Duo-paraphonic: 1st step towards polyphony?

[Z-one]

I can't help thinking that if Moog know how to design a firmware that can handle 2 notes played simultaneously to drive 2 VCOs independently, they also know how to design a firmware that can handle more than 2 notes played simultaneously to drive several complete voice cards independently.

Or am I missing something?

[Solaris]

I thought exactly the same when I heard the Waldorf pulse 2: how Waldorf manage to do it in this tiny box is it only software related ? If yes the sub 37 might get an update to play more than 2 notes paraphonic ?

[Bald Eagle]

The Pulse 2 is monophonic. This is how they do it...

The Pulse 2 can be switched to a “Unison 8” mode that layers eight detuned pulse oscillators for super-fat lead sounds. Also, a paraphonic mode allows for up to eight-note polyphony, but with the trade-off that you get a single oscillator (with pulse waves only), filter, and envelope.

Excerpt from http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/wald ... wed/154074

[Solaris]

Thank you for these precisions and link
Very much appreciated.
Maybe Moog could do the same paraphonic 8 voices polyphony workaround the pulse 2 uses maybe a technical limitation don't allow it...
It would be I'm sure a killer feature with moog sound if possible

[Birkonium]

Just some random musings on the topic,

Designing firmware for polyphony is somewhat trivial - it's been in commercial synths since the 70's.

As to getting a software update to increase the paraphony of the Sub 37? I wouldn't hold your breath!

I looked at the article on the Waldorf pulse 2 and it's a totally different beast than the Sub 37. The Waldorf uses DCOs as opposed to the VCOs that Moog uses. A DCO gets a high frequency timing signal (some high frequency multiple of the frequency you're going for) and divides down using analog circuitry to create the wave shape you're looking for (an oversimplification but it will do). The thing is that with modern MCUs, they're fast enough that they can change the pitch of the high frequency signal on a cycle by cycle basis or even faster than that if that's what it takes.

I don't know exactly what method the Pulse 2 uses but think of it this way, If you have two oscillators that are summed together, they create a single output signal. With some creative math, one could come up with a high frequency driver signal that makes a single oscillator sound like it's creating two pitches at the same time.

An even more concrete example: set up your synth with a one oscillator voice, route a square wave LFO to VCO pitch, crank up the MOD amount and and now crank up the frequency of the LFO into audio range and listen to the results while you sweep. That single VCO will go from sounding like it's producing two distinct alternating notes to sounding like it's producing two pitches at the same time as you increase the frequency. FM synthesis baby.

The problem with doing this on an analog synth to produce in tune pitches is the inaccuracies and slowness of a control voltage signal. To produce perfectly in tune pitches this way takes a very accurate pitch control signal and it must change very quickly. Analog circuits do have a speed limit and an accuracy limit. Digital circuits have a much higher speed limit and much greater accuracy….but that's part of the reason they don't sound like analog circuits!

[Solaris]

Very useful brain storming about the vco vs dco in paraphonic synthesizers.
Thanks for that,
It means if I understand correctly adding 8 paraphonic can not be achieved via software only for a vco synth , it has to be designed on the original architecture.
Moog never went to the Dco synth maybe by principle, there are some great sounding dco synth by the way (Elka synthex comes to my mind first) wondering how people would react to this conceptual rule change (dco synth)

[Solaris]

By the way a new triphonic VCO synth is soon ready to ship, very different approach (so in my opinion not in competition with the sub 37 ) but how they managed to make it as it is Vco as well ?

Mfb dominion 1
http://youtu.be/Exmrb1ce7aM