Zebra and Wave Sequencing
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Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=96154
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 45 posts since 28 Jan, 2006
It has occured to me that Zebra may just be the perfect tool to try out some wave sequencing ideas that I have. I am looking for wave sequences that involve straight segments, much like PWM.
For example, morphing a saw into a square would be interesting but there are many other geometricaly progressive shapes that might provided some intersting results.
What I find fascinating about Zebra is how it modulates the wave sequence (nice move Urs, I don't think anyone has thought of that).
Question: Can Zebra modulate wavesequences above sub-audio (20 Hz) levels? I presume so. That might yeild some very interesting sidebands.
I am just beginning to realize the possiblities of Zebra. You can do things with Zebra that I don't think are possible with other synths.
I have lots of exploring to do.
John M.
For example, morphing a saw into a square would be interesting but there are many other geometricaly progressive shapes that might provided some intersting results.
What I find fascinating about Zebra is how it modulates the wave sequence (nice move Urs, I don't think anyone has thought of that).
Question: Can Zebra modulate wavesequences above sub-audio (20 Hz) levels? I presume so. That might yeild some very interesting sidebands.
I am just beginning to realize the possiblities of Zebra. You can do things with Zebra that I don't think are possible with other synths.
I have lots of exploring to do.
John M.
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- KVRian
- 980 posts since 25 Feb, 2003
Exactly what "how_to _modulate" do you refer to?Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com wrote:What I find fascinating about Zebra is how it modulates the wave sequence (nice move Urs, I don't think anyone has thought of that).
As far as I can see the principle is the same as on the PPG and Waldorf synths, no?
- u-he
- 28065 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
Nope. IIRC PPG synths make a hard switch between two waveforms at the beginning of a cycle. Waldorf synths can dynamically (dynamical = by volume, mix) fade between two adjacent waveforms in a table.meister eder wrote:Exactly what "how_to _modulate" do you refer to?Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com wrote:What I find fascinating about Zebra is how it modulates the wave sequence (nice move Urs, I don't think anyone has thought of that).
As far as I can see the principle is the same as on the PPG and Waldorf synths, no?
Zebra does dynamically fade between waveforms in the two "blend" modes.
But in the "morph" modes, the actual curves smoothly interpolate, yielding in much more expressive transitions than simple crossfades.
Example:
Code: Select all
Waveform 1:
__
|
|______
Waveform 2:
______
|
|__
Common Wavetable Synth at 50% between 1 & 2
__
|____
|__
Zebra:
____
|
|____
Yes, the modulation can go into audio rate, up to about 800Hz
The maximum rate is determined by that parameter called "Resolution". It's a control for the accuracy of the transitions. You'll have to set it to 8-9, which - no wonder - will put the oscillator in kinda cpu-hog mode.
A Resolution of 5-7 is typically sufficient to create *smooth* results. Resolutions between 3-5 are good for slow modulations. Resolutions below 3 can yield to LoFi, i.e. frequency modulations (Portamento, PitchBend) can create aliasing.
Cheers,
Urs
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Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=96154
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 45 posts since 28 Jan, 2006
Thanks Urs:
This could be very interesting. My CPU should also be able to handle it.
John M.
This could be very interesting. My CPU should also be able to handle it.
John M.
Urs wrote:Nope. IIRC PPG synths make a hard switch between two waveforms at the beginning of a cycle. Waldorf synths can dynamically (dynamical = by volume, mix) fade between two adjacent waveforms in a table.meister eder wrote:Exactly what "how_to _modulate" do you refer to?Lux_Seeker@yahoo.com wrote:What I find fascinating about Zebra is how it modulates the wave sequence (nice move Urs, I don't think anyone has thought of that).
As far as I can see the principle is the same as on the PPG and Waldorf synths, no?
Zebra does dynamically fade between waveforms in the two "blend" modes.
But in the "morph" modes, the actual curves smoothly interpolate, yielding in much more expressive transitions than simple crossfades.
Example:
Now, back to John's question:Code: Select all
Waveform 1: __ | |______ Waveform 2: ______ | |__ Common Wavetable Synth at 50% between 1 & 2 __ |____ |__ Zebra: ____ | |____
Yes, the modulation can go into audio rate, up to about 800Hz
The maximum rate is determined by that parameter called "Resolution". It's a control for the accuracy of the transitions. You'll have to set it to 8-9, which - no wonder - will put the oscillator in kinda cpu-hog mode.
A Resolution of 5-7 is typically sufficient to create *smooth* results. Resolutions between 3-5 are good for slow modulations. Resolutions below 3 can yield to LoFi, i.e. frequency modulations (Portamento, PitchBend) can create aliasing.
Cheers,
Urs
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- KVRian
- 980 posts since 25 Feb, 2003
Ah, ok. Thanks. That's a big difference.Urs wrote:Nope. IIRC PPG synths make a hard switch between two waveforms at the beginning of a cycle. Waldorf synths can dynamically (dynamical = by volume, mix) fade between two adjacent waveforms in a table.meister eder wrote:As far as I can see the principle is the same as on the PPG and Waldorf synths, no?
Zebra does dynamically fade between waveforms in the two "blend" modes.
But in the "morph" modes, the actual curves smoothly interpolate, yielding in much more expressive transitions than simple crossfades.
Although, when you leave empty slots between waveforms in a wavetable in Waldorf synths, they do also interpolate (not crossfade) between the waveforms.
- u-he
- 28065 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
Hmmm... I wouldn't be surprised if they mean crossfade when they say interpolate. Does this work with the PPG plugin? Might be worth looking at...meister eder wrote:Although, when you leave empty slots between waveforms in a wavetable in Waldorf synths, they do also interpolate (not crossfade) between the waveforms.
I've thought about interpolating two curves created from arbitrary points for almost 8 years (started back when I wrote 3D software). I think one either needs ai or some sort of fractal algorithms, so I decided that it's way over my head, if it's solvable at all.
You'd have to look out for areas of the waveform that "belong together", so you can move them around and adjust them in shape. I think that even such a (seemingly) simple thing as detecting and moving around two peaks is something that can't be done in realtime, if it can be done at all without human intervention:
Code: Select all
*->
*
******** waveform 1
<-**
*
******** intermediate result, peaks moving across each other
*
*
*
******** waveform 2
**
Cheers,
Urs
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- KVRian
- 980 posts since 25 Feb, 2003
Don't know about how the PPG plugin (or the original PPG) handles it, but on the Waldorf Wave when I create a custom wavetable in the Wavetable Edit mode (which is a seperate application within the Wave - running on its Motorola DSPs), the empty gaps between non adjacent waveforms will be filled with interpolated waveforms.
But: The waveforms in the Wave are always inverse symetric waveforms, which means real pulsewithmodulation like in your example is indeed not possible, and if I go half way between a squarewave and a pulswave (which in this case has one narrow peak in the left half and a twice mirrored peak in the right half), the "interpolated" waveforms look more like in your example.
Code: Select all
Waveform 1:
________
|
|
|
|________
50%:
__
|______
|
| ______
|__
Waveform 2:
__
|
|______ ______
|
|__
- u-he
- 28065 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
Yep! Same as mixing, crossfade, whatever one would call it.meister eder wrote:But then maybe moving each sample of one waveform on the Y axis towards each corresponding sample of the other waveform is crossfading, is it?
Urs
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- KVRian
- 980 posts since 25 Feb, 2003
Thanks for the lesson!