>>> ZPC#16 - FM Synthesis <<<

[hakey]

ZPC#16 - FM Synthesis



The theme for this month's Zebra patch contest is "Pure FM Synthesis".

The rules are (I hope) fairly simple: design a maximum of two patches using only the FMO and Mixer modules in Zebra's Synthesis Main Grid.

In keeping with the pure FM theme the use of VCFs 5 or 6 in the lower pane Effects Grid is disallowed.

The use of all modulators (the modules that appear in the pane to the right of the main grid - Envelopes, LFO's, ModMappers, ModMixers - plus the MSEG's) is allowed.

Beyond the specific "Pure FM" stipulation there are no restrictions placed upon the type of patches that may be submitted - all genres (pads, leads, fx, etc.) are admissible.

As ever the prize for this contest is pretty damn good - a free choice of one software product from the u-he range!


How to enter

• Simply create one or two FM patches using Zebra.
• Send them (.h2p format) to bmrzycki, either by PM through this forum, or by email to: brzycki [at] gmail [dot] com (PMing bmrzycki is probably the more reliable method - emails have been known to get lost in transit).

Rulez and other important stuff:

• Use only FMO and Mix modules in the Synthesis Grid.
• Do not use VCF5/6 in the Effects Grid
• A maximum of two patches per person.
• Patches should be anonymized (putting a "?" in the "author" field when saving does the trick).
• The winning patch will be decided by a vote (and everyone who submits a patch is expected to vote!).
• Try to ensure that your patch does not exhibit significant - ideally no - audio clipping.
• Please DO NOT! send any patches to me (hakey). KVR member bmrzycki collects the patches for the contest (see under "How to enter").
• Please DO! carefully read through the instructions under "How to enter" and "Rulez and other important stuff".
• The deadline for submissions is 14:00 UTC August 1st

...

The theme for these contests are decided upon by something approaching a democratic/consensual process, so if anyone has ideas for future contests, themes, or just general suggestions, please speak your brains in the "August Patch Contest: Suggestions" thread which will appear within the next week or so.

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[hakey]

FM Top Tips:

• Adding FM amount in FMO mode "FM self (+)" produces a bright tone very similar to that produced by a sawtooth wave and sweeping FM amount sounds not unlike a sawtooth through a swept low pass filter.
• Similarly "FM self2 (+)" mode can be used for square tones - from the Zebra2 User Guide: Like FM Self (+) except that the input signal is the output squared. Great for triangular / squarish tones, including a wonderfully pure 'shark-fin' wave when the FM depth is between 25 and 30.
• Note that in the FMO lower panel (click on "FMO" between the Effects and Main Grids) clicking on the box labelled "Generator" opens a drop down menu from which a number of waveforms can be selected instead of the more usual pure sine.
• For those with enough perseverance to decipher them data sheets for the original DX7 presets can be downloaded here (though only those presets that use 4 operators or less will be of any use for this contest).
• Assorted DX7 links and resources here.
• How to emulate a resonant filter sweep using a TX81Z (had a quick read through - I think this should be translatable to Zebra).
• Here's the science bit.

...

Viz Top Tips

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[arbee]

didn't have much time to try the last few contests but this one sure interest me. a pure fm synthesis contest will be a good challenge as it's not my usual way to work with zebra. will try to find some time to work on patches even though I'm still putting the final touches to my 2 next releases

[hakey]

this one sure interest me. a pure fm synthesis contest will be a good challenge as it's not my usual way to work with zebra.

Yep, certainly a challenge. Translating/adapting simple DX7/100 patches might be one way to get started - I'm sure I've seen a website listing the algorithms plus operator settings for various DX patches. I'll see if I can find it and put a link in the second post.

If anyone knows of any other useful online FM resources let me know.

didn't have much time to try the last few contests

Your vote in the current contest would be greatly appreciated. (that goes for everyone - voting is open to all Zebra users)

[Gino Cortesi]

I really enjoy FM, so this contest in very interesting to me.

When I use FM in Zebra, I typically use an OSC in front of an FMO because the input does the modulation. It's very interesting (to me a atleast) to mess around with the input waveform and hear it as frequency shifts through the FMO (against a sine or type of sine).

I still like the contest, it's just different than how I usually approach FM in Zebra. That said, I'll probably learn that I don't know much about FM

I'm assuming we can use LFO's, Envelopes, etc. for modding FM parameters.

And I'm assuming we can't use effects (or am I wrong on that one?).

Best regards,

Gino

[hakey]

I'm assuming we can use LFO's, Envelopes, etc. for modding FM parameters.

Yes, of course.

And I'm assuming we can't use effects (or am I wrong on that one?).

Yes, you're wrong on that.

The only modules in the effects grid that are disallowed are VCF5 and 6.

[Funkfeuer]

-deleted-

[hakey]

One patch only.

Submissions for the contest should be sent by PM or email to bmrzycki.

Be sure to read the instructions in the first post below "How to enter" and "Rulez and other important stuff".

(Oh, and please delete the link in your post.)

[hakey]

Anyone have any suggestions for increasing the numbers voting in future contests?

At the moment votes are coming pretty much exclusively from those who've submitted a patch. I guess that there are some non-contestants downloading ZPC patches who never bother to vote - so how can we persuade these freeloaders to at least participate in voting?

[3ee]

Anyone have any suggestions for increasing the numbers voting in future contests?

One free Uhbik Runciter or something for a lucky "foreign" voter that includes the best true feedback about the patches he or she is voting for.

Was thinking about free unique patches... but that might be a bit less interesting for most, sadly.

[hakey]

One free Uhbik Runciter or something for a lucky "foreign" voter that includes the best true feedback about the patches he or she is voting for.

Yeh, I think that's far too good a reward for very little effort.

Was thinking about free unique patches...

That's perhaps more appropriate. But where do the patches come from?

[3ee]

Yeh, I think that's far too good a reward for very little effort.

You said something about getting people to vote, right?
Uhbik-T than. .. or extra u-he jam points

Was thinking about free unique patches...

That's perhaps more appropriate. But where do the patches come from?

The free patches would come from us, I wouln't mind patching some extra good patches.
Besides, I usually patch more than 2 patches for one contest, I guess that most of us do....we can PM the download link to the extra patch bank to voters or something.

[IrionDaRonin]

Well i have an idea for Hakey. Maybe a bit difficult, but i like to help and open and wide up the options for persons.

You have a webpage, U-he, so i think you could host every month the patch contest there. I mean, of course you can promote your contest here in KVR with a link to your webpage, and the results.
Obviously, once done this, people must come here in KVR forum and post their votes (for the IP thing mostly and anti-cheater)

Well, in that little zone in your webpage that you are going to create, you will put mp3 demos about how sounds each patch in Mp3 file, for example, playing always a simple note in C5, another in C4 or a chord, etc...
This won't works if the sound is a kick for example, in this case you just show how sound the kick.

So you have a mp3 of a patchdemos.
Then, you vote for that mp3 file, and you have permission to download the h2p file.
Something like this sketch i made.



Sorry the crappy quality, haha. I extracted that idea from Google documents sheets, where we usually voting for the songs in KVROSC.
Or you can make a Rar with all the h2p files in it, and you can only download it when finish the votes.

All is about if you want to make it real or not.
I know, beginnings are hard and difficult.
But there you go if you want people voting for sure.

In another hand, maybe, even with this idea people won't vote at last. I dunno.
Also, maybe people just vote randomness to take their h2p files without making an effort. (But remember they must write down their votes here too, to confirm them)

Well, i just wanted to help, as usually.
I just have ideas, good or not

I will participate in this one for sure, with the Zebra Demo of course.

Well, have a good day.

[hakey]

Thanks for the suggestions Irion.

Unfortunately that's all a bit beyond my rank and level of competence.

Besides www.u-he.com is nothing to do with me, it's Urs' website!

And sometime in the (hopefully) not too distant future www.patchbender.com (Urs' site dedicated to synth sound design) will come on-line. I think that the idea is that the u-he patch contests will then migrate over there.

I don't know what form the contests there will take, but there's considerable scope for improvements over how things are done here - eg. automated patch collection and distribution, blind voting (voters don't see the vote tally before voting), perhaps even a dedicated forum area?

So for the time being I'm just looking for easy ways to maintain interest - both in numbers taking part and numbers voting.

[Funkfeuer]

two patches are out to bmrzycki via links in a PM, just as they are. i should not care about voting, 'cause i don't undertand how & on what is voted. anyway, fm-synthesis is fun.