u-he

hakey · Post by **hakey** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:31 pm

Urs wrote:Oh... this is what it looks like now:

Not too bad for an alpha, huh?

Drool!

Our of interest how much of Zebra is in this beast? Have you used tweaked versions of Zebra oscillators, filters etc. or is this a new build from the foundation up? There's things I see that don't seem to have a counterpart in Zebra - Fractal Resonance, LP18, Lag Generators, Rectifier, Inverter etc

Is the oscilloscope realtime? And does it show the output signal only, or can it be used to inspect other parts of the signal path?

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:47 pm

hakey wrote:Our of interest how much of Zebra is in this beast? Have you used tweaked versions of Zebra oscillators, filters etc. or is this a new build from the foundation up? There's things I see that don't seem to have a counterpart in Zebra - Fractal Resonance, LP18, Lag Generators, Rectifier, Inverter etc

Is the oscilloscope realtime? And does it show the output signal only, or can it be used to inspect other parts of the signal path?

Loads of questions...

The oscillators are built new from ground up. And so are the envelopes. The LFOs are borrowed from Filterscape but tweaked for higher sample rates.

The sequencer is built from scratch. It borrows the idea from Filterscape's Snapshot EQ where you can smoothly cycle through 8 settings using the snapshot dial.

The filters are tweaked version sof the LP Vintage2 in Zebra. The difference is audible though, and it's boosted for audio rate modulation (cutoff *and* resonance). You'll also notice that there's a bandpass and a highpass output as well as all the 4 poles. In theory you can thus build all the filter modes that a Matrix 12 has, and then some.

The modifers on the right hand side are all new, but some of them are really not much more than y = -x;

The output section is stolen from FilterscapeVA, but there are two.

The Multiples (below the filter) are multiples, mixers, ringmodulator and amplitude modulator all at once. Depends on where you put the cables. The multiples are *the* section that needs to be explained.

The oscilloscope is of course a realtime one (think Smexoscope). It currently onyl shows the output, but I have plans to add an input for other things as well. You can however route anything to the output, even an ADSR. The only problem therein is, the output has a dc-blocker, so you won't have fun observing slow signal.

All in all I think this is an extremely capable and characterful synth that complements Zebra very nicely. While Zebra is a workhorse synth, this one is the synth that you wished you had a second computer for

Urs

hakey · Post by **hakey** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:28 pm

Urs wrote: Loads of questions...

yep

thanks for the answers...interesting

Mark Landman · Post by **Mark Landman** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:48 pm

Wow- it looks like this would easily satisfy my added audio-rate modulation wishes for Zebra. I can hardly wait...

Would it be possible to decouple the env. inputs from midi, and use pulses from the oscillators or lfo's to fire adsr's? I know the lag generators might do that well enough. Perhaps "end stage" pulse outputs from the envelope generators to fire other envelopes or create looping groups of envelopes?

I know this is the Berlin Modular, but any west coast Buchla style features would be very useful in addition.

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:09 pm

Mark Landman wrote:Wow- it looks like this would easily satisfy my added audio-rate modulation wishes for Zebra. I can hardly wait...

Would it be possible to decouple the env. inputs from midi, and use pulses from the oscillators or lfo's to fire adsr's? I know the lag generators might do that well enough. Perhaps "end stage" pulse outputs from the envelope generators to fire other envelopes or create looping groups of envelopes?

I've been thinking about that but came to the conclusion that I'd rather sacrifice this in order to keep it polyphonic. The envelopes and the Gate are hardwired as options for the VCA control. This is the only way I can ensure that a voice will fade to -100dB so I can switch it off.

Remember, this wouldn't be a problem at all in a monophonic system such as a hardware modular. But this thing is polyphonic (if your CPU can cope...).

However, there's hope! There's that suspiciously lurking "expansion" slot at the bottom left. This thing will hold optional modules, one of which can be added into the system at a time. So far I'm looking into single sideband filters, allpasses, special filters, modulation generators and what not. Maybe also an equivalent to the A-143

I know this is the Berlin Modular, but any west coast Buchla style features would be very useful in addition.

It *is* the Berlin Modular, but only a first glimpse at it. This is only one out of various systems that together form the BM. Funnily, this one emulates digital hardware, kind of. The actual virtual analogue systems are not yet in a presentable state (albeit another prototype has been up and running for a while, just not layouted as nicely).

Urs

hakey · Post by **hakey** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:31 pm

I've just been playing with Bazille and it really is very, very good!

I think I was expecting something like Zebra with wires, but it's a quite different experience from that one that really lends itself to experimentation and it's just all out fun!

I don't know if it's because the layout encourages you to try weird signal paths, but the sounds I'm getting out of it really have their own character - quite different to Zebra.

I'm seriously impressed! Thanks Urs.

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:03 pm

hakey wrote:encourages you to try weird signal paths

Try modulating the sequencer snapshot by the sequencer itself. Instant chaos! But with some luck you can make it oscillate in useful ways

elxsound · Post by **elxsound** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:07 pm

Been playing around with this too... very nice indeed! Yes, CPU heavy for my modest machine, but I imagine it will be fine considering the ability to freeze will make everything better.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:37 pm

Is it possible to modulate say the fm amount with an lfo or envelop?

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:53 pm

pdxindy wrote:Is it possible to modulate say the fm amount with an lfo or envelop?

Sure. Just modulate the volume of the modulating oscillator! The normal outs of teh socillators can be modulated in volume, the "raw" outs are taken *before* the volume attenuation.

If you use something else, then you can e.g. amplitude modulate the source in one of the 4 multiples (source in inputs 3 or 4, modulator in RM)

I'll illustrate this as soon as I can...

jensa · Post by **jensa** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:55 am

Urs wrote:I think that everybody taking part has deserved a copy of the ultimate time destruction device.

Uahahahaha! Why didn't I have time to enter. Why, oh, why was I having two nice weeks away by the seaside. Why?????

Feel a little bit sorry for me please. Then it may add up to a bigger more complete sorry...

djanthonyw · Post by **djanthonyw** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 2:33 am

Urs, I've been messing around with Bazille and I really like it a lot. This one seems to be up my alley.

If I had to describe the sound I would say it has a nice dry 'analog' edge with digital crispness. So far the interface is great as well.

u-he

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