I love the sound of GMedia softsynths (impOSCar, Minimonsta). With only 2 detuned oscillators, it never gets periodic, the sound seems to breath life and doesn't get repetitive. This is something I haven't found in other softsynths I've tried (even with ones touted as very analog sounding like VAZ).
Is there an easy way to achieve this with Zebra?
PS: Do VCO-based real analog synths actually behave like this?
More organic oscillators
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1627 posts since 3 Oct, 2001 from Thailand
Well, so how -- without the help of a random LFO?pdxindy wrote:Zebrapoonna wrote:For example?
Not sure I have described the sound well enough, but that's not what I get from Zebra... Doesn't mean it doesn't sound good, though.
Peace, my friends. I'm not seeking arguments here. 
-
- KVRAF
- 4229 posts since 9 Apr, 2003 from Right here, in front of my computer...
I'm also a big impOSCar fan, and I also thought it's oscillators were fab. I'ev just tried a test on both impOSCar and Zebra, filters fully open (or not connected), with raw sawtooth waves on both impOSCar oscillators, and a saw wave oscillator in Zebra in dual mode, and the results are very similar.
The tone is not the same, as Zebra's sawtooth is slightly concave, whereas impOSCar's is more typical, but they both behave very similarly when tuned together and detuned, and bot have cycles as the frequencies beat against each other.
In Zebra, make sure the "Reset" switch on each oscillator is set to off - when turned on, each note is phase reset and this sounds fairly flat and lifeless (but is useful nonetheless). When turned off, the oscillators have free running phases, which gives a more "natural" sound.
The tone is not the same, as Zebra's sawtooth is slightly concave, whereas impOSCar's is more typical, but they both behave very similarly when tuned together and detuned, and bot have cycles as the frequencies beat against each other.
In Zebra, make sure the "Reset" switch on each oscillator is set to off - when turned on, each note is phase reset and this sounds fairly flat and lifeless (but is useful nonetheless). When turned off, the oscillators have free running phases, which gives a more "natural" sound.
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1627 posts since 3 Oct, 2001 from Thailand
Well, sorry everyone. I take my comments back. 
I wasn't careful enough to reset every parameter (although I tried to) when testing it. So in fact there's not much difference.
Never having a chance with real analog VCO's, I've always wondered what it would sound like. Is it also strictly periodic like this? I don't know if it's worth spending money for a real analog just to find out...
I wasn't careful enough to reset every parameter (although I tried to) when testing it. So in fact there's not much difference.
Never having a chance with real analog VCO's, I've always wondered what it would sound like. Is it also strictly periodic like this? I don't know if it's worth spending money for a real analog just to find out...
Peace, my friends. I'm not seeking arguments here.
-
- KVRist
- 71 posts since 12 Sep, 2006
One thing I like to do when designing my patches is a combination of the above, but then setting detune to modulate with a random LFO (as above).
This has to be done very subtly or your instrument doesn't end up sounding 'solid', but if you set it very gently (hold down shift!), even if you can't hear it right away, this technique really adds polish.
It's the difference of maybe 'starting to get tired' of a particular timbre toward the end of the song and thinking the instrument 'still sounds nice' by the end. It's very subliminal but very effective -- in already phat sounds and "static" patches alike.
This has to be done very subtly or your instrument doesn't end up sounding 'solid', but if you set it very gently (hold down shift!), even if you can't hear it right away, this technique really adds polish.
It's the difference of maybe 'starting to get tired' of a particular timbre toward the end of the song and thinking the instrument 'still sounds nice' by the end. It's very subliminal but very effective -- in already phat sounds and "static" patches alike.