"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.
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 Amazon, the bagpipes! Being Scottish, I couldn't help myself...
Seeing as it's already in the public domain I am sure it won't be a problem if I reproduce it here:
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):
[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 this YouTube tutorial for a much more realistic bagpipe patch, albeit on the Behringer Deep Mind 12).]
Voice: SYT, SGL, PLY, ---, --- (unchanged)
Pitch: 0, 0, 10, 2, 1
Osc 1: SQU, 98, 4, ---, ---
Osc 2: SAW, OFF, 0, 0, ---
Mixer: 79, 36, 0, ---1, ---
Filter: 12L, 127, 20, 0, 0 (unchanged)
Filter EG: 0, 64, 127, 0, ON (unchanged)
Amp: 127, CNT, ON, 0, ---
Amp EG: 4, 64, 127, 36, ON
LFO 1: TRI, OFF, OFF, 10, --- (unchanged)
LFO 2: SIN, OFF, OFF, 3, ---
Patch 1: LF1, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)
Patch 2: LF2, PTC, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)
Patch 3: LF1, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)
Patch 4: LF2, CUT, 0, ---, --- (unchanged)
Mod FX: FLG, 17, 64, ---, ---
Delay: STR, OFF, 86, 77, ---
EQ: 320, 0, 6.0, 0, --- (unchanged)
Arpeg. A: 120, 1.16, 80, UP, 1 (unchanged)
Arpeg. B: OFF, 0, ON, 8, --- (unchanged)
Do any of you have the Synthsizer Cookbook? If so, I'd love to hear what you think of it."
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!
And if that's whetted your appetite, check back weekly for new patches! :)
