EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 52, Issue 02 This issue's topics: And now for something completely different... (4 messages) Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1993 11:08:32 EDT From: wbf@ALUXPO.ATT.COM Subject: And now for something completely different... Joe McMahon wisely changes the subject: > The patches start off with a single, nice, solid FM or RCM (i.e., a > frequency-modulated sample) sound. One copy gets panned hard right and > detuned down a bit. A second copy gets panned hard left and detuned up a > bit. This results in a patch which sounds like it's coming from the center, > and which has "built-in" chorusing and interesting phasing effects built > right in, even before it's touched by the onboard effects. The sgroup is operating in parallel with you on this thread, Joe. On Roland S-330 and S-550 samplers, this feature is partially built in. By putting a patch in UNISON mode and setting UNISON DETUNE to a non-0 value (-64 <= detune <= +64) you get this in mono. But by setting up a subtone of a sample (no extra sample memory used, just a place to apply a different set of patch parameters to a sample), you can use the output assign feature in the tone (original parameters) and subtone to send them to two different outputs. (There are eight.) Then just detune the tone and subtone in opposite directions as Joe said and assign them to a patch in NORMAL mode. Now, to help Joe with subject changing: I just bought a modular synth based loosely around the Moog Series 900. It includes the following original Moog modules, one each: 907 FIXED FILTER BANK (10 band equalizer) 904A VOLTAGE CONTROLLED LOW PASS FILTER 904B VOLTAGE CONTROLLED HIGH PASS FILTER 904C FILTER COUPLER 902 VOLTAGE CONTROLLED AMPLIFIER Some of the more interesting home built modules: ENVELOPE FOLLOWER, ASDR ENVELOPE GENERATORS, CLIPPING MODULE, NOISE GENERATOR, VCO module which contains 2 MINIMOOG VCO motherboards for a total of 6 VCOs, 4 x 4 matrix mixer, 902-style VOLTAGE CONTROLLED AMPLIFIER, module with 3 independent VCFs, VCO (from a WAVETEK module), and a REVERBERATION UNIT (spring delay), all in a HOME BUILT WOODEN FRAME. With this in mind, I'm interested in knowing what techniques EMUSIC-L members would use with such a beast. Multitracking, tape splicing (or cut and paste in a hard disk recorder!), AM, FM, additive, subtractive, MIDI-to-CV/trigger control? I can't wait to try Yamaha style FM on my modular as that isn't something I explored too deeply in college. (I never thought to run the modulating oscillator through a VCA before using it to control the carrier VCO.) Are there other paradigms for patching a modular besides the ever popular VCO-->VCF-->VCA that you find particularly fun or useful? Are any of you using (somewhat/extensively) a modular synth in your productions? And one final note. Bob Ashmore, the keyboard player in the progressive rock band I joined, bought the WAVeBOY software for his ASR-10 and digs it big time. Bill Fox ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1993 12:00:25 -0400 From: Joe McMahon Subject: Re: And now for something completely different... >I just bought a modular synth based loosely around the Moog Series 900. >It includes the following original Moog modules, one each: > 907 FIXED FILTER BANK (10 band equalizer) > 904A VOLTAGE CONTROLLED LOW PASS FILTER > 904B VOLTAGE CONTROLLED HIGH PASS FILTER > 904C FILTER COUPLER > 902 VOLTAGE CONTROLLED AMPLIFIER > >Some of the more interesting home built modules: ENVELOPE FOLLOWER, >ASDR ENVELOPE GENERATORS, CLIPPING MODULE, NOISE GENERATOR, VCO module >which contains 2 MINIMOOG VCO motherboards for a total of 6 VCOs, >4 x 4 matrix mixer, 902-style VOLTAGE CONTROLLED AMPLIFIER, module with >3 independent VCFs, VCO (from a WAVETEK module), and a REVERBERATION UNIT >(spring delay), all in a HOME BUILT WOODEN FRAME. > >With this in mind, I'm interested in knowing what techniques EMUSIC-L >members would use with such a beast. Tape echo! Run the monitor outs back around to the inputs on your favorite three-head reel-to-reel recorder (don't have one? think about it for this); you can either use a mixer to mix the monitor signal back into the mix, or you can do what I did - run the original signal into the left channel, run the monitor out of the left channel back to the right channel in, and then run the right monitor out back to the left signal in via a Y-connector. You get interesing non-linear effects caused by the y-cord mixing. This only works on a machine which has separate record and play heads. You get an interesting ping-pong echo; a continously-varying sound creates a dense soundspace. Pull the tape out in a long loop between the heads to lengthen the delay. Also if you've never physically edited tape with a razor blade before, I recommend trying it once for fun. I would not recommend it as the only way to go. :-) Oh yeah, try setting up your speakers near the reverb unit to play with the feedback. Hook up the output from your TV to one of the inputs (envelope follower would probably work best). --- Joe M. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1993 13:59:52 EDT From: wbf@ALUXPO.ATT.COM Subject: Re: And now for something completely different... Joe McMahon's sage advice: > Tape echo! Run the monitor outs back around to the inputs on your favorite > three-head reel-to-reel recorder (don't have one? think about it for this); Will my Teac A3340S do? :-) Four channels, Mike/line mixing, 7.5/15 ips, 10.5" reels, SimulSync. I wonder how it would sound if I randomly switched the simulsync switches? > you can either use a mixer to mix the monitor signal back into the mix, or > you can do what I did - run the original signal into the left channel, run > the monitor out of the left channel back to the right channel in, and then > run the right monitor out back to the left signal in via a Y-connector. You > get interesing non-linear effects caused by the y-cord mixing. This only > works on a machine which has separate record and play heads. You get an > interesting ping-pong echo; a continously-varying sound creates a dense > soundspace. Pull the tape out in a long loop between the heads to lengthen > the delay. I've done all of this except for the Y-cable mixing and pulling the tape out. But I always wanted a tape machine with scads of movable heads and where the tape zig-zags back and forth to get those long delays. Yummie! Haven't done tape echo in years, thanks for reminding me! > Also if you've never physically edited tape with a razor blade before, I > recommend trying it once for fun. I would not recommend it as the only way > to go. :-) Musique Concrete 101, dood! I still have scars to show! > Oh yeah, try setting up your speakers near the reverb unit to play with the > feedback. Hook up the output from your TV to one of the inputs (envelope > follower would probably work best). Ever shout and/or pound on a spring reverb? I was in my first Jr. High band for that one. Well, Joe's got my juices flowing. More techniques to be discussed will be gleefully devoured. Bill Fox ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1993 15:27:57 -0400 From: Joe McMahon Subject: Re: And now for something completely different... > Will my Teac A3340S do? :-) Four channels, Mike/line mixing, >7.5/15 ips, 10.5" reels, SimulSync. I wonder how it would sound if I >randomly switched the simulsync switches? Modular systems encourage the Rikki-Tikki-Tavi approach: Run and Find Out. :-) --- Joe M. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1993 09:49:52 -0400 From: Joe McMahon Subject: Something to try I am so tired of the ongoing discussion about academics. I therefore am going to try to start up a converstion on ANYTHING else. (Like the postings about faves, though. Always interesting to hear what others like.) In this month's Transoniq Hacker, there's a little article on mono vs. stereo sampling. Normally, I could care less. However, there happens to be a nice little hint buried in there. In passing, the author notes that the SY-77 is difficult to sample on an EPS16+ because the 16+ only has a single input jack, and these sounds are STEREO to the max. He took a close look at the patches, and discovered that a "typical" big, fat SY-77 sound took advantage of the ear/brain system's properties to achieve the effect. The patches start off with a single, nice, solid FM or RCM (i.e., a frequency-modulated sample) sound. One copy gets panned hard right and detuned down a bit. A second copy gets panned hard left and detuned up a bit. This results in a patch which sounds like it's coming from the center, and which has "built-in" chorusing and interesting phasing effects built right in, even before it's touched by the onboard effects. This look like a technique that most sample-player-type synths could use to beef up sounds. I certainly intend to try it on my VFXsd. The disadvantage, of course, is that you use up twice as many voices per patch. Another possible variation is simply to delay the start of one voice slightly, while leaving the two voices tuned to the same pitch. This way you get phase differences, but no "beating" between the voices (which may be objectionable for high-pitched sounds). --- Joe M. ------------------------------ End of the EMUSIC-L Digest ******************************