.2. Does it have a tone similar to a real instrument?
Only use these if the sound isn’t actually from that instrument, but has a similar character.
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
brassy | Like brass instruments |
breathy | Containing air noise, like wind instruments |
strings-like | Characteristic resonance of string instruments |
reedy | Characteristic of reed instruments |
6.3. Is it related to a synthesis technique?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
analog | Warm, imprecise, vintage character |
fm | Frequency modulation synthesis |
granular | Granular synthesis |
physical modelling | Simulating real-world physics |
6.4. What are the frequencies and harmonics like?
| Tag | Notes |
|---|---|
airy | Open, spacious, light |
circuit-bent | Characteristic of modified electronic devices |
cold | Thin, clinical, lacking warmth |
digital | Clean, precise, computer-generated character |
distorted | Overdriven, crushed, non-linear |
fuzzy | Indistinct, soft-edged, unclear |
glassy | Clear, fragile, transparent |
gritty | Rough, textured, unpolished |
harsh | Abrasive, aggressive high frequencies |
lo-fi | Intentionally degraded quality |
lush | Full, rich, densely layered |
metallic | Resonant, hard, bright, like metal |
muddy | Unclear low-mid frequencies |
muffled | Dampened high frequencies |
nasal | Strong mid-range resonance |
noisy | Contains noise components, imperfect. If the sound is 100% noise use noise instead. |
pure | Free from noise, clean sine-like quality |
resonant | Strong resonant peaks in frequency |
saturated | Subtly distorted, harmonically enhanced |
smooth | Even, consistent, without sharp edges |
thin | Lacking in fullness, narrow frequency range |
warm | Rich in harmonics, pleasant mid-range |
7. What genres might this item fit best into? (Genre)
80s,
EDM,
IDM,
ambient,
blues,
chillout,
chiptune,
cinematic,
disco,
downtempo,
drum & bass,
dubstep,
electronic,
folk,
funk,
future bass,
glitch,
hip-hop,
house,
industrial,
jazz,
lo-fi,
metal,
orchestral,
pop,
rock,
synthwave,
techno,
trance,
trap,
vaporwave,
world
Specifying at least one genre is recommended for all presets and instruments.