RME and pitch bend stepping artifacts

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:25 pm

So do the Voyager and Lil' Phatty use control voltages for pitch bends? I bet they do, and i bet that's why we don't hear complaints about artifacts from those users.

Based on the information I've read here, it appears to me that no midi controller will ever create pitch bends that sound smooth to my ears. I think people should be aware that midi cannot even come close to voltage control of this particular parameter.

If anyone has a sound file of clear, smooth high-frequency pitch bends done with an RME using a midi controller, I'd like to hear it.

Didn't think so!

Currently, I'm trying to locate an analog joystick. The only ones seem to be modular, and I'm trying to determine whether or not mortals can make a box to mount one in next to our keyboards. I think I need a power supply, etc...

Oi...

bunnyman · Post by **bunnyman** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:23 pm

RE: Joysticks. Wiard used to make a unit that could be used as a stand-alone. Unfortunately, no more. However, If you can find a joystick potentiometer, it's not a big deal to make one. You can even power it using a 9 volt battery... You can check out the discontinued model from Wiard here:

http://www.musicsynthesizer.com/Joystick/1209.htm

-bunny

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:45 pm

Thanks bunnyman. How are things in the great jazz capitol of the world?

bunnyman · Post by **bunnyman** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:51 pm

RE: New Orleans. Got a good gig coming up: all improv show with myself on bass guitars and electronics, AP Gonzales on trap drums, and probably Rob Cambre on electronic guitar. Funky feeling free jazz with enough electronic weirdness to keep the interest up. I can't wait!

-andrew bunny

boose44 · Post by **boose44** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:14 am

Gonga,

I have an RME and a Little Phatty and will run a comparison to what you posted. I don't think that I am hearing anything.

-bruce

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:29 am

To check the midi pitch bend, try using a single oscillator at high frequency. I'd love to hear a recording of it.

That sounds fantastic bunnyman.

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:38 am

As an experiment last night I tried controlling pitch using my Moog expression pedal and my VX-352. Using AKG K-240S headphones so as not to miss anything, the stepping was gone with voltage control, but even when using only a single oscillator, at high frequencies I heard a lot of weird background distortion that sounded like an am radio - like intermodulation or radio frequency distortion. It was evident only when moving the pedal, and was right out of the headphone jack.

I'll try to record it this weekend.

My old Roland SH-1000, by comparison, was silky-smooth at high frequencies. That was a single-oscillator synth (the first Japanese synth in fact).

Any one else hear this?

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:11 am

When I reduce the attenuation of the pedal with the pedal pot, the distortion disappears. This gives me hope that with an analog joystick I can get closer to that clean sound I seek.

However, I still get weird sounds when turning the filter cutoff frequency. Especially toward the bottom of the cuttoff range, there's a nasty gritty sound.

My impression is that you can't truly have old school analog sound and midi at the same time. I'm seriously leaning toward going all analog for all my soloing, such as with the Old School. Problem is, there's no joystick controller on the market. Please Moog, consider offering a joystick as an option!