tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12546182035243233952024-02-19T07:27:32.962+00:00microKORG - Patch a Weekghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-43700098717608212362019-07-17T09:25:00.000+01:002019-07-17T09:25:01.395+01:00Patch 020 - endless??!!I just stumbled across something in the manual I hadn't spotted before, and that's the note in Table 3.1 regarding Oscillator 35 in the DWGS section:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjrnKVSlCv8rG01s8jPKFuNUB15Xjor90Bz42WLUhEZeR-Pt2VZfCN1PUJAwVmj0_Dcr3Fsr2_aU4q9wZ9JxiGaZ0aeoeUoV-tusXs_yRMF9AyqYADRIb06qgsBQgsMzyNHd2Sgqv1hP7/s1600/endless.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjrnKVSlCv8rG01s8jPKFuNUB15Xjor90Bz42WLUhEZeR-Pt2VZfCN1PUJAwVmj0_Dcr3Fsr2_aU4q9wZ9JxiGaZ0aeoeUoV-tusXs_yRMF9AyqYADRIb06qgsBQgsMzyNHd2Sgqv1hP7/s320/endless.png" width="212" /></a></div>
So how on earth does that work?! Right enough, play from the lowest C to the highest C on the keyboard I can clearly hear an ascending scale and yet all the Cs have the same pitch. Bizarre....<br />
<br />
So yes, the simplest of patches this week, initialize the patch, select the DWGS waveform and scroll to Oscillator 35 and have a play...<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: DIG, ---, 35, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: 12L, 127, 20, 0, 0 (unchanged)<br />
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-23685955614495271492019-07-10T09:12:00.000+01:002019-07-10T09:12:03.780+01:00Patch 019 - panning arpA progression from Patch 018.... now the arp spans 3 octaves with LFO 2 modulating the panoramic position. Every synth should have an arpeggiator, so much fun! (I went again with steps 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 on the arp but again, experiment!)<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: VOX, 21, 21, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, -12, 0, ---<br />
Mixer: 127, 73, 0, ---, ---<br />
Filter: HPF, 8, 24, 11, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 14, 76, 66, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, ---<br />
Amp EG: 0, 10, 111, 104, ON<br />
LFO 1: S-H, OFF, ON, 1.8, ---<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 27, ---<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, 1CT, 14, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: MOD, CUT, 31, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF2, PAN, 63, ---, ---<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: PHS, 8, 39, ---, ---<br />
Delay: CRS, ON, 40, 95, ---<br />
EQ: 480, 7, 4.5, -5, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 100, 1.16, 80, UP, 3<br />
Arpeg. B: ON, 0, ON, 8, ---ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-79019137905086232502019-07-05T17:14:00.001+01:002019-07-07T22:00:10.571+01:00Patch 018 - droning chord arpI will be on holiday for the next few weeks to Edinburgh and then onto the Lake District so I won't be going into too much detail for the next few patches which I am working on before I go.<br />
<br />
This is a lovely drone formed from a trigger arp (which basically repeats chords), a vocal oscillator controlled by a tempo synced LFO and a low pass filter. Play with the filter and the modulation amount of the oscillator waveform to get some quite nice and dirty tones.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: VOX, 21, 21, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, -12, 0, ---<br />
Mixer: 127, 73, 0, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 36, 71, 25, 0<br />
Filter EG: 9, 14, 76, 61, ON<br />
Amp: 111, CNT, ON, 0, ---<br />
Amp EG: 0, 10, 111, 90, ON<br />
LFO 1: S-H, OFF, ON, 1.8, ---<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, 1CT, 14, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: PHS, 8, 39, ---, ---<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 52, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 106, 1.16, 80, TRG, 1<br />
Arpeg. B: ON, 0, ON, 8, ---<br />
<br />
I set the arp up to trigger on steps 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 with 2 note chords but get experimenting!ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-43768853647837160752019-06-27T00:46:00.001+01:002019-06-27T00:47:20.339+01:00Patch 017 - Noisy Arp / TB MIDI StuffThe 1st Gen iPad's launch in 2010 re-defined the way musicians create "content" (it used to be called music in my day!), from sequencers to effects, from audio editing to fantastically complex synthesisers - you could quite literally have a whole studio in the palm of your hand.<br />
<br />
I didn't jump on the iOS bandwagon until Autumn 2015 by which time there were hundreds of virtual synths available and I hate to think of the amount of cash I have spent in the last 4 years or so on various apps but I never found myself particularly attached to any of them. The reasons for this are two-fold - (1) the dreaded GAS always took hold (there is always another synth round the corner which offers something the others do not) and (2) you can't beat having the tactile, zero latency experience that a hardware synthesiser provides.<br />
<br />
So here I am! My iPad is relegated to streaming YouTube videos, surfing the net, recording any YouTube "content" (aka videos) I produce and very occasionally performing other audio production tasks such as sample editing, some more out there granular sound design and multi-tracking. And finally, getting to the point of this blog post - creating MIDI controllers for my hardware synths!<br />
<br />
Although you can't beat a physical knob or slider, the touch screen of the iPad does afford some advantages especially over synths with a limited physical GUI as the microKORG. These include the ability to graphically see all the settings of the synth on a single screen and being able to edit more than one parameter at a time (which you can typically only do on the microKORG if they are on the same row of the editing matrix such as cutoff and resonance, decay and release, and so on).<br />
<br />
So when I got my microKORG again last week I thought about creating an interface for my synth on something like <a href="https://mididesigner.com/">MIDI Designer</a> or <a href="https://liine.net/en/products/lemur/">Lemur </a>but then I remembered that <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tb-midi-stuff/id480953919">TB MIDI Stuff</a>, which I had last used a couple of years ago, already has an editor for the microKORG included in the example editors that come with it - happy days!<br />
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<br />
<br />
Almost all the editable parameters are included with a couple of exceptions (e.g. I can't find a way to edit the tempo or the type of mod FX) but otherwise it is very thorough and easy to work with. There is also a page for the vocoder which I must admit I haven't tried yet. The only thing you will have to do is prepare a preset in the app (a "canvas snapshot") with the same settings as the microKORG init patch so that the on-screen parameter values matches those on the synth.<br />
<br />
So for this week's patch you can watch me have a play about with the editor starting with an initialised patch!<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rj_OuanSF90/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rj_OuanSF90?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Below are settings for the noisy arp! I particularly loved the effect when closing the filter and toggling the distortion on and off! (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 34, 31, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SQU, OFF, -12, 3, ---<br />
Mixer: 127, 108, 42, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 12, 39, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 16, 22, 0, 0, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 0, 64, 127, 51, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 70, ---<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 7, ---<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 13, ---, ---<br />
Patch 4: LF2, NOS, 4, ---, ---<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 91, 83, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 62, UP, 1<br />
Arpeg. B: ON, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Does anyone else rock TB MIDI Stuff? Let me know in the comments below. :)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-47334097629189989552019-06-19T08:38:00.000+01:002019-06-19T09:21:29.295+01:00Patch 016 - Noughty CoastIn the six years or so since I last wrote this blog I have bought (and subsequently sold!) a lot of synths, the virtual analogues such as the Novation trio of the Mininova, Circuit and KS4, analogue monosynths such as the Microbrute, Volca Keys (which is paraphonic) and Volca Bass and some other synths which are harder to classify such as the Bastl Kastle and my eurorack modular. One synth however that has a vey special place in my heart is the Make Noise 0-Coast, a quite wonderful mixture of <a href="https://reverb.com/uk/news/the-basics-of-east-coast-and-west-coast-synthesis">west coast and east coast synthesis</a>. And I am very annoyed with myself for selling this semi-modular beast of a synth!<br />
<br />
I won't go into a great deal of detail on what the 0-Coast is and sounds like (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FW8QYt6bio">that is what YouTube, and in particular MylarMelodies is for!</a>) but I can tell you what I loved about it.... an organic metallic, complex tone which was very reactive to modulation.... and it was so different and exciting compared to the standard subtractive method of synthesis I was used to.<br />
<br />
Of course, the microKORG doesn't have FM, doesn't have wavefolding as such, nor function generators or low pass gates, but it what it does have (and I am ashamed to admit I hadn't messed with before this week), is a hidden gem in the form of the sine wave in the oscillator 1 slot which can be cross modulated by oscillator 2 to give complex overtones and rich harmonics. Modulation of Control 1 by LFO1 is hardwired using the Control 2 knob, saving you patch slots for other sources of modulation. From the manual:<br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ug8rniw2jvvy0xy/sine%20wave.jpg?dl=1"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="800" height="170" src="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ug8rniw2jvvy0xy/sine%20wave.jpg?dl=1" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
So yes, this week's patch is a single oscillator sine-wave patch but just listen to these wonderfully rich, dare I say it organic sounds! Modulation comes from the filter envelope, LFO1 and velocity as well as portamento and I've left vibrato mapped to the mod wheel (the LFO rate for which is itself modulated by the other LFO). Have fun and try changing the envelopes, LFO shapes and so on. I've left the Patch 4 slot empty so add another source of modulation (keytracking for example)?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7DglHDopbgE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7DglHDopbgE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
And for some more out there experimental tone whack a tone of reverb on top and rock it like Buchla! (reverb from just over a minute in).<br />
<br />
Here are the patch settings (starting from init, shift+3), amended values highlighted yellow:<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 53, 2, 5<br />
Osc 1: SIN, 2, 32, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: TRI, OFF, 0, 2, ---<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: 12L, 48, 49, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 6, 2, 118, 0, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 69, 70, 66, 81, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 6, ---<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 29, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: FEG, 1CT, +38, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF1, LF2, 44, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: VEL, 2TN, 59, ---, ---<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 89, 72, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-18385929795489544022019-06-18T16:03:00.000+01:002019-06-18T23:56:27.705+01:00Patch 015 - Bagpipes!Just recently bought a microKORG for the 3rd time and remembered my patch a week posts from way back when and am considering a phoenix like resurrection! This was sitting in my draft posts, written around 6 or 7 years ago....<br />
<br />
<i>"Those of you who followed my blog from when I first started it in Spring 2012 will have noticed that I have been neglecting my microKORG lately. This is due to many factors (such as the fact that I often abandon music making in the summer; I have been playing with my other new sound toy, the QY70, and I have been learning to play the piano). But with the darker nights comes a desire to sculpt sound - I dunno, music just sounds better in the Autumn / Winter! Or Fall / Winter if you're on the other side of the pond.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Anyhow, I have decided to start back in nice and gently by trying to emulate one of the patches in Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook. I have not had a chance to buy this book yet but it has been on my wishlist for some time, maybe Santa will finally take a hint and deliver one this Christmas! Anyway, the patch I am trying out is on of the examples that you encounter if you look up the book on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Welshs-Synthesizer-Cookbook-Programming-Universal/dp/B000ERHA4S/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">Amazon</a>, the bagpipes! Being Scottish, I couldn't help myself...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Seeing as it's already in the public domain I am sure it won't be a problem if I reproduce it here:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoomVpmWRuaIMdPBlMgAJr21P8hwc2VhJVQyqDtJkPmb3QC_owCiUkAOalhXj1knZqUXW7gYgQ0xyLZfYZcJdMVy4TCV0pqc9T19AoN4a_HY74h96qm0IyhNYPL8oZE4mOOBkRBlDSW9D/s1600/The+Bagpipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoomVpmWRuaIMdPBlMgAJr21P8hwc2VhJVQyqDtJkPmb3QC_owCiUkAOalhXj1knZqUXW7gYgQ0xyLZfYZcJdMVy4TCV0pqc9T19AoN4a_HY74h96qm0IyhNYPL8oZE4mOOBkRBlDSW9D/s1600/The+Bagpipes.jpg" /></i></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's a very basic patch - a mixture of saw / square waves, a little glide, no filter and an almost organ like amp envelope. Here's how my microKORG version shapes up (starting from init, shift+3):</i><br />
<br />
<b>[2019 EDIT - In the draft post the init patch settings were given! I have updated these below to match what is shown in the cookbook, which I am not altogether sure sounds anything like the bagpipes! Check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcmqcGHOMzM">this YouTube tutorial</a> for a much more realistic bagpipe patch, albeit on the Behringer Deep Mind 12).]</b><br />
<br />
<i>Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Pitch: 0, 0, 10, 2, 1</i><br />
<i>Osc 1: SQU, 98, 4, ---, --- </i><br />
<i>Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, ---</i><br />
<i>Mixer: 79, 36, 0, ---1, --- </i><br />
<i>Filter: 12L, 127, 20, 0, 0 (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Amp: 127, CNT, ON, 0, --- </i><br />
<i>Amp EG: 4, 64, 127, 36, ON </i><br />
<i>LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 3, --- </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Mod FX: FLG, 17, 64, ---, --- </i><br />
<i>Delay: STR, OFF, 86, 77, --- </i><br />
<i>EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)</i><br />
<i>Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Do any of you have the Synthsizer Cookbook? If so, I'd love to hear what you think of it."</i><br />
<br />
Remember to play a drone in the lower octaves and the melody a couple of octaves up to give that bagpipe vibe - the way you play this patch is key! The mod wheel adds some slow vibrato - use sparingly!<br />
<br />
And if that's whetted your appetite, check back weekly for new patches! :)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-51578426388868121442012-05-18T16:31:00.000+01:002012-05-19T08:08:06.952+01:00Patch 014 - Trumpet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While trawling through YouTube late one night I found the following excellent tutorial for synth noobs explaining the basics of subtractive synthesis:<br />
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<br />
In it Adrian Scott (BabyGrandOz) programs a trumpet patch on his Roland Gaia (starting at 3 minutes or so in the video) which I am going to try and recreate on the microKORG. Adrian has a fantastic way of explaining things in layman terms which means this task should be straightforward enough...<br />
<br />
The amp and low pass filter (with a little resonance) were both modulated by the amp envelope (tweaked to give the "parp" like attack of a trumpet). This left the filter envelope free to modulate LFO2 such that there was a noticable delay in the modulation of the cutoff and for a little vibrato (so it was only noticeable on the sustained notes).This was the only way round the fact that there is no way to delay the onset of the LFOs. Finally I added a reverb-like delay.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: 12L, 23, 10, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 60, 36, 127, 45, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 20, 53, 55, 44, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 6, ---<br />
<br />
Patch 1: AEG, CUT, 63, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: FEG, LF2, 63, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF2, CUT, 19, ---, ---<br />
Patch 4: LF2, PTC, -2, ---, ---<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 38, 40, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
As ever, I consulted with Sound on Sound's <a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm" target="_blank">Synth Secrets</a> while programming this which I found to be of great interest, you can read the relevant article <a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun01/articles/synthsecrets.pt26.asp" target="_blank">here</a> which goes into things in a bit more detail. I am going to sign off by quoting the final paragraph of that article, which I found to be particularly relevant when programming in this patch:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>You may have access to the perfect brass patch, or to a perfectly recorded trumpet sample, or even to the physically modelled brass patches on a Yamaha VL7 or a Korg Z1. However, none of them will sound authentic unless you play them in a manner that is sympathetic to the original instrument. Some synthesists — Wendy Carlos is an excellent example — manage to coax remarkably lifelike performances from their synths. You and I, on the other hand, may find ourselves unable to approach the same level of authenticity, even when playing the same patches on the same instruments. When this happens, our natural inclination is to blame the equipment, the outboard effects, or the person who gave you the patch settings. But before you do this, consider your playing technique. Synthesis is not just about sounds; it's also about performance. And no amount of signal-routing diagrams can help you with that.</i></blockquote>ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-58351549857531224602012-05-13T22:26:00.002+01:002012-05-13T22:26:40.316+01:00Patch 013 - Decaying BassAfter working on my <a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/mpaw-series-analog-drum-kit-adk.html" target="_blank">microKORG ADK</a> for the last couple of weeks I am keen to get back to tuned sounds so this week I am going to concentrate on a bass sound to accompany the drums. My favourite synth bass sound ever probably comes from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moog_Taurus" target="_blank">Moog Taurus</a> bass pedals, which bellows out the most fantastically rich bass sound. I have used a sampled Taurus sound (from a Future Music cover disc I think) in a lot of my tracks over the years and am keen to squeeze something like that out of the microKORG. I was also inspired with the sound of a bass guitar, where you can't get infinite sustain.<br />
<br />
Starting with the initialized patch, I changed the voice assign to monophonic and the trigger to single (so the envelope doesn't reset on each successive note, like sliding the fingers up and down the bass guitar). I also added a little portamento to simulate the change in pitch as you work up and down the frets.<br />
<br />
I experimented with the oscillator types (twin saw or saw / square) and settled on twin saws, with the second detuned slightly. To beef up the sound further I modulated the pitch of waveform of Osc 1 using LFO1 by altering Control 2, fattened things up further by dropping Osc 2 and octave and added distortion (reducing the levels in the mixer so it wasn't too overdriven). For a bit more oomph I turned unison on, with a small detune amount. Filter-wise I closed the 24dB LPF filter a bit (with very little resonance) and added a little bit of envelope modulation.<br />
<br />
For the amp envelope I increased the decay time but dropped the release time. I wanted the sound to decay when held but drop away quickly if released (like a bass guitar). I started with a sustain of zero but increased this slightly as I thought it sounded more natural. I made sure the patch was velocity sensitive but unfortunately couldn't work out, even on single trigger mode, how to ensure that the amp level was dictated by the initial note on velocity (any suggestions??). To combat this, I only increased the modulation amount to 20, any higher than that and the change in level sounded off unless you sequenced it or played very skillfully. [Try it yourself, increase the sensitivity and then strike the initial key softly and subsequent keys hard, it sounds dreadful.]<br />
<br />
I finally added a flanger and can't really describe the effect it has except to say it seems to add definition to the lower notes, which, for a bass instrument, has to be a good thing! And apart from some minor EQ tweaks that was it. Unfortunately I haven't done a sound comparison with a Taurus bass yet so can't tell how close it sounds, but I like it. Probably more for slow, brooding lines, rather than rapid bass runs but it works for both. <br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, UNI, SGL, 2<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 10<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 0, 10, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, -12, 5, ---<br />
Mixer: 76, 103, 0, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 24L, 80, 3, 2, 27<br />
Filter EG: 5, 121, 0, 69, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, ON, 0, ---<br />
Amp EG: 5, 121, 6, 56, OFF<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: VEL, AMP, 20, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 15, 12, ---, ---<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 1.00, 5, 16.0, -6, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
<br />ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-65399834120096830792012-05-03T23:14:00.000+01:002019-06-18T16:06:34.740+01:00ADK Samples / Reason RefillAs promised, all eight samples from the first <a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/mpaw-series-analog-drum-kit-adk.html" target="_blank">MPAW Series</a>, the Analog Drum Kit, are provided in the following zip file:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/smrj1sq63cppw1i/ADK%20Samples.zip?dl=0" target="_blank">ADK Samples</a><br />
<br />
All samples are in .wav format, 16 bit, 44.1kHz. If any of you are interested they were sampled dry directly via the line input of my Zoom H2 digital recorder and subsequently trimmed / normalized in ReCycle / Bias Peak Pro.<br />
<br />
For all you Reason users, I have also created a custom Refill using these samples:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/cljg62k5886rwrq/The%20microKORG%20ADK.rfl?dl=0" target="_blank">The microKORG ADK</a> <br />
<br />
The samples are provided with the Refill container in the same format as given above, but I have also provided these all wrapped up in a Combinator with programmable Matrix Sequencers for the Kick, Snare and Hi Hat samples. The microKORG ADK Combinator comes resplendent in a custom skin as shown below:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aH2KkKCCokA-x1X8LzQb0sNuMYx01tJIa00WIRyxRJy0hoRib20q0bp1crC2eOglDj_NK6ZPmOMyF4HiQuEzMRThufB9P5JHoVbIjm-FZL0PD7jvdCGkPEiF52e_vXj4T3k2FFZ17-5d/s1600/microKORG+ADK+Skin+for+MPAW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aH2KkKCCokA-x1X8LzQb0sNuMYx01tJIa00WIRyxRJy0hoRib20q0bp1crC2eOglDj_NK6ZPmOMyF4HiQuEzMRThufB9P5JHoVbIjm-FZL0PD7jvdCGkPEiF52e_vXj4T3k2FFZ17-5d/s400/microKORG+ADK+Skin+for+MPAW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Special thanks must go to a Discovering Reason <a href="http://www.propellerheads.se/substance/discovering-reason/index.cfm?fuseaction=get_article&article=part15" target="_blank">article</a> on the Propellerhead website, and the associated .cmb file, which formed the basis for my microKORG ADK Combinator.<br />
<br />
<b>NOTE</b> - I have now included "The microKORG ADK" Refill on my new blog dedicated to Reason where I intend dumping a lot of my archived Combinators and Refills as well as any new stuff I dream up. Check it out <a href="http://ghostlys-reason.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a> Reason users.ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-89626156303736324352012-05-02T21:41:00.000+01:002012-05-02T21:41:10.854+01:00Patch 012 - ADK DripI doubt that many of you were trembling with excitement about reading about the intended subject of today's patch in the introduction to the Analog Drum Kit series, the conga, but if you were then I am truly sorry. One for another day perhaps? The main reason for ditching the conga was that you really needed different conga sounds to create an interesting sequence (from striking different parts of the drum skin) and this just wouldn't work in a sampling situation.<br />
<br />
Instead of the conga however you are getting a kind of drip sound which is basically a noise source with a low pass filter (with the resonance cranked up) with a filter envelope driving the change in pitch. An amp envelope with decay but no release means that you can get some cool stuttering rhythms (and squelches) by playing the patch on the keyboard rather than sampling it (although you could get the same effect using a sampler).<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 0, 0, 127, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 52, 127, -19, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 72, 0, 0, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 0, 48, 0, 0, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
And that concludes the ADK Series! As promised I will be releasing this as a sample set and Reason Refill, watch this space!ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-82080702905084965492012-05-02T21:16:00.000+01:002012-05-02T21:17:15.099+01:00Patch 011 - ADK TambourineI actually started today's patch using the settings for Patch 010 (the <a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/patch-010-adk-shaker.html" target="_blank">ADK Shaker</a>) as I felt I was close to a tambourine sound. I felt it was missing two things however - the ringing like repetitions of the tambourine plates shaking, and a metallic tone.<br />
<br />
I will deal with the metallic tone first. I played about with the filter settings (mainly with the resonance) on both the LPF in Osc 1 (set to noise) and the standard HPF and simply by adjusting these controllers the sound became more complex (as I discussed in the <a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/patch-008-cymbal.html" target="_blank">ADK Cymbal</a> post, a complex harmonic spectrum is needed for metallic percussion), and thus more tambourine-like. I increased the higher frequencies further by adding a boost to these via EQ.<br />
<br />
To give the impression of multiple shaking jingles, I simply added a delay and adjusted the settings to taste (also tweaking the amp envelope slightly).<br />
<br />
The result is a not entirely convincing tambourine, but for the same reason given in the posts for the other metallic ADK percussion elements (i.e. it is hard with a simple synth like the microKORG) I shouldn't be too downhearted. Having said that, I am sure a seasoned synthesist could make a better attempt than this...<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: NOS, 115, 51, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: HPF, 68, 59, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 3, 46, 0, 46, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 47, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 2.25, 6, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
<b>Note 1</b> - For some reason, unbeknown to me, today's patch sounds better in the upper octaves (does the LPF for Osc 1 track the keyboard?) <br />
<b>Note 2</b> - As an alternative to the use of noise alone, I did experiment with using a sawtooth wave in Osc 2 ring modulated with the noise in Osc 1 (Osc 1 turned off, or down low in the mixer) and although I liked the results, felt that the patch I ended up using fitted in better with the other ADK patches to date.ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-57764553764130075882012-05-02T20:50:00.003+01:002012-05-02T20:50:35.226+01:00Patch 010 - ADK ShakerIn a similar vein to Patch 009, I have pilfered all the settings for this shaker patch from a stock<br />
factory patch for the Subtractor synth in <a href="http://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/" target="_blank">Reason</a>. Although I actually lifted the settings from the Tamburine (sic) patch, you'll see in my write-up of the next patch (actually a tambourine!) that these two patches are very similar.<br />
<br />
Starting with the init patch, I dialed in a typical percussion amp envelope (instant attack, no sustain, moderate decay / sustain) and switched Osc 1 to noise with a bit of built in LPF that Osc 1 provides. I then added a high pass filter with a lot of resonance (thanks Subtractor for the settings!). It is already starting to sound shaker-like, but not quite. I didn't like the sharp attack and after slowing this down a touch the sound suddenly sounded just like a shaker. Finally, this patch was really quiet so I added more noise through the mixer and we were done.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: NOS, 88, 0, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 127, ---, ---<br />
Filter: HPF, 105, 105, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 12, 47, 0, 50, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-7489571455408963642012-04-29T19:49:00.000+01:002012-04-29T19:49:00.639+01:00Patch 009 - ADK ClapI've had a lot on this week so apologies for the lack of patches (I had promised four and you're getting one at the end of the week).<br />
<br />
I must admit I didn't have a clue how to start with a clap sound and had made a number of aborted attempts of one before now. Initially I started with a burst of noise shaped via an amp envelope with fast attack and decay / release with no sustain and basically found myself with a hi hat. A low pass filter made the sound duller but listening to a clap from my sample library there was more tone to it than a low pass filtered burst of noise. I turned to google and found a very interesting site - <a href="http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/%7Eclark/nordmodularbook/nm_book_toc.html" target="_blank">Advanced Programming Techniques for Modular Synthesizers</a> which was written for the Nord Modular hardware synth. Still a lot of the techniques were valid for any synth (hardware or software) and on the page relating to <a href="http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/%7Eclark/nordmodularbook/nm_percussion.html" target="_blank">Percussion Synthesis</a> a synthesized clap was discussed.<br />
<br />
According to this site, the key element I seemed to be missing was the delay added to the sound to simulate the "<i>echoes and reverberations produced in an enclosed environment from the slapping together of the hands</i>". That made a lot of sense so I added some onboard delay over the top and I was almost there. The sound still lacked a bit of interest so I turned to Reason's Subtractor synth and checked out the clap sound in the Factory library. The Subtractor synth is very similar in terms of architecture to the microKORG so I basically ripped off the filter settings (BPF with cut-off of 81 and resonance of 42) and I was finally getting close.<br />
<br />
I realised that I could use two filters with noise if I used the noise oscillator in Osc 1 instead of just adding noise in the mixer. This meant that I could filter out the higher frequencies and add a BPF on top. The level was a bit low so I boosted it a bit by adding distortion. The level is still a bit low but I am happy with that for now (I guess you could add an identical patch on timbre 2 if you wanted).<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: NOS, 63, 0, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: BPF, 81, 42, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, ON, 0, ---<br />
Amp EG: 0, 25, 0, 25, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 20, 18, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-43034882108349245552012-04-21T23:34:00.003+01:002012-04-27T19:08:23.222+01:00Patch 008 - ADK CymbalAs discussed on the ADK Hi Hat patch, obtaining a realistic cymbal noise from a simple synth like the microKORG is difficult. This is due to the fact that a cymbal sound is an inharmonic sound that cannot be replicated with two oscillators (or four for a layered patch). I was keen to give it a go though...<br />
<br />
From my web based research, I learned that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_modulation" target="_blank">ring modulation</a> could be used to generate a complex spectrum of frequencies and started with that. First I used a DWGS waveform in Osc 1 in conjunction with a square wave, detuned heavily in Osc 2. I used the DWGS waveform solely for ring modulation / synch purposes and therefore turned this off in the mixer and set Osc 2 to the maximum. Fast or instant attack and zero sustain for both envelopes together with moderate (and equal) decay / release. I made the filter decay a little quicker than the amp decay.<br />
<br />
I found that adding distortion amplified the metallic nature of the patch and I also liked some movement in pitch and the filter through modulation with an LFO. As per the other ADK pitches I turned keyboard tracking of the pitch off.<br />
<br />
I then thought that the sound could be further enhanced by adding a second timbre, . after all, this is a monophonic patch so the lack of polyphony wouldn't be a problem. After messing with a noise based sound I settled on using another DWGS waveform, this time without ring modulation. I left Osc 2 off in the mixer and used a similar (but quicker) amp envelope than timbre 1. As you can hear, timbre 2 has a lot less "noise" than timbre 1, being more like a ringing bell, so I made sure it didn't overshadow timbre 2. After making some adjustments to the filter (HPF, negative envelope), I panned both timbres slightly off centre. Timbre 2 has identical virtual patch settings to timbre 1. Finally I EQ'd both timbres to accentuate the higher frequencies.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
<b>Timbre 1</b><br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, LAY, MON, SGL, ---<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0<br />
Osc 1: DIG, ---, 60, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, R-S, 10, 40, ---<br />
Mixer: 0, 127, 0, ---, ---<br />
Filter: BPF, 75, 75, 34, 0<br />
Filter EG: 6, 84, 0, 84, ON<br />
Amp: 127, R3, ON, 0, ---<br />
Amp EG: 0, 80, 0, 80, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: TRC, PTC, -48, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF2, CUT, 2, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF2, PTC, -2, ---, ---<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, -12, 6.0, 12, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
<b>Timbre 2</b><br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, LAY, MON, SGL, ---<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0<br />
Osc 1: DIG, ---, 28, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 87, 0, 0, ---, ---<br />
Filter: HPF, 41, 52, -43, 0<br />
Filter EG: 6, 84, 0, 84, ON<br />
Amp: 127, L4, ON, 0, ---<br />
Amp EG: 0, 60, 0, 60, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: TRC, PTC, -48, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF2, CUT, 2, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF2, PTC, -2, ---, ---<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, -12, 6.0, 12, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
And that is that, very obviously a synth sound, but it does vaguely
resemble a cymbal! The one thing I am not sure I am altogether happy
with is the pitch of this patch. I could re-enable keyboard tracking of
pitch and play it up and down the keyboard, and perhaps I will in the
future. But for now, I am going to leave it as is. Also, if keyboard
tracking is not enabled for the filter, amp or pitch, or any of the
other modulation sources in the virtual patches, why does this sound
different played up and down the keyboard anyway? Perhaps one of you
clever people can give me a clue..<br />
<br />ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-34535271000705222032012-04-18T19:54:00.001+01:002019-06-18T16:10:50.242+01:00microKORG Patch SheetNot sure if this will be useful to any of you or not, especially given that there are software editors for the microKORG as well as the standard MIDI dump method for storing patches. But just in case you like to be old skool and archive your patches by hand here is an example of the patch sheet form I use:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ4UcRW54WkUAQAGFP4Mucm__yIkmHGa4dcLqgLQyj79owXR4E5h2qzAQZd6Guv1F16D5X8D1CJDkfhIFjY1b6LTPIByCc5A3neTCXoDsXL5f7K8dat_OiQFN-ZQZU6aij3vwPuER0fHs/s1600/patch+sheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ4UcRW54WkUAQAGFP4Mucm__yIkmHGa4dcLqgLQyj79owXR4E5h2qzAQZd6Guv1F16D5X8D1CJDkfhIFjY1b6LTPIByCc5A3neTCXoDsXL5f7K8dat_OiQFN-ZQZU6aij3vwPuER0fHs/s320/patch+sheet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<center>
</center>
<br />
<br />
There are 4 blank pro formas per sheet of A4, pre filled out with the init patch settings. Only record what has been changed. Here is the pdf file:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/7awnufmyf1lgpx5/microKORG_patch_sheet.pdf?dl=0">microKORG Patch Sheet</a>ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-57401858955744039662012-04-18T16:31:00.005+01:002012-04-18T17:08:58.860+01:00Patch 007 - ADK Hi HatAccording to Gordon Reid (in his <a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm" target="_blank">Synth Secrets</a> articles on the Sound on Sound website), synthesizing realistic metallic percussion on a simple analog (in our case virtual) synth is impossible. This is due to the inability to generate the complex spectrum of frequencies with simply two oscillators (and a noise generator) although with layering we can utilise four oscillators (and two noise generators). As you will see below however, the open hi hat patch that forms the subject of today's post is relatively simple being based on white noise only and doesn't to my ears sound too bad, especially for it's intended use, within an electronica composition. I suspect I will have a harder time of it however when programming the cymbal patch (ride or crash, I have not yet decided which) for tomorrow.<br />
<br />
As I will be synthesizing just the single hi hat sound for use in my sampler I will need to create a sound that can be used both as an open and closed hi hat. I was also therefore keen that the hi hat in today's patch could be played on the microKORG as either open or closed (either manually or via an external sequencer). This will be achieved by having an amp envelope with zero sustain and a shorter release than decay which means that playing normally will result in open hi hat sounds while playing staccato will result in closed hi hats.<br />
<br />
Firstly, change to voice to monophonic as we don't want any open hat tails to overlap. Next up I turned off the vibrato on the mod wheel. Although I left the pitch bend assignment on, I reduced this to 1 as I may want some subtle changes in pitch as the patch plays (although have since realised that this has no effect given only noise is used).<br />
<br />
Next I turned down both oscillators and the noise level up to 127 in the mixer. The filter was of the high pass variety with a medium degree of resonance. The filter and amp envelopes were similar, although the decay and release for the filter envelope were faster than the amp envelope (so we can hear the full ADSR of the filter envelope before the sound fades out). And that is pretty much all there is to it, except for some EQ to accentuate the higher frequencies further.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, MON, ---, ---<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 1, 0<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 0, 0, 127, ---, ---<br />
Filter: HPF, 107, 28, 22, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 20, 0, 20, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 0, 54, 0, 33, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 280, -12, 6.0, 5, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-23857104573321928272012-04-17T22:59:00.000+01:002012-04-17T22:59:55.456+01:00Patch 006 - ADK SnareLike the ADK Kick patch from yesterday (Patch 005), I did a fair bit of reading up on what constitutes a snare sound. This time round though I followed the tutorial provided in the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guide-Propellerhead-Reason-Debbie-Poyser/dp/1870775937/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_2" target="_blank">Fast Guide to Propellerhead Reason</a>
by Debbie Poyser and Derek Johnson closely, where a snare drum was synthesised using the Subtractor synth.<br />
<br />
The sound of the stick hitting the skin is provided by a triangle wave while the vibrating metal snare across the bottom of the drum was provided by noise. A fairly open LPF was used (we wanted to retain a lot of the character of the white noise) with a filter envelope with moderate attack, decay and release with no sustain. The amp envelope has an instantaneous attach and moderate to fast decay and release (again, no sustain).<br />
<br />
As with the ADK Kick patch from yesterday, put the voice into monophonic mode and turn keyboard tracking of the pitch off using virtual patch 1. I used Osc 2 so I could drop the pitch by a further octave. If you wanted to use a sine wave you'd have to drop the pitch by the same method as the ADK Kick patch (using the mod wheel) or of course you could have a higher pitched snare. Finally, I made some minor adjustments to the EQ.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, MON, ---, ---<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Osc 2: TRI, OFF, -12, 0, ---<br />
Mixer: 0, 84, 127, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 75, 0, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 25, 40, 0, 40, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 0, 36, 0, 36, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: TRC, PTC, -48, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 180, 4, 1.5, 4, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-58993189582988234222012-04-16T12:00:00.000+01:002012-04-17T10:41:34.801+01:00Patch 005 - ADK KickThe first patch of the Analog Drum Kit (ADK) Series is a kick drum. Not knowing where to start I did what I usually do and turned to my synth bible, Gordon Reid's Synth Secrets series first published in Sound on Sound Magazine and now available online. Rather than regurgitate the relevant articles on bass (i.e. kick) drums, I will instead point you in the direction of the following links:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan02/articles/synthsecrets0102.asp" target="_blank">Synthesizing Drums: The Bass Drum</a><br />
<a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Feb02/articles/synthsecrets0202.asp" target="_blank">Practical Bass Drum Synthesis</a><br />
<br />
Other sources of information I turned to in preparing this kick drum patch included <a href="http://waldorf.electro-music.com/attack/docs/attackdrumsounds.pdf" target="_blank">Programming Drum Sounds</a>, a PDF guide to how the classic drum machine sounds were synthesized (provided with the Attack Percussion Synthesizer by the great German synth company Waldorf) and the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guide-Propellerhead-Reason-Debbie-Poyser/dp/1870775937/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_2" target="_blank">Fast Guide to Propellerhead Reason</a> by Debbie Poyser and Derek Johnson which includes tutorials on how to program kicks and snares using noise in the Subtractor synth which is available in hard copy only (I have a rather well thumbed volume).<br />
<br />
From my research I learned that just as there are many ways to skin a cat, there are many ways to program a kick drum. Start by selecting a monophonic voice. Next I selected a sine wave in Osc 1 and a triangle wave in Osc 2 (dropped an octave) in equal measure which provided the low end rumble to the sound together with some noise, which provided the initial shorter sound of the beater striking the drum. I introduced a very short (but not instant) attack to the amp envelope together with no sustain and moderate decay and release. I closed the low pass filter almost completely and added a reasonable amount of resonance. A very short filter envelope controlled the short click like sound of the beater, provided by the noise.<br />
<br />
I wanted to turn keyboard tracking to the pitch off (since this is meant to be an untuned instrument) but I couldn't really work out how to do this satisfactorily - I ended up routing keyboard tracking to the pitch by -48. This had the effect of increasing the pitch however and for some reason I can't quite fathom editing the pitch transpose value had no effect (I would welcome any suggestions!). In the end I routed the mod wheel to pitch as well in order to drop the pitch further (you need to remember to do fully apply the modulation via the mod wheel once you load the patch). Finally I added a little low end boost via EQ.<br />
<br />
Further editing would be possible (for example adding distortion, introducing some cross or ring modulation, tweaking the envelopes and filter settings further, etc) but you have to stop somewhere and I am actually rather pleased with this first attempt. Hopefully it suits the other analog drum sounds I will shortly be creating!<br />
<br />
Here are the settings (starting from init, shift+3):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, MON, ---, ---<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 0<br />
Osc 1: SIN, 0, 0, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: TRI, OFF, -12, 0, ---<br />
Mixer: 127, 127, 50, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 10, 68, 7, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 2, 14, 5, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 1, 60, 0, 50, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: TRC, PTC, -48, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: MOD, PTC, -63, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 40, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, 5, 6.0, 0, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
[NOTE - Always remember to push the mod wheel fully away from you prior to playing the patch, otherwise the bass drum will be an octave too high.]ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-18496514681908664472012-04-10T12:09:00.000+01:002012-05-03T23:23:35.076+01:00MPAW Series - Analog Drum Kit (ADK)Last night I decided to record a 100% microKORG track using the patches I have blogged about up to now. The only problem though, is that there are no drums to provide rhythm! Rather than compromise on my all microKORG philosophy I thought I would have a go at generating my own analog drum sounds on the microKORG. I could then load my hardware sampler of choice (the much underrated <a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan99/articles/zoomsample695.htm" target="_blank">Zoom Sampletrak</a>) with these to accompany my track.<br />
<br />
Therefore the idea for the first MPAW Series was born! There are 8 samples in each bank on the Sampletrak so I decided to limit this series to 8 common drum and percussion sounds, as follows:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/patch-005-adk-kick.html" target="_blank">Patch 005 - ADK Kick</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/patch-006-adk-snare.html" target="_blank">Patch 006 - ADK Snare</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/patch-007-adk-hi-hat.html" target="_blank">Patch 007 - ADK Hi Hat</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/patch-008-cymbal.html" target="_blank">Patch 008 - ADK Cymbal</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/patch-009-adk-clap.html" target="_blank">Patch 009 - ADK Clap</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/patch-010-adk-shaker.html" target="_blank">Patch 010 - ADK Shaker</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/patch-011-adk-tambourine.html" target="_blank">Patch 011 - ADK Tambourine</a><br />
<a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/patch-012-adk-drip.html" target="_blank">Patch 012 - ADK Drip</a><br />
<br />
Obviously if I stuck to a patch a week this series will take me the best part of 2 months to complete. I therefore plan to publish 4 patches a week - traditional drum sounds next week and percussion sounds the week after (but this may change depending on how tricky the sounds are to program!).<br />
<br />
As a bonus extra - I will then conclude the series by issuing the drum kit as a sample set (WAV audio files) so you can use in your own sampler without even having to program the patches yourselves (or even having to own a microKORG). Especially for Reason users I will also provide a refill ("The microKORG ADK") including a special Combinator patch housing a Redrum drum kit with all the samples preloaded. Hopefully these will be useful to someone. Check out the page with all the goodies <a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/adk-samples-reason-refill.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I haven't created any bass sounds for this blog yet either, which is something I'll address soon as well...<br />
<br />
<b>Note</b> - The ADK Drip was a late replacement for a conga.ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-87888034266093268822012-04-09T20:16:00.000+01:002019-06-19T00:02:52.839+01:00Patch 004 - Oscillatorless Wonky ArpIf any of you followed my Alesis Micron - Patch a Day blog, you may recognise the concept of this week's patch - a melodic patch using no oscillators. How? Read on...<br />
<br />
The first thing to do is to go to the mixer and turn off both oscillators. The sound for this week's patch will come solely from the self oscillation of the resonant filter (both the LPFs will work for this). Close the filter completely and crank up the resonance to 127. To be able to play a melody with this patch you will need to assign keyboard tracking to the filter (how much modulation you apply will affect how "in tune" your patch will be). Further tuning can also be made by opening the filter cutoff. By how much is up to you, experiment! I have found that playing with the resonance level while playing the pitch can cause problems without some noise so I have added this in the mixer. <br />
<br />
To shape the sound I added a bell like amp envelope and then applied the arpeggiator. The effect is most pleasant, amplified with the use of delay in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Here are the settings:<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 5 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: SAW, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 0, 0, 127, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 0, 127, 0, 46<br />
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 2, 88, 127, 77, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: MOD, NOS, -63, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: L-R, ON, 1.8, 88, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 2 <br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
[ARP ON]<br />
<br />
You'll notice that I've assigned the mod wheel to the noise level. When you're playing the arp try playing with the resonance, filter cutoff and noise level to get some cool glitchy effects when combined with the delay. Further fun can be had if you route LFOs to the cutoff or add a filter envelope. Get wonky!ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-69000293247992638872012-04-05T00:10:00.000+01:002012-04-13T21:44:30.422+01:00Patch 003 - Solina StringsI've always loved the classic string synthesizer sound (think Oxygene and groovy 70s soul records), and one of the original machines which defined the sound is the ARP Solina String Ensemble. The all analog Solina has two bass voices (contra bass & cello), and depending on what version of the keyboard you have, up to four preset standard voices (viola, violin, trumpet & horn). The standard voices can all be layered.<br />
<br />
Here is a video showing off this cool synth:<br />
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<br />
Of course, the easiest way to be able to have that classic Solina sound would be to buy an original 1970s (creeping into the early 1980s) string synthesizer, but sadly I haven't got the spare room or cash at the moment (according to <a href="http://www.vintagesynth.com/arp/string.php" target="_blank">Vintage Synth Explorer</a> you can expect to pay $100 to $600 for a Solina, which I think is actually pretty good value). Another alternative would be to use a sampled approximation but I have chosen to try and recreate that sound on my microKORG. There are string sounds in the presets but hey, that would be cheating...<br />
<br />
Not knowing where to start, I consulted what I consider to be the bible of synthesizers, the Sound on Sound Synth Secrets series, written by Gordon Reid and totalling 40 articles from May 1999 to July 2004. Thankfully this wonderful resource is available online here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm" target="_blank">Sound on Sound's Synth Secrets</a><br />
<br />
The article from February 2003 dealt with Synthesizing Strings and I used that as my starting point for creating this week's patch.<br />
<br />
I increased the Osc 2 volume in the mixer so that both were audible and changed Osc 1 to a square wave. Next I varied the pulse width and pulse width modulation via Control 1 and Control 2 for Osc 1 until I got a sound I was happiest with. I then dropped Osc 2 by an octave and slightly detuned it to get a thicker sound. Nice, but a bit bright so I closed the filter to about halfway and changed to the gentler cut-off of the -12dB LPF. No resonance.<br />
<br />
Next I added an amp envelope of a moderate attack, slow release, a sustain level of not quite 100% and a slow release. The Synth Secretes article suggested no decay at all but I liked the subtle movement provided by a slight drop when sustaining. The Synth Secrets article also suggested no filter envelope but I added a touch to provide some movement to the tone which I found to be pleasant but not drastic. I also added some keyboard tracking of the filter.<br />
<br />
Modulation wise, I just added some subtle modulation to the Osc 2 tuning and Osc 1 control, both by LFO 1. Again, the amount was very subtle. Finally I added an ensemble (of course!) and added some extra brightness through EQ. I played about with the delay settings until I found a delay time I was happy with but in the settings given below I have left it turned off. Feel free to add some to suit your taste!<br />
<br />
<br />
Here are the settings:<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 0, 5<br />
Osc 1: SQU, 55, 10, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, -12, -3, ---<br />
Mixer: 84, 118, 0, ---, ---<br />
Filter: 12L, 67, 0, 5, 14<br />
Filter EG: 85, 81, 53, 62, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 34, 80, 120, 94, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, VOC, OFF, 32, ---<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: LF1, 2.TN, 1, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: LF1, 1.CT, 2, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: ENS, 41, 82, ---, ---<br />
Delay: STR, OF, 63, 0, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 1.5, 5, ---<br />
Arpeg. A: 140, 1.16, 20, AT1, 3 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: ON, 0, OFF, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Enjoy!ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-4951647643217048432012-03-27T23:44:00.000+01:002012-04-13T21:44:01.025+01:00The microKORG on YouTubeHere are five of the best examples I've come across when trawling the net for video tutorials showing off the microKORG:<br />
<br />
1 - In my opinion, one of the most impressive examples of how flexible the microKORG is, great performance!<br />
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2 - How to program a fantastically organic mellotron flute patch (settings in description).<br />
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3 - What the DWGS organs sound like (nice organ riffing too).<br />
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4 - How to make your microKORG sound like a piano (kind of...).<br />
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<br />
5 - How to use your microKORG for funky tempo controlled effects of incoming audio.<br />
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Found a great video starring the microKORG? Share it here!ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-69540449774974713402012-03-27T19:52:00.001+01:002019-06-19T00:02:05.553+01:00Patch 002 - Ambient padLast week I started with an initialized patch (shift+3 if you've forgotten how already!), this week I decided to take a factory preset I quite like but am not altogether happy with and tweak it to my own taste.<br />
<br />
The starting patch is b.62 - "Stairs pad". If you've already overwritten this with a custom patch then you can restore it by pressing shift+7, selecting 1Program (1P9) with knob 1 and b.62 with knob 2. Confirm by pressing the 7 key again. Remember you'll need to have turned the write protect off first (shift+8, turn knob 1 to off and then press the 8 key again to confirm). If you don't want to overwrite your custom patch saved to b.62 already then copy this to another program position first.<br />
<br />
So now I have the "Stairs Pad" loaded on my synth, the first thing to do is try it out. I actually really like the pad sound as it is, great for ambient landscapes, but I wanted to play more than two note chords (although the patch is polyphonic it is limited to two voices because it is layered) and I didn't want the arp voice playing as it doesn't fit with the track I am working on.<br />
<br />
Therefore, the first thing I do is change the program to single but what you'll notice is that now only the arp plays. This is because single patches use timbre 1 only and the pad I want is on timbre 2. Therefore you'll need to swap the timbres (shift+2, you'll need to set it up to be layer first or you'll get an error message). Now reverting to a single program only the pad will play. If the arp is on, turn it off as this is arpeggiating layer 1 (now the pad).<br />
<br />
Now, call me boring but I like this patch pretty much as is. What I do like to do though is save the patch to a free program, select it to go out of edit mode and then play with the performance controls which can result in noticeably different sounds. For example, turn the EG Attack counterclockwise and you'll get more of a brass sound (especially with the cutoff increased). You'll notice how important the envelope controls are in ensuring that what we are left with is a pad sound. From playing about with these controls though, the only thing I did and kept was closing of the filter cutoff a little so that the pad was a touch brighter, although you could always just use the mod wheel for this as the mod wheel is currently assigned to the cutoff.<br />
<br />
Here are the final settings of the patch I called Ambient Pad (where "unchanged", this is relative to timbre 2 of the Factory preset b.62 - "Stairs Pad").<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, ---<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 2, 0 (unchanged)<br />
Osc 1: SQU, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 7, -7, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 110, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: 24L, 38, 0, 14, 30<br />
Filter EG: 115, 122, 53, 115, ON (unchanged)<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 22, 64, 127, 122, ON (unchanged)<br />
LFO 1: TRI, VOC, OFF, 75, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, VOC, OFF, 42, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: TRC, LF2, 42, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 2: LF2, 1.CT, 42, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 3: MOD, CUT, 24, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, PAN, 24, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 32, 46, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Delay: CRS, ON, 3.16, 80, --- (unchanged)<br />
EQ: 320, 5, 11, 4, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 140, 1.16, 20, AT1, 3 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: ON, 0, OFF, 8, --- (unchanged)ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-47910896663574120582012-03-21T23:12:00.002+00:002012-04-13T21:43:20.477+01:00Patch 001 - Glockenspiel<div>
The first thing I did when I got my microKORG a couple of weeks ago was to restore the factory presets (I bought my synth used on ebay) and go through them one by one taking note of which ones to keep and which ones to ditch. In the end I was happy to keep 78 of the 128 presets and set about initializing the other 50 patches (shift+3).<br />
<br />
If, like me, you're a new microKORG user then it is worthwhile taking the time to check out the settings of an initialized patch - a single oscillator (saw wave), no detuning, filter fully open and a basic amp envelope of fast attack and decay, full sustain and no release. The mod and pitch bend wheels take on vibrato and pitch bend duties respectively with no other modulation controls operating. The effects and EQ settings are both off. If all of that makes no sense to you then you'd best do some reading up on synthesizer basics!<br />
<br />
You'll soon find out from my sound experiments that I tend to steer clear of harsh, in your face, sounds, preferring instead lush pads, synth strings, ambient drones and musical blips and bleeps, etc. I am also interested in how to recreate acoustic instruments on a VA synth. Therefore, for my first patch in this venture I thought I'd keep it simple and try and recreate a glockenspiel.<br />
<br />
The first thing I did was to edit the amp envelope to have a fast attack (2 rather than 0 to avoid an unpleasant click sound), zero sustain and relatively high decay / release. The ADSR characteristics are clearly a lot more like a percussive instrument (the initialized patch has an organ like ADSR envelope). The saw wave is not suitable for an xylophone so I changed this to a sine wave and already the sound is beginning to take shape, especially in the upper octaves. The sound was lacking something though, that metallic quality of the glockenspiel (perhaps more xylophone-esque).<br />
<br />
I read in the manual that ring modulation can give a bell like sound so I messed about with that for a while but to be honest didn't have a clue what I was doing (definitely something to explore another time). Then I remembered the digital waveforms (DWGS) and so I worked through them and settled on number 7, which was definitely a lot more like it. The sound was a bit static so I added a little flanger and delay and I was nearly there. I wanted how hard I played the notes to respond as it would with a glockenspiel so I routed velocity to amp in the modulation matrix. I turned off the pitch bend. The only other thing to try and model was the change in tone as you up the actives and so I routed keytrack to the cut-off filter, which I closed about half-way (I only noticed after that there is a fixed routing already on the microKORG, oops!).<br />
<br />
And I was pretty happy with that for a first try. Definitely sounds better in the upper registers though and I would like to be able to route keytacking to the decay / sustain so that the lower notes ring out a bit.<br />
<br />
Here are the patch settings (in the end I also saved a version without flanger / delay, I like both):<br />
<br />
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Pitch: 0, 0, 0, 0, 2<br />
Osc 1: DIG, ---, 7, ---, ---<br />
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mixer: 127, 0, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Filter: 12L, 71, 20, 0, 0<br />
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON<br />
Amp: 127, CNT, OFF, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Amp EG: 2, 92, 0, 92, ON<br />
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)<br />
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 70, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
Patch 1: VEL, AMP, 48, ---, ---<br />
Patch 2: TRC, CUT, 48, ---, ---<br />
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)<br />
Mod FX: FLG, 20, 6, ---, ---<br />
Delay: STR, OFF, 56, 42, ---<br />
EQ: 320, 0, 2, 0, --- (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)<br />
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, OFF, 8, --- (unchanged)<br />
<br />
I like how this sounds running through the arpeggiator, try for yourself!</div>ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254618203524323395.post-81269159451007385052012-03-20T02:41:00.001+00:002012-04-13T21:42:49.735+01:00Ditch those presets and join me on a journey, into sound!<div>
It has been two years since I concluded my <a href="http://micron-patch-a-day.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Micron - Patch a Day</a>
project. I love the Micron, and no doubt will go back to it at some
stage (or maybe even an Ion, one day...) but back in March 2010 I sold
my much loved silver and red box and bought a Novation A Station. A
great synth for tweaking but sadly I don't have the room to keep a rack
of gear anymore and so, after only a few short months, it too moved on
to pastures new.<br />
<br />
Although I have a number of soft synths
which I love messing about with (especially Reason), I very rarely sit
down and get stuck into some patch creation; I dunno, just too may
distractions I guess (and as my soft studio is laptop based it isn't
always set up). Bottom line is I missed a hardware synth, there is
something very seductive about sitting down and using a user interface
designed solely for the purpose of making noises. And sometimes
(occasionally!) very nice noises too.<br />
<br />
And so I bought one. A new synth.<br />
<br />
So what have I chosen? What have I plumped for over and above
another Micron? I can almost hear the yells of Judas from the Micron users amongst you but yes, I got a microKORG (!). I have a few reasons for choosing the Korg over another
Micron, or something like a Novation K Station (the only other serious
option I considered in my budget), as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>It runs on batteries (so can grab it while I have a spare half hour sat about on the sofa)</li>
<li>Although not as easy as synths with a non matrix UI, editing is a bit easier than the Micron (especially away from a computer)<br />
</li>
<li>The simpler architecture means that copying / sharing patch settings can be done via a few lines of text rather than .sysex files (for posting on blogs for example)</li>
<li>The simpler architecture also means that creating patches is not as daunting</li>
</ul>
And with my new synth comes a new project, similar in nature to <a href="http://micron-patch-a-day.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Micron - Patch a Day</a>... <a href="http://microkorg-patch-a-week.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">microKORG - Patch a Week</a>! I really struggled to create a new patch every day so I have ditched that concept for a more realistic
timescale of a new patch every week. Patches will generally be posted in
simple text format although I plan on posting videos, audio files and maybe .prg files too if there is a demand (bear in mind I run OSX though).<br />
<br />
So there you go. I appreciate a lot of you Micron users won't be able to
follow my sounds on the new blog since the hardware is so different but I
hope a few of you will read what I am getting up to, and possibly even
try things out on your synths as we go along. Feel free to
even post your results here, the more the merrier! microKORG users, ditch those presets and join me on a journey, into sound!</div>ghostly606http://www.blogger.com/profile/16923499393701485325noreply@blogger.com1