One Synth Challenge #110: JuceOPLVSTi by Bruce Sutherland (Taron Wins!)

[Local Man]

... but i don't want to miss it!

... so what do you think about changing the "effect"-rules only for this competition. It might makes sense ... and may be it makes more sense if there are more people who want to change it ....

The whole idea behind the OSC is a challenge where you should miss your wellknown tools...
Especially tools like that would change the character of the one synth into something else. I prefer we stick to the rules, for my taste they are even too loose already...

See for me I agree with you in spirit but I think the commercial vs non commercial thing is a non issue. I think the guiding principle should be not changing the character of the sound too dramatically regardless of what tool you choose to use. You could break that rule just as easily with stock plugins I feel. I guess I just don't think the gap between stock/free and commercial is that wide. Where I think it becomes unfair is the difference from DAW to DAW.
Overall I think the processing should be minimal and not obvious. I couldn't care less how much people paid for the plugins they use. And this is coming from some one who has very few commercial plugins (I don't think I've ever paid more than $49 for a plugin in my life). Most of the commercial plugins I have I got when they were free for some small period of time.

[bryemye]

I guess I just don't think the gap between stock/free and commercial is that wide. Where I think it becomes unfair is the difference from DAW to DAW.
Overall I think the processing should be minimal and not obvious. I couldn't care less how much people paid for the plugins they use. And this is coming from some one who has very few commercial plugins (I don't think I've ever paid more than $49 for a plugin in my life). Most of the commercial plugins I have I got when they were free for some small period of time.

This is self-contradictory to the point I don't feel the need to elucidate. I vote to stick with the rules.

[Local Man]

I guess I just don't think the gap between stock/free and commercial is that wide. Where I think it becomes unfair is the difference from DAW to DAW.
Overall I think the processing should be minimal and not obvious. I couldn't care less how much people paid for the plugins they use. And this is coming from some one who has very few commercial plugins (I don't think I've ever paid more than $49 for a plugin in my life). Most of the commercial plugins I have I got when they were free for some small period of time.

This is self-contradictory to the point I don't feel the need to elucidate. I vote to stick with the rules.

I see what you mean by that because the DAW to DAW comparison seems to contradict my general point, but I didn't quite mean it that way. When I talk about DAW to DAW being an unfair comparison I'm talking more about quantity than quality. Logic for example has an extensive suite of effects where a more basic DAW might not have as much variety. Ultimately it doesn't really matter and I shouldn't have even made the point because anyone can download as many 3rd party free plugins as they'd like.
My ultimate point is that a skilled user can get as much traction with a stock or free compressor as they can with a $200 compressor for the purposes of this contest (ie you shouldn't really be hearing the effects much anyway).
To be honest though I don't feel that strongly one way or the other so I should probably let those who care more drive the conversation.

[Taron]

Oh boy, do I like this thing!
...finally, a really, really simple "tone generator", I'd almost call it. There's very little room to do flashy stuff with effects and a tight focus on music, I think. I'm doodling around with it already and have a real blast. The drums aren't half bad and one can get fairly pretty sounds all around with a bit of careful EQ filtering. I don't intend to go "native grungy" with it, but will try to use its character at any decent opportunity.

No idea why, really, but this thing makes me happy.

[TrojakEW]

Hi there Taron. Too bad you missed #109.

Oh boy, do I like this thing!
...finally, a really, really simple "tone generator", I'd almost call it. There's very little room to do flashy stuff with effects and a tight focus on music, I think. I'm doodling around with it already and have a real blast. The drums aren't half bad and one can get fairly pretty sounds all around with a bit of careful EQ filtering. I don't intend to go "native grungy" with it, but will try to use its character at any decent opportunity.

No idea why, really, but this thing makes me happy.

I do love limited stuff like noisetar was (for example). Lets see what we can do in this round. Only limit as always is operator . This one should be really interesting. And no heavy music composition from me again .

[marks-a-whybikky]

Good morning, in last competitions there were the same discussion about the rules …. poor bjporter!
So he will decide and we have to accept it!

LocalMan wrote: Where I think it becomes unfair is the difference from DAW to DAW.
i see it the same way. For example the reverbs in Logic 9 and in StudioOne. In logic you can load IR-Sampels in SpaceDesigner from the legendary Briscati M7 and only in the version 3 of StudioOne there is a possibility to do this. (the IR-samples are free). I don’t know how it is in Ableton or Ardour.

… and what about gating a reverb? If you send a chord to a long reverb (>10sec. 100%wet) and put MTremolo as a rhythmic gate behind it: it becomes a rhythmic brushy thing for the background. The character of the synth (chord) isn’t touched, because you have a dry signal …..

To be consequent with the rules we only have to use free 3rd-party-plugins (eq, compressor, no reverb, no delay, no chorus, no phaser, no tremolo etc …). No DAW-plugins are allowed!
May be it will keep the character of the Synth …

sorry for my poor english. i hope you understand me and i never want to be unfriendly.

[rghvdberg]

hacked the code ..
https://soundcloud.com/rghvdberg/juceopl-pitch

[zarf]

@rghvdberg

Genius

Do you do windows builds?

[rghvdberg]

working at my first try at cross compiling
and failing

Code: Select all

==== Building juced ====
juced.cpp
../source/juced.cpp:1:0: warning: -fPIC ignored for target (all code is position independent)
 /*
 ^
In file included from ../source/juced.cpp:61:0:
../source/audio/osc/jucetice_OpenSoundBundle.cpp:36:24: fatal error: netinet/in.h: Bestand of map bestaat niet

[Tj Shredder]

… and what about gating a reverb? If you send a chord to a long reverb (>10sec. 100%wet) and put MTremolo as a rhythmic gate behind it: it becomes a rhythmic brushy thing for the background. The character of the synth (chord) isn’t touched, because you have a dry signal …..

To be consequent with the rules we only have to use free 3rd-party-plugins (eq, compressor, no reverb, no delay, no chorus, no phaser, no tremolo etc …). No DAW-plugins are allowed!
May be it will keep the character of the Synth …

sorry for my poor english. i hope you understand me and i never want to be unfriendly.

What you describe with gating a reverb and putting a tremolo behind is already sound design outside of the synth.
I would just allow anything a mastering engineer would apply, a simple reverb, that means a natural sounding space and anything which could be done by automation as well (arpeggios for example or any midi mangling)
That is exactly what is layed out in the rules...
Any DAW does deliver comparable quality in that area.
When watching the wonderful tutorials of mmghost for is OSC 93 entry, I thought he already moved a crucial part of the sound design to Logic, it wasn't anymore one synth. I also thought, that much of the compressor trickery could as well be achieved with just the envelopes of the synth and some fancy velocity mapping...
The work was still well worth to let him win!
Bending the rules has its own tradition, but you pull out the challenge if you would allow more than what is in the rules.
For my last entry I used zero sound changing plugs of the DAW, not even an eq. If I would have tweaked it on that level it would not have changed my improvisation, I bet it would not change any point of any voter...

[Taron]

Before some people get their panties in a twist over unfair DAW powers of expensive pro gear like logic. I'm using MuLab...it's dirt cheap, it has no convolution reverb (sadly) and I hardly do wicked effect stuff. Yet, I've won this competition numerous times and generally find my tracks in the top 5. So...you think this is a DAW advantage?!
We all have our insecurities, but design rules from a position of inner strength, rather than because of weak moments!

As always, I want to have fun here. I want us all to just enjoy making music and being clever with a synth. My advice is: Relax and enjoy what YOU do! I think, then you can eventually also just enjoy what others do, if it was enjoyable.

[574X]

"I thought I must be imagining it and it seemed to go away."

This is a handy life technique, as well.

I'm happy that Taron is happy. If these Taronian OSC conditions hold up, we're in for a real treat! Also, the competitive among us should probably be cowering in fear!

"Before some people get their panties in a twist..."

gasps and untwists rapidly

For people who want to use commercial effects etc, you are completely free to do that right now - on your own. However, this is the One Synth Challenge - where you use the synth that is provided, and minimal, free processing tools to achieve the most inspiring thing you can to this amazing community.

It's much easier to achieve a detuned, spread synth tone with a professional synth made for it, and that the audience who wants to hear most of the pop edm styles which rely upon that is enormous. - You may find it more rewarding to build a pop following for that type of production, than submitting it here. This is especially true for people with a well defined style, which can also be the mark of experience in the industry.

Modulating the harshness of some reverbs like ReaVerbate to make "a rhythmic brushy thing" is pretty obviously bad. It reminds me of bjporter's post of an example of what's clearly beyond the scope of what we're doing here, demonstrating the impressive feat of turning a noise hat into the sound of a strumming guitar!
https://soundcloud.com/bjporter/guitar- ... ing-pong-3

The lap of luxury when it comes to music production (such as using Mac OS, Live, Ozone, Waves, and Vengence in a first world country, in a pristine household and an abundance of food and beauty around you) is the fast and easy way to learn and have success, but some OSCers make the case that it can be done with any old laptop, some reference monitor headphones, anywhere with an internet connection to get a 9mb copy of Reaper or Tracktion and a free synth. You also create something much more unique and personal. That’s liberating.

[Taron]

By the way, I haven't tried it, yet, but thought about it yesterday: You can use pitch bend to create a chorus like effect with this synth! Just have two or more instances and pitch bend them to your liking against each other. Should sound pretty full.

[zarf]

Yeah, I tried that Taron and sounds decent. Also can craft that pitch envelope while you are there for more movement if desired.

[Taron]

Thus far I've only played (playing solos) with the pitch bend. With half a note there are only subtleties possible for envelopes anyway.
You most certainly won't be able to do the typical 909 kick, but 808 is quite possible, actually and sounds pretty sweet- or whatever one might want to call my kick. I like it.