Critique my 'Cello' for Zebra2 please?

[kajiotaku]

http://www.kvraudio.com/banks.php?s=dl&id=1074

I still believe it needs a lot of work, but it sounds alright. Also, I tried to use the ModMatrix to control the attack with the velocity and the velocity only changed the attack speed the second time I hit the key. I'm not sure if this is a bug/glitch/error/foopah in FL Studio 8 or in Zebra, but I set the Fruity Wrapper to use Legacy Velocity translation or w/e and that didn't help. In the patch I have it turned off because I assumed it would infuriate people. I'm using 2.3.1 in case that's just an old problem which has been fixed...I'll have to download the new version when school starts. x-x Also, I based the comb settings on some other bowed string instruments by Menno Meijer and some factory presets. On a lighter note, I got rid of the little pluck sound by just using a noise module instead of "Fill Noise".

[kodama]

Cello is one of those almost impossible patches on Zebra.

We should have a patch contest!

In the mean time, you can try my noise>comb filter patch, just copy & paste this into a text file & name with a .h2p extension:

EDIT: I had copied & pasted the insanely long patch text here, but you can just download it below now!

[kodama]

Woops, that was longer than I thought

[PaulSC]

DimandfboA1ibAceA10Rnmp pDaiA6cnA2uFA1
0gddfcogiZJAghIfdhehcgjgoghhdA11TbbRboA27ldfaddbou FA74uLA6qA127u
LA6qA127uFA10xhfgmheIhdgdgbgmTA22qwA1F1A1LFA1

+1

[hakey]

Hi, it certainly sounds cello like, pretty good! Maybe the attack is a bit too fast - increasing the attack of env1 to 50 improves it for me and perhaps you could add more vibrato (with aftertouch)?

You're right, Menno's string patches (if not, all of his patches) are def. worth looking at - his cello and violin are pretty damn good!

Have you also looked at Sound On Sound's 'Synth Secrets' series? There's plenty of info there about synthesizing bowed strings. I based my cello efforts partly on stuff I learnt there.

BTW - I noticed that you had routed velocity to Env1 Attack in the Mod Matrix. You know that you can do this directly within the Envelope? Just click on the '+' in the top right of the Env box and it gives you a a couple of rows of knobs for adding velocity and key track modulation to Env parameters.

(here's my latest cello patches)

[hakey]

DimandfboA1ibAceA10Rnmp pDaiA6cnA2uFA1
0gddfcogiZJAghIfdhehcgjgoghhdA11TbbRboA27ldfaddbou FA74uLA6qA127u
LA6qA127uFA10xhfgmheIhdgdgbgmTA22qwA1F1A1LFA1

+1

[kajiotaku]

DimandfboA1ibAceA10Rnmp pDaiA6cnA2uFA1
0gddfcogiZJAghIfdhehcgjgoghhdA11TbbRboA27ldfaddbou FA74uLA6qA127u
LA6qA127uFA10xhfgmheIhdgdgbgmTA22qwA1F1A1LFA1

+1

lol x) Thanks kodama and hakey! And no, I haven't read Sound On Sound's 'Synth Secrets' series. I believe I'll have to look into that, then I'll check out your Cello patch(s) and kodama's patch. I got some stuff to learn.

BTW - I noticed that you had routed velocity to Env1 Attack in the Mod Matrix. You know that you can do this directly within the Envelope? Just click on the '+' in the top right of the Env box and it gives you a a couple of rows of knobs for adding velocity and key track modulation to Env parameters. Wink

...*Facedesk*

[hakey]

Here's a link to Kodama's Cello patch for those without the stamina to copy pasta the data!

It's definitely a cello, but interesting how it sounds quite different from kaijotaku's, both of which sound different to mine. Kodama's sounds somewhat silkier to me. Great stuff!

(Any more entries for the Zebra cello contest? )

[kajiotaku]

Ok, here's the newer version: http://www.kvraudio.com/banks.php?s=dl&id=1075

Added some more bass and "rumble(I suppose)" and set the velocity to adjust attack time.

@hakey: I tried adding more vibrato, but it sounded wrong. The only way I can describe is if someone created a machine that converted solid objects into their spirit sounds and used it to turn a big 'ol wet and floppy noodle into a sound. I'm sure my grammar was less than perfect in that sentence, but you get the idea. ALSO I'm not entirely sure how the aftertouch works so I wouldn't know if I'm using it right in the patch. You see, I'm not one of those "fancy guys" with their own MIDI keyboard. I'm rockin' QWERTY <3.

[mcnoone]

(Any more entries for the Zebra cello contest? )

I just made some changes to my cello, from my bank.
I added modwheel for slower attack, and pitchwheel for faster vibrato, aftertouch for slower vibrato. Changed some module settings, and moved some xy's around. I think it sounds a little better.
here:
http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/1 ... 2-h2p.html

[hakey]

@hakey: I tried adding more vibrato, but it sounded wrong. [snip] You see, I'm not one of those "fancy guys" with their own MIDI keyboard. I'm rockin' QWERTY

Does it have aftertouch?

I've had a go at adding vibrato to your patch - CelloVer3. I've routed aftertouch (AT) to the vibrato LFO's amplitude, which means that you won't hear any vibrato until some AT is added. I suppose you'll just have to draw an AT control change curve in your DAW (aftertouch is a cc message sent when pressing down hard on a key after a note has been played).

I also deactivated one of your Osc's - I don't think that you need both Osc 2 and 3 - they're both doing exactly the same thing, so I've set the remaining one to Dual mode and added a touch of Detune (also scaled by AT), which seems to add some kind of a bowed sound to it.

I don't think that the Noise is adding much to the sound there either?

I've messed with the EQ too. BTW, if you read up in the SOS 'Synth Secrets' article about bowed instruments the method they give is just a single sawtooth Osc, which replicates the vibration of a bowed string, followed by EQing to emulate the modifying effect of the resonant body of the instrument.

[hakey]

(Any more entries for the Zebra cello contest? )

I just made some changes to my cello, from my bank.
I added modwheel for slower attack, and pitchwheel for faster vibrato, aftertouch for slower vibrato. Changed some module settings, and moved some xy's around.

We just need a couple of more entries we can have a mini competition . Anyone else?

Edit - BTW That's a really good Cello MC, particularly low down. Did you mean for the Osc and Comb Vibrato to be set at different levels? And, this is probably just a taste thing, but should there be any vibrato at all without AT? A cellist most likely wouldn't add vibrato on every stroke.

(my latest attempt:Cellonica)

[kajiotaku]

Thanks Hakey! And I did read it, but it seemed that the saw tooth would have too much treble, so I did my own thing. Also, the first osc was based on the waveform of a violin. I was going to upload a newer version of the patch, but I'll add the adjusted parts you made and fine tune it some more and THEN I'll upload it.

[kajiotaku]

http://www.kvraudio.com/banks.php?s=dl&id=1076

Fourth version x-x. I removed the 2nd osc, but then I got a wild hair and decided to use a different wave...so I opened up a recording of a cello doing a low note and tried my best to replicate it. Now it's a bit woodier. Also, I added a second EQ to tweak a few more frequencies. Not sure if I did anything else worth mentioning.

[mcnoone]

http://www.kvraudio.com/banks.php?s=dl&id=1076

Fourth version x-x.

Please note that the kvr banks pages for all synths has a limit.
Posting 1 preset uploads there might make it reach that limit faster.
Might want to try any of the free upload sites. For single patches.

I'm planning on putting all my presets from there into 1 package soon, then I'll pm Ben to delete the old versions. That will lower the amount too.

That cello sounds great.