KVR Audio

thetechnobear · Post by **thetechnobear** » Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:28 pm

Softube modular is a pretty complex beast, it would be great to discuss with fellow users some tips and tricks, and ideas for patching the various modules, also perhaps best practices you use?

no tips too simple, as I guess for some this will be their first modular experience.

note: there is an existing thread to discuss here to discuss issues, installation, feature requests, likes/dislikes etc, lets keep this to patching.

suggested resources:
(I can update this list, with any suggestions)
- Muffwiggler - search for the real hardware modules, techniques often apply to softube version.

thetechnobear · Post by **thetechnobear** » Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:52 pm

Patching for MPE controllers e.g. Eigenharp,Continuum, Soundplane, Roli, Linnstrument

Ok, so softube modular does not support MPE (yet?), but here is how Ive been using it.
(Ive used Live, but same principles work in other DAWs)

Controller:
you cannot use MPE, as it uses CC74... but all the above controller support VPC midi, which you should use instead. set it to use VPC, then X=PB, CC1 = Y and channel pressure = Z.
(the alternative is to use a midi fx to convert CC74 into CC1 on each track then MPE mode can be used)

Multiple Voices:
the main approach I use, is to use multiple instance of SM, one for each voice, on separate tracks, all loaded with the same preset. (its kind of the 'normal' way to handle non VPC plugins)
In Live this is easy, create one track, filter the input to midi channel 1 (2 if you use MPE), add SM and then create your patch. (see below for tips on this) , only one voice. once this is done, duplicate the track N times for N voices, and change in Live the midi filter to track 1 to N, and arm all tracks.
tips:
you can also group the tracks,which makes it easier to set levels, and sends...
I try to get the patch as close as possible before duplicating, as once you have duplicated, you will need to go to each voice track, and update to the saved preset.

I use this approach as then the patch is identical on all tracks, rather than having to filter it differently in SM in the midi module, also as separate tracks you DAW will put on separate threads so helps performance.

Voice patch:
- I use the single midi to cv module, and leave it set to omni.
- Pitch (X) : I pass the Note and PB to a CV mixer module, for the PB inlet I scale it to x4. I then take the CV mix output to my oscillators/filters.
(the reason I do this, is it gives me one pitch. The PB from the midicv module is 0-1v with v/oct this means 12 semis, and by default for MPE we want 48 semis, hence the scaling)
- Pressure (Z), rather than use an ADSR, I often patch this directly into the vca (dvca), so pressure is the envelope
- Timbre (Y), often I'm running this through an VCA (to attenuate) and possibly a offset. basically so I get timbre = scaling*Y+offset. CC 1 is also 0-1v, so if you want to increase the range, you can use a CV mix module, to make it 0-5v.
Note: often we don't need to use an attenuator on Y, as the module already has this on the input. (e.g. intellijel modules)

only other 'obvious' thing I do, is always put a audio mixer in at the end of the chain, before the final output, as I'm bound to add multiple audio chains so need to mix them, saves me rewiring later... its obvious, but I kept forgetting this initially

Is all this worth it? oh, yes ... even simple patches sound really sweet and really expressive with individual voice timbre changes.

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:21 am

thetechnobear wrote: Multiple Voices:
the main approach I use, is to use multiple instance of SM, one for each voice, on separate tracks, all loaded with the same preset. (its kind of the 'normal' way to handle non VPC plugins)
In Live this is easy, create one track, filter the input to midi channel 1 (2 if you use MPE), add SM and then create your patch. (see below for tips on this) , only one voice. once this is done, duplicate the track N times for N voices, and change in Live the midi filter to track 1 to N, and arm all tracks.
tips:
you can also group the tracks,which makes it easier to set levels, and sends...
I try to get the patch as close as possible before duplicating, as once you have duplicated, you will need to go to each voice track, and update to the saved preset.

I use this approach as then the patch is identical on all tracks, rather than having to filter it differently in SM in the midi module, also as separate tracks you DAW will put on separate threads so helps performance.

Thx for the Tip! But Today I wanted to create a 3 OSC Poly Patch with just one ADSR in Modular? Is this possible or do we have to use 3 different ADSR for a Poly Patch?

risome · Post by **risome** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 12:43 am

Sum your 3 oscillators to a mixer ..output of mixer to filter then vca ...control vca and filter with 2 env

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:26 am

risome wrote:Sum your 3 oscillators to a mixer ..output of mixer to filter then vca ...control vca and filter with 2 env

Its still a "mono" patch with just 3 OSC sounding together. I can not play accords :/

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:20 am

Novaliz wrote:
risome wrote:Sum your 3 oscillators to a mixer ..output of mixer to filter then vca ...control vca and filter with 2 env
Its still a "mono" patch with just 3 OSC sounding together. I can not play accords :/

Correct. For full polyphony, you're going to need at minimum a vco/env/vca per voice. You'll probably want an additional env/vcf per voice as well.

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:53 pm

Ok, thank you! I thought I can create a full polyphony patch using for example a mixer or logic module

I am a beginner when it comes to real modular synthesis. Because in vsts you have full polyphony using just one amp adsr envelope

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:28 pm

I have another question: How is it possible to trigger the sequencer in Modular with the keyboard. All the seq
presets work only when Live plays at the background. I know how to trigger the sequencer in Modular V but I cant figure it out how to do it in Modular.

thetechnobear · Post by **thetechnobear** » Tue Jun 21, 2016 3:30 pm

Novaliz wrote:I have another question: How is it possible to trigger the sequencer in Modular with the keyboard. All the seq
presets work only when Live plays at the background. I know how to trigger the sequencer in Modular V but I cant figure it out how to do it in Modular.

Im a little unclear of what you mean here...so I'll answer 2 questions

a) The clock does not run without the transport running
True, the DAW sync covers both the tempo from the DAW and also he transport state.
if you want the sequencer to run independent of the transport, you can use a LFO using the square outlet into clock in of the sequencer. (limitation: its now not linked to tempo)
(more generally a sequencer can be 'driven' by any transition on the clock input , e.g. if you send midi to cv gate there, then it will advance the sequencer on every note played)

b) you want the sequence to run, only when a key is pressed.
so this would be like an arpeggiator.
you can do this by running the sequencer outlet into a logic module (A) and the gate from the CV to midi into the same module (B) and then use the AND outlet into the ADSR inlet.
(you may also want to reset the sequencer/lfo with the gate, if you want it to reset on note-on)

not sure if this is what you were after... but hopefully will at least provide some ideas.

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:27 pm

thetechnobear wrote:
Novaliz wrote:I have another question: How is it possible to trigger the sequencer in Modular with the keyboard. All the seq
presets work only when Live plays at the background. I know how to trigger the sequencer in Modular V but I cant figure it out how to do it in Modular.
Im a little unclear of what you mean here...so I'll answer 2 questions

a) The clock does not run without the transport running
True, the DAW sync covers both the tempo from the DAW and also he transport state.
if you want the sequencer to run independent of the transport, you can use a LFO using the square outlet into clock in of the sequencer. (limitation: its now not linked to tempo)
(more generally a sequencer can be 'driven' by any transition on the clock input , e.g. if you send midi to cv gate there, then it will advance the sequencer on every note played)

b) you want the sequence to run, only when a key is pressed.
so this would be like an arpeggiator.
you can do this by running the sequencer outlet into a logic module (A) and the gate from the CV to midi into the same module (B) and then use the AND outlet into the ADSR inlet.
(you may also want to reset the sequencer/lfo with the gate, if you want it to reset on note-on)

not sure if this is what you were after... but hopefully will at least provide some ideas.

Thank you!

I think b) is what I am aiming for. I want to play a key and while pressing the key I want to trigger the sequencer to start a pattern. Modular has presets which exactly do this BUT I have to press play in my DAW. If Live is not running in the background the patch is not working. In Modular V or ARP 2600 V I can cable the synth to trigger the seq without running my DAW in the background.

With your short description I am not able to achieve it. I add a screenshot. Maybe you can explain it more detailed with it?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vxjzjl46ctak7cj/seq2.PNG?dl=0

thetechnobear · Post by **thetechnobear** » Wed Jun 22, 2016 10:38 pm

sorry, but your image shows no patch cables, so doesnt really show me what your trying to do.

if you want it to be independent of the daw transport, currently you must you use an LFO,
as the clock runs only when the transport is running... perhaps softube can change this for the future, since it also has a 'run' outlet.

anyway, this is an arp using an lfo... (substitute the lfo with the midi sync if you want it tempo sync'd, but then it will only run with transport, as above)

note: using gate or trig out from the sequencer, is dependent on if you want the env to retrig on each seq step or not.

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Thu Jun 23, 2016 2:39 am

That was really helpful! Thank you!

I didnt show the cables because I didnt know if you have Modular and wanted to show you the modules. Thought it would be easier for you to explain

thetechnobear · Post by **thetechnobear** » Thu Jun 23, 2016 7:14 am

cool
just a small note, in my haste putting this together, I forgot to set the CV2 dial on the A110 to 10... this is required since we do not want to attenuate the quantised voltage from the sequencer, otherwise it'll be out of tune

Novaliz · Post by **Novaliz** » Thu Jun 23, 2016 2:17 pm

Yes, there was also another small mistake. You have to put the "saw" output from the A-110 into the "CV in" input from the A 132-3 and the gate output from the A-140 into the "in" input of the A 132-3

ImNotDedYet · Post by **ImNotDedYet** » Thu Jun 23, 2016 3:24 pm

Novaliz wrote:[
Thx for the Tip! But Today I wanted to create a 3 OSC Poly Patch with just one ADSR in Modular? Is this possible or do we have to use 3 different ADSR for a Poly Patch?

Take the output of your ADSR into a multiple. You can use the outputs of the multiple to go into the CV ins of either the 3 different oscillators, filters, etc. That's if you want one envelope to control those things. Typically in a polyphonic setup, there's 1 osc, one env, one filter per voice.

Softube Modular : Patching tips