Synths with snappy attacks (like ES2)

[carrieres]

Dune2

[Gonga]

I will try to post some examples later for those who don't know what I'm talking about.

I'd like to hear an example, because I think different people mean different things when they say snappy.

Precisely. The decay time of the VCA is one factor, the speed with which the VCA comes on with note-on is another, and the dynamics of note-on vs sustain is another. One difference between most virtual synths and old hardware analogs can be heard if you turn all 4 ADSR knobs / sliders down all the way, then nudge the sustain up just a tad. The old analogs display a blast of an attack, followed by a soft sustain, truly dynamic, whereas most virtual synths have an attack which is the same volume as the sustain - wimpy dynamics by comparison. VAs just generally don't share this dynamic attack with the real thing. There are exceptions. Zebra is one I'm aware of.

Imo, an authentic attack is one of the "holy grails" of virtual synthesis. It's one of the rarest things to find in a virtual.

We've had the is conversation at least a few times

[discoDSP]

Well Corona has up to 6 different envelope curves. I'm sure there is one or two that fits for you

[osiris]

Developer (if you can call it that). You can enter the values and the numbers transfer to voltage positions. Instead of the usual 64, it ran from 1 - 10, but all you had to do was enter a - sign in front of 1 and voila - snap!

[Gonga]

I feel the Korg MS20 has the best snap, out of any other synth on the market.

Of course you are referring to the vst of the Legacy Collection (vs the new MS-20 analog hardware kit)?

I know you made a soundset for it...what do you think of the overall sound quality?

[fluffy_little_something]

I will try to post some examples later for those who don't know what I'm talking about.

I'd like to hear an example, because I think different people mean different things when they say snappy.

Precisely. The decay time of the VCA is one factor, the speed with which the VCA comes on with note-on is another, and the dynamics of note-on vs sustain is another. One difference between most virtual synths and old hardware analogs can be heard if you turn all 4 ADSR knobs / sliders down all the way, then nudge the sustain up just a tad. The old analogs display a blast of an attack, followed by a soft sustain, truly dynamic, whereas most virtual synths have an attack which is the same volume as the sustain - wimpy dynamics by comparison. VAs just generally don't share this dynamic attack with the real thing. There are exceptions. Zebra is one I'm aware of.

Imo, an authentic attack is one of the "holy grails" of virtual synthesis. It's one of the rarest things to find in a virtual.

We've had the is conversation at least a few times

When I do your little test, what I hear is a strong click. Very short obviously as it is rarely displayed on the meter. Actually, I hear the same click when sustain is at 0.0 as well

[Andywanders]

Synth 1

[Gonga]

Examigan's example is good, but let's hear some extreme examples - I want to hear the most powerful examples you can make people!

Here's DIVA, set up like Jan Hammer often set up his mini ...

https://soundcloud.com/dan-ling/clearplastic

Hammer used such an attack for bass often:

http://danling.com/studio/sounds/zebra/ ... xcerpt.mp3

[fluffy_little_something]

From playing around it seems that attack becomes snappier the higher the note. Maybe because phase plays more of a role with long wavelengths. I suppose a retrigger option in the osc sections helps...

[Gonga]

Right. My DIVA example above was made before Urs added the retrigger option btw, if memory serves. Course it's also a legato patch.

[overhishead]

snappy decay is what you need.
the problem is i think ,the waveform, there just aint enough cycles in 1/128th of a second.

one suggestion is to put in a pitch mod with an envelope that starts high and decays to no sustain in the amount of time you want the click. or put a hi-q sample on the instrument chain before your effects.

this way i reckon you could get a bass to sound like you're using a pick for example. kind of like the way a psy trance kick drum might start off with a kiss.

[Yorrrrrr]

Dune2

This^

[Cyforce]

discoDSP DiscoveryPro has also snappy releases i think. Spire is also a good option, you can adjust the curve of the envelopes there, which allows you to make them very snappy or unsnappy

[Lotuzia]

Examigan's example is good, but let's hear some extreme examples - I want to hear the most powerful examples you can make people!

Here's DIVA, set up like Jan Hammer often set up his mini ...

https://soundcloud.com/dan-ling/clearplastic

Zebra also has a very dynamic attack. Here's Zebra set up this way for a very distorted lead. The attack is useful when the sound is so sustained and distorted. That attack still cuts through...

https://soundcloud.com/dan-ling/danzzebratar

Hammer used such an attack for bass often:

http://danling.com/studio/sounds/zebra/ ... xcerpt.mp3

And George Duke used it often for lead work:

http://danling.com/studio/sounds/zebra/ ... xcerpt.mp3

......... VAs just generally don't share this dynamic attack with the real thing. There are exceptions. Zebra is one I'm aware of.

Imo, an authentic attack is one of the "holy grails" of virtual synthesis. It's one of the rarest things to find in a virtual.

Took around three minutes to get this kind of plucky attack on the Xils 4. Tbh this could be done in a number of synths, including digital ones like FM8, or Dune. If someone used an oscilloscope and compare the real things with their software counterparts, they might have a kind of surprise

Xils 4 Duke Lead

[sqigls]

I appreciate the snap as much as the next enveloped synth lover, but I think there is a difference between a fast click and a fast punch. I really don't know the science behind snappy envelopes, but Spire for example, has fast clicky envelopes, but it doesn't seem to translate as firmness. They're fast but not so punchy.
Personally, my search for the ultimate A-D phase of an envelope in the software realm has yet to be satisfied. As much as I love Zebra, I don't think it nails this kind of ultra tight punchiness either.