SQ80 emulating VSTi available

[brok landers]

Hm it seems like that (for example) the filter cutoff can't be automated by the host?

Wrong again!

What makes you say that?


Download (for example) this bank: 'C_S_Bank-02'

http://rekkerd.org/patches/plug-in/sq8lsq8x/

and find the patch called 'Mod-Wheely' - it modulates the filter
cutoff - now tweak your modwheel et voila! By now you should
be getting the picture...

though this is right, he rather meant to record the cutoff-movement from the gui directly, which is an entirely different thing, as the resolution of a vsti automation is way higher than with the modwheel, where the resolution is 0-127 max ...
however, i often prefer the controller method myself, as the play-performance is making the sound comeing alive often ... also, midi automation has more benefits, such as moving just a midipart/region/item wherever you want, remap the contoller and beeing able to easily use he same automation curve on whatever parameter on whatever trackparameter/synthparameter you want ...
depends on the host of course, but on cubase or logic (and some others), that way of controlling/handling automated parameters is way more intuitive than with a conventional track-based automation ...

[Pepsito]

Wrong again!

What makes you say that?

...

and find the patch called 'Mod-Wheely' - it modulates the filter
cutoff - now tweak your modwheel et voila! By now you should
be getting the picture...

I don't want to use a Mod-Wheel.

And you CAN'T automate the filter and you CAN'T record filter envelopes live.

For example FL Studio 8 don't detect any tweaked parameter on SQ8L:



This is not a FL Studio bug... the feature on SQ8L is just missing.

[codec_spurt]

Sorry then, I misunderstood you.

Maybe someone familiar with floops can help you.



cheers.

[datapark]

This is not a FL Studio bug... the feature on SQ8L is just missing.

Just like the ESQ-1 and SQ-80

The character of which this synth is trying to recreate.


I have an ESQ-1 with me, and so far a patch created on my ESQ-1 sounds perfect on the SQ8L.

I hope the dev doesn't destroy the wonder of this synth by catering too much to feature requests and options that really would take it from a great emulation, to just another digital soft synth.

(ie : all the complaints about changing the GUI. Personally, I prefered the previous GUI over the current version)

[blatanville]

One slight problem though:
Roughly half of the sounds only come out of one side
of the stereo field, and very often distorted.

Most of the banks I have checked are not working properly
and if you want to check out what I mean, try tomg's
first soundbank in the collection. (some lovely bass sounds
there tomg, btw).

I have tested this in energyXT2 and Ableton 6.
Exactly same problem. Weird.

This problem does NOT occur at all with the included Factory
sounds, or obviously my new soundbanks which were made with
the latest version...

I suspect your "only comes out of one side" issue is due to a (possibly unique to Ensoniq?) feature where the full-scale keyboard is panned through the stereo field, so your "left-hand" keys are coming only out of the left to left-center position, the "right-hand" keys are coming only out of the right to right-center position, and the keys in between are spread across the field.
Patch 00 of the AIX97011.8XL bank is a piano simulation, which spreads the keys across the stereo field, simulating a stereo recording of a piano.

Also, the SQ8L does seem to run a bit hot on the output side, and when your notes are panned in this way, they can distort the channel. Pull down the final level, or cap the instrument with a nice compressor.

HTH,

bud

[blatanville]

bank: AIX97011.8XL
patch: 29 "Mini M" (three guesses what it stands for, the first two don't count)

OMFG!!:-o : this patch will saw through your skull, gouge out the soft parts, and leave you grinning like an idiot.

[maxmace]

RE some patches hard panned left or right:
This is on a per-patch basis. The SQ8L seems to have a wider stereo sound field than the hardware version. I accused Siegfried of doing some psychoacoustic processing, but he swears it isn't so.
The upshot is that the VST sounds )))really wide(((.
So pan your own sounds closer to the center if you don't want them coming from the extreme edges of the sound field. Its under the DCA 4 button, and a value of "0" is dead center. If a LFO or KYBD is modding DCA4, try reducing its value to center the patch more. Or give the MOD source a negative value to -REVERSE- the current pan settings in the stereo field.

I believe the hardware version had a pan setting between 0-15, where 7-8 was roughly center. Sigi maps 7-8 to "zero" on the VST and splits the difference between +-63.
--M.

[audiojunkie]

One slight problem though:
Roughly half of the sounds only come out of one side
of the stereo field, and very often distorted.

Most of the banks I have checked are not working properly
and if you want to check out what I mean, try tomg's
first soundbank in the collection. (some lovely bass sounds
there tomg, btw).

I have tested this in energyXT2 and Ableton 6.
Exactly same problem. Weird.

This problem does NOT occur at all with the included Factory
sounds, or obviously my new soundbanks which were made with
the latest version...

I suspect your "only comes out of one side" issue is due to a (possibly unique to Ensoniq?) feature where the full-scale keyboard is panned through the stereo field, so your "left-hand" keys are coming only out of the left to left-center position, the "right-hand" keys are coming only out of the right to right-center position, and the keys in between are spread across the field.
Patch 00 of the AIX97011.8XL bank is a piano simulation, which spreads the keys across the stereo field, simulating a stereo recording of a piano.

Also, the SQ8L does seem to run a bit hot on the output side, and when your notes are panned in this way, they can distort the channel. Pull down the final level, or cap the instrument with a nice compressor.

HTH,

bud

Actually, I experienced something strange like this too. I was getting more sound out of one side than the other (right after installing, and while trying for the first time). I noticed that my audio was panned to like -16 or something like that. I set it to zero on the patch I was playing with, and the problem went away entirely. All patches seem to be fine now. I can't explain it.

--Sean

P.S. This happened to me with the most recent version. I don't experience the problem anymore.

[P.T.]

RE some patches hard panned left or right:
This is on a per-patch basis. The SQ8L seems to have a wider stereo sound field than the hardware version. I accused Siegfried of doing some psychoacoustic processing, but he swears it isn't so.
The upshot is that the VST sounds )))really wide(((.
So pan your own sounds closer to the center if you don't want them coming from the extreme edges of the sound field. Its under the DCA 4 button, and a value of "0" is dead center. If a LFO or KYBD is modding DCA4, try reducing its value to center the patch more. Or give the MOD source a negative value to -REVERSE- the current pan settings in the stereo field.

I believe the hardware version had a pan setting between 0-15, where 7-8 was roughly center. Sigi maps 7-8 to "zero" on the VST and splits the difference between +-63.
--M.

Wide is good!

You can always narrow it with something like Monomaker.

It's much harder to widen a narrow sound effectively.

[P.T.]

Possibly an emulation can be TOO accurate.

I'm not accusing SQL8, it's a great synth.

Why limit us to 80's technology, like a small hardware syth GUI when we now work on large computer screens?

Would a classic synths problems be a good thing to include in an emulation?

I just ask on general principles.

[P.T.]

I just started reading the manual.
It's quit good and an enjoyable read.

[dirty oscillators]

I don't want to use a Mod-Wheel.

And you CAN'T automate the filter and you CAN'T record filter envelopes live.

the feature on SQ8L is just missing.

yeah, and it's FREE so please stop your complaining.

the SQ-8L is one of my favorite plug ins, so to the DEV - keep doing what you're doing and please keep this software faithful to the original machine.

[blatanville]

Possibly an emulation can be TOO accurate.
...
Would a classic synths problems be a good thing to include in an emulation?

I just ask on general principles.

the dev seems to have taken great pains to include "problems" with the sound of the SQ80 in his plugin...there's an "emulation" menu that specifically lets you turn the "flaws" on and off to either make it sound like the real thing, or to make it sound as good as a more modern synth can.

you can admire that kind of fidelity, really.

edit: and aren't the "flaws" of analog devices (to pick one) something people have been trying to "capture" with modelling and convolution for years now?

[blatanville]

I believe the hardware version had a pan setting between 0-15, where 7-8 was roughly center. Sigi maps 7-8 to "zero" on the VST and splits the difference between +-63.
--M.

this is an area where I'm glad the dev has "improved" upon the original synth.
To my ears, a 16-position pan range could never properly "center" a sound (I used an Ensoniq EPS for years, it had the same limitation): you've got 8 positions left of center, and 8 positions right of center, but no dead-center position.

[blatanville]

This is not a FL Studio bug... the feature on SQ8L is just missing.

Just like the ESQ-1 and SQ-80
The character of which this synth is trying to recreate.
I have an ESQ-1 with me, and so far a patch created on my ESQ-1 sounds perfect on the SQ8L.
I hope the dev doesn't destroy the wonder of this synth by catering too much to feature requests and options that really would take it from a great emulation, to just another digital soft synth.
(ie : all the complaints about changing the GUI. Personally, I prefered the previous GUI over the current version)

Pepsito isn't asking for sonic changes to the SQ8L - he's asking for some basic VST 2.4 functionality that, if the dev hopes to take this commercial, really NEED to be part of the package.

Currently, looking at the exposed options via REAPER, the SQ8L offers only the ability to bypass the plugin. This is missing a huge opportunity for control of the synth, and it's something people -- rightly -- have come to expect of their VST/is.

yeah, and it's FREE so please stop your complaining.

the SQ-8L is one of my favorite plug ins, so to the DEV - keep doing what you're doing and please keep this software faithful to the original machine.

YES, it's free, but the dev is offering these "betas" to get feedback about the use and usefulness of the plugin, in addition to affirmation of it's sonic fidelity to the original. He's using our input to refine and improve the product.
More comment, not less, is what's needed.

However, it will be up to the dev to decide what fits his vision, and what to ignore...
I wish him luck and wisdom in deciding.