KVR :: u-he » Strings synthesizer [View Original Topic]
There are 92 posts in this topic.

---

groumpf - Fri May 04, 2012 9:59 am

---

Hi,

as UVI just releases a new sample machine for strings synthesizer http://www.uvisoundsource.com/, I'm wondering if Zebra could make that sort of sounds. Why in 2012, it's necessary to sample that old synthesizer ?
Actually I love the strings ensemble in "Play to the world" of Barclay James Harvest but I never got the same.
I tried with 2 saws and then apply a random pitch modulation that can be Solina like in the bass but not good in treble.
Maybe it's just an "ensemble" effect ?

Do you have any web site entries about that ?

By the way if Urs makes a string synthesizer someday I'll buy it for sure !

---

hakey - Fri May 04, 2012 11:06 am

---

HS Semolina

---

hakey - Fri May 04, 2012 11:17 am

---

That said two things make the string machine sound: the divide-down oscillator + an ensemble (rich chorus) effect.

The first isn't possible to replicate in Zebra.

The second is probably be fakeable (now if Zebra were to inherit Diva's chorus...).

---

Kriminal - Fri May 04, 2012 11:33 am

---

Just get Loomer Strings synth.

Appologies to Urs

---

groumpf - Fri May 04, 2012 11:57 am

---

I don't have HS Semolina, I have HS stringmachine Z which is nice but not the sound I search for.

I was not clear in the post, I'm not talking about the prelude in Play to the world, but about the string synth that comes with the piano.
Also in the same type of sounds, the strings pads in Moondawn of Klaus Shulze was absolutely fantastic.

I will give a try Loomer anyway. Thanks.

---

hakey - Fri May 04, 2012 12:03 pm

---

It's one of the factory presets - in the Orgones bank, I think.

---

groumpf - Fri May 04, 2012 12:09 pm

---

Ah yes I have it, sorry, very Solina with phasing, but the sound in BJH don't have phasing I think, it's more ensemble, a very thin modulation.

---

hakey - Fri May 04, 2012 12:12 pm

---

Try the Elektrostudio free pack. It includes a Solina emu that might do for you.

---

groumpf - Fri May 04, 2012 12:14 pm

---

Actually if I take HS semolina, then lower both phaser VCF cutoff, set both VCO to 8", it starts to sounds better to my ear, because phasing is lower but ensemble is still here.

---

pdxindy - Fri May 04, 2012 12:22 pm

---

The basic sound of Loomer String is good... the problem is you cannot do much of any kind of modulation. It is so plain!

---

himalaya - Fri May 04, 2012 1:38 pm

---

The BJH sound definitely has a phaser (with a slow rate).

Here's my rough attempt in Zebra:

BJH phase string machine
(on playback via this KVR player I get some distortion on this mp3 which I don't get in my host or my media player??)

The sound in Zebra needs at least two LFOs to modulate some parameters, then EQ, to get some mid boost, then chorus, followed by phaser, delay +reverb to emulate the sound in the record.

If you like it I can send you the preset. It just needs better EQ, either to find a more suitable mid frequency for boosting, and perhaps some low cut and I'm not sure if I got the phaser rate right.

---

fmr - Fri May 04, 2012 2:41 pm

---

I did a patch in DIVA that sounds very much like the Solina/Eminent. I was following more the Jarre sound (Equinoxe), but I think I can make it sound pretty much like any string machine sound. It's part of a bank I am preparing (not comercial, just to be made available for free) but if people are interested, I can upload it. Unfortunately, I don't have any upload service, so...

---

fmr - Sat May 05, 2012 1:48 am

---

I just sent the patch to Brian (brzycki), and hopefully he will make it available to all in a shortwhile. Hope you find it usefull.

---

bmrzycki - Sat May 05, 2012 7:04 am

---

http://www.u-he.com/PatchLib/tmp/FMR-Equinoxe_String_Machine_ST.zip

---

bmrzycki - Sat May 05, 2012 7:06 am

---

AHA! You do have Zebra AND you're making patches for it! I'm still waiting for a bank from you. (BTW that audio sounds fabulous, even with the MP3 distortion, nice work)

---

himalaya - Sat May 05, 2012 9:29 am

---

I do indeed (and Diva too) just never had the time to get stuck in...


Thank you. I'm closer to making it happen than before.

---

pdxindy - Sat May 05, 2012 11:33 am

---

cool! look forward to hearing what you come up with!

---

Bronto Scorpio - Sat May 05, 2012 11:42 am

---

It's about time
Looking forward to it

Cheers
Dennis

---

Fritze - Sat May 05, 2012 12:44 pm

---

---

Polybius - Sun May 06, 2012 10:04 am

---

I think divide-down osc is possible in Zebra though. You have 16 wavetables per osc correct? I made 2 patches in my latest soundbank, where i morphed 2 oscillators shapes across a wavetable, and assigned keyboard scale to the wavetable. Meaning that for each different key pressed along the range, you get a slightly different wave. So the lowest key is osc1, and the highest key across the range is osc2, and everything in between is a morphed version of the 2 osc's. I gave up in the end because I couldn't find enough information about this divide-down osc feature though.

Anyone care to elaborate on the possibility of this?

---

hakey - Sun May 06, 2012 10:48 am

---

The thing about divide down architecture is that all voices are derived from a single continuously running master oscillator. This means that all voices share a common phase relationship (some intervals will be perfect, some will cycle over longer periods). I'm fairly certain this can't be replicated or faked in Zebra.

Edit: we had a bit of a discussion about it here.

---

Gonga - Sun May 06, 2012 11:52 am

---

Do any of you geniuses know whether this was the tech used in the Stringman and/or the Arp String Ensemble?

---

hakey - Sun May 06, 2012 11:59 am

---

Pretty much all string synths used divide down oscillators.

That's what the string synth sound is: DDO + rich chorus.

---

hakey - Sun May 06, 2012 12:00 pm

---

Here's an interesting read.

---

Gonga - Sun May 06, 2012 12:06 pm

---

Thanks, I truly appreciate it! Someone just was asking me a couple days ago and I wasn't sure.

---

pdxindy - Sun May 06, 2012 12:16 pm

---

They had to... too expensive otherwise.

---

himalaya - Sun May 06, 2012 1:58 pm

---

I think there's too much stress put on the actual divide-down bits and bobs. What helps to get 'that' sound is highly controllable EQ or a formant filter bank with a suitable chorus. If these can be designed to a high standard then I doubt that anybody will miss the specific key response, and phase relationships offered by divide-down technology in the mix, at least I wouldn't think so. This is even more clear once reverb, delay and phasing is applied to these string sounds (which it usually is).

Mind you, the 'naked' string sound is so gorgeous, as everyone knows. I no longer have much space for all my gear, but when i did I used to play my Solina and RS-202 side by side with no external effects. Such a lush (Solina) and raw (RS202) sound. Beautiful.

I have been trying to emulate my RS202 in Zebra today and so far have found that the EQ needs to offer a fuller spec, or a more complex formant filter bank in one module (see Amber). But since I'm still a total Zebra virgin I shouldn't voice what is missing as it may actually be there, perhaps available via several modules.

---

3ee - Sun May 06, 2012 2:03 pm

---

Several Osc modules did the trick for me
with phase reset on and precise phase offsets + volume blends.
Also modeled the waveform.

---

Bronto Scorpio - Sun May 06, 2012 2:13 pm

---

The next version of Zebra will have a fully featured resonator module based on the polymoog resonator iirc

That's no excuse for you to wait for the next version for your bank though

Cheers
Dennis

---

hakey - Sun May 06, 2012 2:18 pm

---

Yep, you can make a patch that's close (I've heard Synth1 do a passable Solina sound).

But the DDO effect is definitely audible, and so replicating it is as important for an authentic string machine sound as, say, modelling various nonlinearities is in Diva.

---

himalaya - Sun May 06, 2012 2:36 pm

---

I shall not wait.

Great news about the resonator module.


Forgot about that! Thanks for the reminder. I've just tried it and the waveshaping envelope has plenty of range. Could be very helpful.

---

pdxindy - Sun May 06, 2012 2:51 pm

---

What would you change in the EQ?

---

himalaya - Sun May 06, 2012 3:43 pm

---

I'd add the option to have more bands (at least two more) and add the option to switch the low shelf and high shelf to bell response, however if there were more peaking response bands then the low and hi shelving would be good as is.
This of course would be overkill for standard eq duties, but for emulating various synths, especially string machines, these extra options would be very useful. I suppose the previously mentioned resonator may be enough.

However, now that I have been reminded about the waveshaping tools, the current EQ may be sufficient (in combination with waveshaping).

---

bmrzycki - Sun May 06, 2012 4:18 pm

---

You can use VCF1-4 in the module section (or VCF5-6 in the FX section) with "EQ Peaking" or BP QBand to add bands. Unless you need all 6 VCFs for other duties I think this might get you to where you want to go.

---

himalaya - Sun May 06, 2012 4:37 pm

---

That's right. I found that the BP RezBand option gives the most pronounced response (in the signal chain I have), which works well. However, it would be nice to have all EQ sculpting under one 'roof' as it were.

---

hakey - Mon May 07, 2012 1:17 am

---

There's a huge amount of spectral effects can be achieved with the oscillator fx alone.

Ignoring the behaviour that's impossible to replicate (DDO, paraphonic envelopes), I'd be surprised if Zebra couldn't get very close to any given string synth timbre.

---

Full Bucket - Mon May 07, 2012 1:47 am

---

Here's another free string machine: The deputy Mark II.
It features divide-down generators, a resonator, Ensemble, Phaser, and more.

Cheers Björn

---

Polybius - Mon May 07, 2012 6:27 am

---

And if you need even more peaks, you can use an XMF set to BP, and then use the "offset" knob to split the bands, and use the "cutoff" to position said bands across the spectrum.

And if that's still not enough, you can use a frequency shifter at the end of the chain to double all the bands. I think you can have up to 50 bands, using all these tricks combined. I'm having my doubts about the overall effectiveness of this workflow though, especially concerning CPU-usage

---

pdxindy - Mon May 07, 2012 10:43 am

---

I think being able to switch the low and high shelf to bell would be enough for me... though I would kinda like to have a per voice EQ up in the main modules section...

---

himalaya - Mon May 07, 2012 1:26 pm

---

I just tried it now. It may not be the right tool for shaping string sounds, I feel. Too sharp and 'sinusoidal'. It also shifts the peaks in stereo field, whereas the sound needs to stay mono (again, i may have missed the obvious tricks which would prevent it, i don't know).

At the moment I'm testing how close I can get to the RS-202 as it has a very raspy 'raw' but 'fluid' sound ( as opposed to the completely creamy and smooth Solina sound) and it's proving to be a challenge. I've managed to get a close approximation in Amber though. At the moment I'm set with VCF LP Xcite + Shaper + 2 EQs + 2 ModFx with their EQ in Zebra.

What I'd love to see in Zebra is to have an option for the EQ module which would expand the EQ window across the lower pane (to fit the whole width of Zebra) it would give a clearer overview of the frequency bands which in turn would allow a more precise selection of frequencies.

Better still (oh yeah!) it would be great to have a separate EQ plugin (Zebracue Zebreecue ? ) which could sample the frequency response of a signal, save it as a profile, then load it in Zebra (in the EQ module) and arrive at a more refined frequency plot more quickly.

However, as the by product of my first serious experiments in Zebra, I have got some very lush imaginary string machine sounds. While these are not meant to be emulations of existing string synths they do have a certain vintage string machine charm to them. (that V-slope envelope is great to have for these sounds).

---

Bronto Scorpio - Mon May 07, 2012 1:49 pm

---

Check out this video to learn more about the XMF filters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRr5JXPaYU
Cheers
Dennis

---

himalaya - Mon May 07, 2012 2:24 pm

---

Ahh yes, I had it in 'single', where it shifts the peaks in stereo field. Selected 'parallel' and it stays put in the centre. Thanks Bronto Scorpio.

---

hakey - Mon May 07, 2012 2:40 pm

---

What are you trying to replicate? The individual voices/timbres, two or three layered voices, with or without ensemble?

For an individual voice without ensemble you might get close by drawing the waveform and comparing the results in an oscilloscope.

I suspect that replicating a particular ensemble (Solina or RS-202) is beyond Zebra at present - I've got an ensemble-ish effect using three identical oscillators of which two are subtly pitch modulated at different rates using the global lfo's.

---

Bronto Scorpio - Mon May 07, 2012 2:42 pm

---

Ha! I made an ensemble-ish preset some days ago which uses exactly that method

Cheers
Dennis

---

hakey - Mon May 07, 2012 2:48 pm

---

I got the idea from that SOS article I linked to a couple of pages back - Ken Freeman's original string synth used three pitch modulated oscillators.

---

Polybius - Mon May 07, 2012 2:57 pm

---

You can also put a mixer in the chain to switch it to mono, but then you're putting the entire chain into mono. Not what you'd want i suspect :/

About Zebra-EQ, yes! I'm all for that! Or atleast have the option to expand it, like the MMAP module (when you click on the + sign).

Now that i think about it, that would not be such a bad idea for the MSEG and OSC waveform draw window either, a little + sign that expands the view. So you can draw a bit more precise.

Thanks for the interesting read everyone, learned a couple interesting things!

---

himalaya - Mon May 07, 2012 2:59 pm

---

@hakey,
I'm tuning Zebra to individual timbres of RS-202 with its chorus 'on'.
I can get it close, but it's not there yet.

It's easy to get an ensemble sound as you describe, but the timbre may be very far removed from a real string synth whithout further processing with EQ. So far, it is easy to get a churning motion, the 'chorusing' effect but to get the actual timbre of the underlining oscillators is difficult, and it may be impossible, as you say. The EQ on its own is not doing it. There needs to be a mix of drive + exciter + lots of EQ bands. Not easy (at least when emulating this RS). I just need to find the right permutation of all these processes.

I'm focusing on the RS as it is very 'raw', and yet 'warm'. A lot of peaks in the frequency spectrum but nothing is sounding harsh. If I can get this sound all other string sounds will fall into place.

I don't feel 'at home' yet with Zebra. Needs more time....

---

himalaya - Mon May 07, 2012 3:12 pm

---

Not necessarily. 'Mono' is pretty much what all string machines know (except Roland VP330 and perhaps the RS-505). So 'mono' is good.

---

Bronto Scorpio - Mon May 07, 2012 3:19 pm

---

Please take that time! Zebra can be a bit overwhelming at first, even if you are quite familiar with other synths (which you obviously are) but it keeps on giving, even after years
There are soooo many small tricks to discover! I'd really love to hear what you get out of it!

Cheers
Dennis

---

3ee - Mon May 07, 2012 3:46 pm

---

OK here's a template I have abandoned long time ago.... because I didn't knew where to start modeling the waveforms + didn't really understood what to model in terms of "template" while retaining some freedom for modulation...

https://www.box.com/s/fcf87350c655c8284cb2

If someone will organize some ideas (for example: what 16 waves will candidate for a string machine "template") and give me some original waves to model, I'll give it my best to model them (Didn't do this in a long time and I kinda feel like it... spending hours modeling waves and string machines is a good place to start. )

And modeling waveforms is really important IMO because it will free up the need for CPU consuming filters and other processing... + why not? ..the technology is there and it will help towards the goal..

and the whole divide down osc thing seems important indeed to the character so should be something to look into.

For example... what's missing in the patch I've posted in terms of basics of "faking" the DDO? ... the key here as I discovered is to dial in precise phase and volume values... and that's kinda it

---

3ee - Mon May 07, 2012 3:52 pm

---

Ow yeah, feel free to deactivate the VCFs and the Delay module .

Play with the OSCs volume to discover something interesting... (don't set it to minimum tho .. or apparently, it will turn off the osc and while bringing it up again you will notice that you'll have to re-trigger the note(s) to be back on phase... In this case it's something that will drastically alter the timbre. )

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 12:54 am

---

I'd have thought that getting close to the unchorused timbre shouldn't be too difficult - so long as it's a static waveform, you can get close just by drawing it by hand and comparing/fine-tuning the results in an oscilloscope.

Nailing the sound with the ensemble on top is a whole different kettle of fish - no amount of (static) EQing will give you the dynamic timbre produced by three separately modulated delay lines.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 1:58 am

---

DDO architecture means that all voices are derived from one master oscillator and thus share the same phase relationship - hold C3 and then play C4 on top and the two voices will be in phase, with the crossover point for the waveform C3 exactly coinciding with every second crossover for the C4 wave.

There's just no way to fake this in Zebra.

---

Howard - Tue May 08, 2012 2:22 am

---

My question is: is that SO important for a sound that lives mostly from a complex ensemble effect? Convince me

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 2:40 am

---

I can't.

It's only important in the same way that reproducing the behaviour of, say, a Sallen Key filter is. If authenticity is the goal, it's desirable.

And Brok's argument that the shared phase leads to a cleaner, less smeared timbre, even after the ensemble is applied, has something to it.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 2:42 am

---

.. but I agree the ensemble is the sound, the rest is just icing.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 3:21 am

---

This is what I've been saying earlier on in the thread, once the actual basic tone of the oscillator is right, and the chorus sounds right, the overall string sound will be good enough. This is especially evident once a strings patch like this is used within a mix with lots of other effects. Once you add a phaser, an effect very often used with these sounds, the divide-down phase thingamabobs get blown into smithereens.

Toady, with a fresh pair of ears and no wine in my blood, I got closer still.

I need to find a way to assign an EQ or some other spectral shaping module to key range. It would be nice to be have envelopes for the whole keyboard range for each EQ band. Something like the filter scaling envelope in Krakili's StringZ synth, or Newsofting's Modelonia (the tuning sliders).



Ah, but I wasn't using just a static (or not) EQ in my experiments.

---

3ee - Tue May 08, 2012 3:23 am

---

Tried different octaves ... didn't expect to be out of phase
Well.. that's that for that but still worth looking for some of the other stuff

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 3:53 am

---

True. Another way I'd describe it, a string patch emulation (with independent phase per key) sounds more like a Poly Synth sound, than a String Synth sound, if that makes sense.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 3:59 am

---

Yep, "the differences will be difficult to detect in a mix with effects on top" argument is valid - but from this argument one might then go on to conclude that Synth1 is adequate most, if not all of the time.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 4:05 am

---

AFAICS, replicating a globally applied ensemble effect is beyond Zebra too (for a start there's only two global lfo's).

It'll be interesting to see/hear what you come up with.

---

mcnoone - Tue May 08, 2012 4:12 am

---

You can try an SB-sideband module in the path. It can have keyfollow or mod mappers set to it's Mix setting, which can act as an eq for mids.
The default sb setting 10hz- no modulation on the frequency and offset. Then you can use keyfollow, or mod mapper thingy on the Mix.
This will give you some eq variation over the keys.
Gradual with the keyfollow with more control using the mod mapper.
It seems to only effect the mids, but there's more use in those sb modules than some might assume.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 4:24 am

---

Thanks. I shall give that a go.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 4:32 am

---

And that wouldn't be such a bad conclusion provided I can shape the Synth 1 output with a comprehensive EQ and add a suitable chorus. The purist will scream blue murder, but I will chill to some creamy string machine washes.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 4:43 am

---

Why bother with the comprehensive EQ and chorus? Just use the onboard EQ, chorus, phaser and delay - in a mix no one will know.

---

Howard - Tue May 08, 2012 5:02 am

---

You can get more tonal variety out of an Allpass filter (with plenty of resonance!) in parallel with the main signal i.e. use an extra lane in the main grid. Then modulate its cutoff using a ModMapper in Key mode, to tune the tone of each note.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 5:54 am

---

Nobody has qualified the requirements as that of only using onboard processing, so why the snarky reply?

All along I'm referring to certain tools which are needed to get close to the string synth sounds. These tools include comprehensive equalization and chorus, tools I have been using in Zebra. Synth1 has only one band of parametric EQ, good enough for one mid boost, but the actual sound may require two or more mid boosts, a high cut, a low-mid boost at a very specific frequency, etc.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 6:10 am

---

I apologise if that came across the wrong way. Honestly, there was no intended snarkiness. Just arguing the point to its daft conclusion.

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 6:37 am

---

Okay, I pointed out that at least part of the sound of string synths is down to the DDO behaviour.

You argue that in a mix with phasing and reverb on top such detail is unimportant (and I agree).

But then you talk about requiring "a highly controllable EQ or a formant filter bank".

To which I counter - in a mix with phasing and reverb on top such detail is unimportant.

Either the details like DDO behaviour, nailing the timbre of an oscillator, or a TB303's filter response are somewhat important, or they're not (in which case Synth1 is probably good enough for everyone's synth needs).

No snarking.

---

zbpc1 - Tue May 08, 2012 6:43 am

---

Is there a bank of these string patches I can download?

---

pdxindy - Tue May 08, 2012 7:51 am

---

Not sure what you mean, but you can modulate the eq freqs via keyrange if you want to in the mod matrix... I do this for vocal sounds... every parameter of the eq is a mod target so use mid1 freq and mid2 freq as targets and use keyfollow as the modulator... or if you want more precise control you can set the freq per key using modmapper.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 7:53 am

---

I wouldn't call the sound received through using the EQ and the right chorus as "detail".
The basic oscillator timbre needs to sound correct, and for that to happen you need to sculpt the oscillator in a soft synth, whichever way you like, to get that sound. The sound of a Roland RS-202 is very characteristic* and even when used with a phaser + reverb that sound will stamp its identity on the output. However its phase locked notes will become smeared and will no longer be of significant issue. Obviously the sound of phase locked notes is specific and I'm not denying that it is important, it is, but not in the mix (for me anyway).

*characteristic as machines like Solina, Hohner String Melody 2 or Yamaha SS30 have that very smooth, lush BBD chorus sound, unlike that of the RS202, which is more bare bones and 'raspy'.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 7:58 am

---

I've only tried the GeoMoprh mode which has a fine line between keeping the sawtooth sound and veering off into another timbre (a square or something other). But I've yet to play with the GeoBlend and SpectroBlend modes. They look like fun!

---

hakey - Tue May 08, 2012 8:16 am

---

Himalaya, I do understand the argument you're making. With respect, I just don't agree that the DDO effect is as unimportant as is nailing the timbre of the raw voice essential.

My feeling is that the ensemble is probably more important than either (and probably nigh on impossible to replicate accurately in Zebra).

Have you got a sample of a raw (non-chorused) RS 202 voice? Can't find a good example on Youtubes.

---

himalaya - Tue May 08, 2012 1:10 pm

---

This is truly awesome! I have tried this now and its immensely controllable and very easy to use! The large pop out window is of great help (initially I thought, "oh noes, am I suppose to dial in all those frequencies using that small window..." , but then I clicked on that 'plus' icon). Another unexpected surprise is the way the keyboard is scanned with realtime feedback of played notes. I'm actually very excited about this set up as it's a gateway to wickedness.

---

Bronto Scorpio - Tue May 08, 2012 1:13 pm

---

Allpass filters are great tools in general! I simple static allpass in the FX section can do *very* nice things to bass sounds

Cheers
Dennis

---

Bronto Scorpio - Tue May 08, 2012 1:23 pm

---

A basic example preset I quickly made: AP Bass Example (You may have to use right click -> save target as).

Play a few notes, turn the AP filter on and play a few notes again
I made this in a few seconds so please don't expect a highly complex patch

Edit: Slightly off topic but also check out MSEG1. It modulates the volume (just a small amount though). It's another nice trick for bass sounds and "punchy" sounds in general

Cheers
Dennis

---

gonnagiveemachicken - Wed May 23, 2012 10:39 am

---

Check out this sample, vp330 with zebra. http://soundcloud.com/notsureifsrs/zebravp330

---

3ee - Wed May 23, 2012 10:44 am

---

Pretty cool, but this sounds like synth "acoustic" strings and less of that vintage synth string machine sound.

---

aaron aardvark - Wed May 23, 2012 7:33 pm

---

I liked that sound! Don't know if you could send it to me by private message, or publicly here.

---

himalaya - Thu May 24, 2012 1:35 pm

---

I certainly can. I just don't know the policy here. Is public sharing of presets allowed via the forum, or are they meant to go in some user section on the Uhe website?

---

xh3rv - Thu May 24, 2012 1:53 pm

---

Linking to the preset hosted anywhere is usually how it's done. For the patch lib stuff, usually it's that Bmrzycki is just really awesome about grabbing presets putting them on the u-he patch library pages.

---

bmrzycki - Thu May 24, 2012 2:11 pm

---

Oh please share. Even if it's just a box.net link I'll snag it throw it on the patchlib.

I need to do so with the diva pedal stuff from another thread too....

---

mcnoone - Thu May 24, 2012 2:16 pm

---

If that's about those pedal bass sounds I posted, then you don't need to do anything with them. I will make those available at a later date, along with some others.

---

bmrzycki - Thu May 24, 2012 2:18 pm

---

Sounds good. I think ho66it posted in there too...Need to double check.

---

aaron aardvark - Thu May 24, 2012 5:48 pm

---

---

himalaya - Fri May 25, 2012 2:43 pm

---

Let me just get my stuff together...busy times here (end of year accounts have messed with my head a bit )...hopefully I will be able to upload a few of my first string machine presets (more like experiments then finished presets).

---

Teezdalien - Fri May 25, 2012 7:29 pm

---

Really interesting and informative discussion in this thread. Thanks to you all.

---

himalaya - Sat May 26, 2012 1:34 pm

---

Here you can download four of my first string machine emulations. Treat these as my initial experiments, with plenty of room left for improvements, which will be done at a later date.

In the ZIP you will find:
1. A Roland RS-202 emulation. It's close but not quite there (yet). This emulates only one sound out of several possible in the RS-202.
2. A generic string synth patch, which is not emulating any vintage machine in particular. This is more of a test patch.
3. The Barclay James Harvest patch, as demonstrated in this thread. This has lots of effects to get it close to what I hear in the record.
4. A 'whooshy', spaced-out string sound with a strong phaser sweep + noise.


DOWNLOAD
himalaya Zebra2 String Machines1

I still don't know if I have uploaded the correct versions, so if you find that a preset does not have any modulation wheel or aftertouch assignments, then it is the wrong patch. All four presets should have the mod wheel assigned to filter cutoff, and aftertouch to vibrato.

I've got another 15 or so patches in various state of completion, but none of them use the AllPass filter technique as suggested by Howard, so I'm looking forward to crafting some of these string sounds using this technique soon.

Hopefully you will find these useful.

---

xh3rv - Sat May 26, 2012 2:14 pm

---

Modwheel and aftertouch are working as intended. Thanks for the patches!

---

aaron aardvark - Sat May 26, 2012 11:18 pm

---

himalaya,
Thank you for the cool patches: I particularly dig H BarclayJamesHarvest Syn Strings1 and I just used H String Machine Noise phase (without the pink noise, which sounds good, but the pink noise wasn't working for my particular tune) on a song I am just finishing up (perfect timing on the patch availability)!

---

himalaya - Sun May 27, 2012 1:03 am

---

I'm happy to hear that. Glad you found them useful.

---

There are 92 posts in this topic.