One Synth Challenge #113: The Scrooo by Full Bucket Music (Schiing Wins!)

[Eauson]

I think I will skip this one, I just can't get sounds I like out of this synth... and going through the preset verified that this synth just isn't for me. Good luck everyone, and see you next month.

No worry. I can't get the right sound too. But in the end I realized that this is the real fun. To shape the sound and make this sound inspire you to make track even if you don't like this sound. For me the design process in the end have huge impact on the track and composition. Let's see the percussions/drums made with scroo from everyone. This thing require different approach then one which I'm used to. Making noise is tricky here.

For noise try adding a non snyc LFO hi speed to one of the formants and adjust with an envelope

[TrojakEW]

Thanks for suggestion but ... here is my

I actually made noise without lfo with ring modulator on formant with range about 16, spread 100 and FM1 modulation with env and FM2 note. Then eq some freq out and blurring with reverb. Tricky part is not pure noise preset but combination of body and noise for resonant part of hit for percussion. So low hit are kind of muffled but high velocity hits are bright almost noisy. Lets se how it will end.

[doctorbob]

… I actually stole the idea from you

No problem . when you need *that* 60's echo sound, it does it very well indeed. To hell with these pure verbs/echos!

… The swell I had to turn down a lot, as it appeared to add a lot of noise, ...

True, but it's supposed to be like that. Also, the longer you run it, the noisier it gets - tape loops deteriorate, you get bumps from the pinchwheel etc - for our real machines we could buy made up tape loops, but we just spliced our own from whatever bits of tape we had lying around, not an exact science at all - the machines would eat loops at a rate - remember cassette tapes getting eaten by the machines??? . I will also use Ferric on the master to add that "less than clean" dynamics and saturation.

Did you turn it up to get the classic Copycat feedback???? watch your ears

dB

[Full Bucket]

I finally made the scrooo version 1.2.3 official (now for Mac tooo).

Cheers, Björn

[Eauson]

… I actually stole the idea from you

No problem . when you need *that* 60's echo sound, it does it very well indeed. To hell with these pure verbs/echos!

… The swell I had to turn down a lot, as it appeared to add a lot of noise, ...

True, but it's supposed to be like that. Also, the longer you run it, the noisier it gets - tape loops deteriorate, you get bumps from the pinchwheel etc - for our real machines we could buy made up tape loops, but we just spliced our own from whatever bits of tape we had lying around, not an exact science at all - the machines would eat loops at a rate - remember cassette tapes getting eaten by the machines??? . I will also use Ferric on the master to add that "less than clean" dynamics and saturation.

Did you turn it up to get the classic Copycat feedback???? watch your ears

dB

Didn't attempt the feedback, my speakers are a little brittle, so don't want to lose them I have a tape delay/echo, purchased for little monies €2, never been used , a Ryan echo REC-22, I'm planning on putting some bits and pieces through it, just not got my analog stuff setup, cheaper electricity with computer
Tapes chewing machines
I've still got tape in my van, as I buy a lot of cassettes for long journeys, just completed my Pink Floyd collection
Well back to the strings

[Eauson]

I finally made the scrooo version 1.2.3 official (now for Mac tooo).

Cheers, Björn

Many thanks Björn,
So many possibilities with Scrooo, just like blooo, once you realise what's going on, its like a vast ocean of sounds available

[mehum]

I'm basically done with my entry, just want to let it rest a few days, maybe take another pass at mixing and mastering.

Fun synth! Always fun to play with alternative synthesis. The possibilities are certainly way beyond what I came up with so excited to hear what the rest of you are doing with it!

Some additions I'd enjoy: Setting the oscillators to fixed frequency values. Some additional modulation routes (spread parameter comes to mind, perhaps additional AM for each formant). Noise source, if it would make any sense feeding it into the formants. Arrows on Osc FM should increment 1 instead of 5 (at least up to ~10). Option wether to retrig on portamento.

But as always; great work by Björn!

[doctorbob]

Thanks for the update Björn … if I move from 1.2.2 to 1.2.3 will I hear any/many changes in my sounds/presets?

Also, any clues how to get a really good "harpsichord" like sound???? Mine all seem to get mushy.

Should I run a Scroo for each note an EQ them separately, rather than a polyphonic instrument?

Any help most appreciated … Björn????

dB

[Full Bucket]

Thanks for the update Björn … if I move from 1.2.2 to 1.2.3 will I hear any/many changes in my sounds/presets?

Yes, the majority of the clicks should have gone!
For high "Spread" settings you may get a little lower signal amplitude but in most cases I guess you will not notice it.

Also, any clues how to get a really good "harpsichord" like sound???? Mine all seem to get mushy.

Will see what I can do later at the lab.

Should I run a Scroo for each note an EQ them separately, rather than a polyphonic instrument?

Of course this depends on the situation but I would use the scrooo as a true polyphonic instrument.

Just a quick note about the scrooo Formants: There are no filters involved! Instead the waveforms are calculated "on the fly", and since with v1.2.3 the internal DC blocker has gone too, the scrooo now really is a synthesizer without any filters.

Cheers, Björn

[doctorbob]

… Yes, the majority of the clicks should have gone!
For high "Spread" settings you may get a little lower signal amplitude but in most cases I guess you will not notice it.

Thanks for this - I'll upgrade then.
Re: Harpsichord …

Will see what I can do later at the lab

Many thanks for looking at this. Appreciated.
Re: poly vs mono …

Of course this depends on the situation but I would use the scrooo as a true polyphonic instrument.

True … I have used mono for melody voices so I can have a set of different sounding "singers"

Just a quick note about the scrooo Formants: There are no filters involved! Instead the waveforms are calculated "on the fly", and since with v1.2.3 the internal DC blocker has gone too, the scrooo now really is a synthesizer without any filters.

Yeah, truly a different beast, and quite surprsing when you push it ...

Cheers,

dB

[mehum]

Also, any clues how to get a really good "harpsichord" like sound???? Mine all seem to get mushy.
dB

Ok, I gave this a shot since I started thinking about it
Perhaps not "really good", but at least in the ball park... Gets a pretty "farty" on single lower notes, but works decent on chords.

(btw, why are fxp-files still not allowed at KVR...? )

[doctorbob]

@mehum - thanks, pretty much where I got - I might lean towards "toy piano" which they used or maybe simply a Rhodes like sound (might be easier!?)

This synth poses interesting challenges - but does make nice sounds, but you do have to be careful with clipping - just got to watch those various volume sliders!!!!!!!

Got a lovely farty bass - reminds me of the "olden days" when no-one I knew could really afford a good bass, let alone an even reasonable bass rig. Thinking mid-1960's ...

dB

[OllyAudio]

The soundtrack is standard reaper plugins. Also I used the TAL reverb and the equalizer from the company "DDMF". Dynamics - compressor and limiter eaReckon.
https://soundcloud.com/user-484756306/ode

[OllyAudio]

A specific and interesting synthesizer. I think that the sound designer should own this type of synthesis.

[TheNeverScene]

Love those metallic clinks and clanks you got going on there Olly.

A cool synth, but still trying to wrap my brain around it. All I've got so far......

https://soundcloud.com/the-never-scene/ ... scroo-test