I suggest that each user posts here a sound design tip. In this way we can all benefit from this list. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an old one - there are always new people to sound design
I’ ll go ahead and post two:
To make a sound more full try mixing the oscillators at different volumes, i.e. VCO1 = 6, VCO2 = 5, VCO3 = 7.
You can make very animated pulse waveforms by applying an LFO + inverted LFO to the pulse width. To do that you need a CP-251 to invert the waveform. Triangle waves work best for me.
I’m sure everybody here is sick of me saying that you need to make a non-interrupting insert cable, but you really should. That way you can add to the V-gers oscillators, rather than replacing 'em. Also, when feeding back, you don’t skew the filter response (which you do if you plug one output back into the External Input).
I’ve recently been feeding rhythms to my newly-acquired Sherman Filterbank, and using the Envelope CV Out to control the V-ger.
It’s actually a Sherman 1. I traded it -even swap- for my Akai MFC42.
The Akai is much cleaner and more predictable. The user interface is exceptionally well-executed. The distortion is either on or off (a state which I previously described as “either off or I-will-kill-you-now.”) Now that I own a Filterbank, I can see that my previous estimations of Death by Distortion are quite modest and polite in comparison.
I’m completely happy with the trade. Even if the Sherman had audio in and out jacks, I’d be satisfied. Fact is, though, you can send -say- a drum loop to the “Trigger ADSR” input and rhythmically pulsate not only the Filterbank’s filters, but also any available CV-controllable device (like a Voyager).
The MFC42 was too vanilla for my taste. The Sherman adds the perfect amount of evil sonic destruction. I’m happy with my trade.
The distortion was a big part of it, as was its general weirdness and modularity compared to the Akai.
Don’t get me wrong; the MFC42 is a great unit. In dual-notch filter mode with the phaser kicked in, it’s the thing for electric piano. It’s extremely well-designed, ergonomically and interface-wise. It really is Built Like a Tank. Filter sweeps are smooth, and it’s very predictible. But it’s just…not…Evil.
The Filterbank seems to have its moods. Sometimes, you hit it and it decides to hit back. It’s like the Moog in this way; it’s like you’re working with it, not merely telling it what to do. It’s organic and alive, and I love it!
Plus it has modular-style inputs and outputs, which is awesome!
one of the secrets for bass sounds is of course, snappy envelopes. In case you didn’t know logarithmic attacks tend to give a fuller body to the sound which is especially useful not only for bass sounds but drums as well.
To get a logarithmic attack you need to modulate the attack of the envelope with itself. With positive amounts you get logarithmic attacks whereas with negative settings you get exponential. You can try this with LFOs as well.
To get a logarithmic attack you need to modulate the attack of the envelope with itself. With positive amounts you get logarithmic attacks whereas with negative settings you get exponential. You can try this with LFOs as well.
Use a CP-251 and/or VX-351 for this.
So can I not achieve this without the CP-251 or VX-351?
I thought I got pretty snappy percussion and bass but if there is a way to get it even more snappy then i am all for it.
I don’t think it can be done without an external module.
Sure, it can. You can’t affect volume of all 3 Oscs at once, but you can definitely skew the envelope shape.
Set your Filter Env as a programmable source for Mod 2. Set Destination as filter cutoff (for your filter) or level for each of the Oscs.
Technically speaking, you aren’t modding the envelope with itself, but it does speed up an envelope (sounds like it’s curving upward, but what do I know?)
-Hoax
EDIT: It also makes the Decay slower. Use Velocity as a shaper, and you have velocity sensitive Envelope speed: not only is the attack faster when hit harder, but the sound stays bright a bit longer. Feels nice and natural.
Modulating individual oscillator levels in the mixer section will add to the level you manually dial in with the volume control for that individual oscillator, but it will not exceed the maximum value. Decrease the osc mixer volume to a lower value (1 or 2, for example). When a controller is then assigned to the function, it will be more noticeable.
I just tried to do this like this:
VX-351 Env out to Env Rate,
am I right, is this how you do it ?
It´s hardly recognizable whats happening,
just a bit more snappy? is this right ?
I also gave a litle LFO modulation to the Resonance, Reso set to 6,that makes the sound more like with my old minimoog the snappiness is fading in and out a bit.
just tried to do this like this:
VX-351 Env out to Env Rate,
am I right, is this how you do it ?
It´s hardly recognizable whats happening,
just a bit more snappy? is this right ?
I also gave a litle LFO modulation to the Resonance, Reso set to 6,that makes the sound more like with my old minimoog the snappiness is fading in and out a bit.
You’re in the right direction. The secret is to be obsessive about it.
filter mode: lowpass, pole setting: 1 or 2-pole has a more open effect.
filter kb amt: 0
filter spacing: +1.5
filter resonance: 6 or 7
filter freq: about 1 khz (about 1.5khz if 3 or 4-pole settings used)
AEG sustain: 10
wheel or pedal mod bus: triangle source, filter freq destination.
lfo rate: .3 hz
The phasing effect will be controlled as such:
filter cutoff = center frequency
lfo rate = phasing rate
wheel/pedal bus amt = phaser depth
filter resonance = regeneration (feedback)
Certainly no MF-103 however, this internal phasing effect can definitely hold
it’s own against any four-stage (and a few six-stagers) stand alone unit.
In addition the filter can also be used to process external signals thru the phase effect.
Cruel Hoax, pardon my ignorance but can you explain in a little more detail what exactly the difference is between an interrupt and non-interrupt insert cable and how it might be used/benefit a small rig like my own (I don’t have the VX or CP add-ons just yet)? I do have an FB2 I’ve spent a good 20+ hours with a measely breakout cable/mini/FB2. Good stuff.
If you put any stereo plug into the External Effect Insertpoint of the Voyager the Mixer will be internally disconnected from the Filter (see figure 17 in the manual).
If you want to get the signal out of the Mixer of the Voyager (for to route it to any effect or console/or back into ext.in e.g.) without the Mixer being disconnected from the Filter, you simply take a stereo 1/4 plug and make a short circuit between the Tip and the Ring off the plug -and- connect a cable with a mono plug to it. This way you have the internal connection again even if there is a plug plugged in. You don´t need VX or CP for this. The benefit of the non-interrupted would be: you have the sound of the voyager clean without effect -and- wet with any effect back into the ext.in .e.g. what creates a loop for additional feedback sounds.
