The synth of my subconscious while dreaming?

[Compyfox]

Not only is the thread title cheesy, but the whole topic is a bit crazy.

Just before I woke up about half an hour ago, I had this dream of a synth I was testing. I don't know if it is really existing or not (hence the thread post), if it was an actual deja vu moment, or just wild imagination.

If it's the later, the concept of that synth is my idea. So if anybody wants to adapt it, I want to see credit.



Anyway...
The synth I was "testing" or "listening to" had a crazy idea. On second thought, actually a nice idea to stand out from the croud. Instead of your usual mix dials (poties) you only had several colored blocks that you could move around and connect with each other.

If we talk about one OSC, or one "chain", think of the GUI (row) like this.

- Left was a retangular window (small sides top/bottom, long sides left/right) which showed the OSC output much like a goneo meter mixed with an OSC meter
- Right beside it was a retangular window (like above) that setup the initial OSC (actually it was only dropdown to select the OSC)
- next to that were blocks, much like in form of "Blockout" (videogame) bricks. They were of different color. I think they were there for storing purposes. Don't ask me how many.
- the next part of that row was for the "modulation" and "FX" I guess. You could drag blocks from other OSCs in there and connect them wildly. If the synth was played, they'd even blink or pulsate in their respectative color to show the modulation.

I don't remember dials for finetuning/detuning, setting up octaves or mixing the OSCs together. I only remember it having 3 OSCs.


All in all this had a very 8bit videogame look but could produce massive DnB type bass/reese sounds amongs others of course. But this was the sound that was hovering in my head, and the goneo/OSC meter went haywire while playing that sound. I also had firm names in my head, but I don't think that it was Analog Warfare or NugenAudio. I'd be surprised if Image Line adapted such an idea - it'd totally fit them!


I know this might sound crazy, but does this synth actually exist? Not in Reaktor form please (since I don't have Reactor) but in VSTi form.

I just want to confirm what my crazy mind put out.



EDIT:
On second thought, you could make a proper synth out of it, if it is not existing already. I could really imagine Urs, Image Line or some other developer on the "optimising" side of things.

The front panel could be something like mentioned above:

SEE PDF PLEASE


On the backpanel, you then have the setup for how strong the OSC mix with each other (if desired), you can setup each individual FX block (like how strong the comp will be, how strong the chorus, etc), the modulation blocks (e.g. vibrato, further detune, whatever makes sense in that section).

So yeah. This is pretty much what I "dreamed up", and it'd be my intial idea to take it further.

[Shabdahbriah]

Please call it "Domino" and let me beta-test it.

~S~

[Lotuzia]

All in all this had a very 8bit videogame look but could produce massive DnB type bass/reese sounds amongs others of course. .

Simplicity is sometimes the key for new things

But for audio you could dream in 24 bits as well

LtZ

[Xenos]

8-bit chiptunes? Drum & Bass? Quirky interface? Definitely count me in to do some factory sound design on your dream synth hahaha ....sounds like a really fun concept. It's funny how many very unique ideas come about through dreams. Did you know that the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, got her inspiration for it from a nightmare she had?

[man-T]

Ok i dont think this is exactly what you dreamed of, but your description made me think of this....

[Compyfox]

Please call it "Domino" and let me beta-test it.

I wish I could code it myself. Trust me, I'd definitely use it exclusively in all of my electronic oriented productions from this point onward.

My initial name idea was "synth inception" (S.I in short, actually prefered, though a bit close to StudioOne's abbreviation) or "inception synth" (I.S in short, though could be interpreted as a certain videogame of the same name).

Whoever planted this into my head! Though I don't remember being put to "sleep" on purpose (the reference should be more than obvious).

8-bit chiptunes? Drum & Bass? Quirky interface? Definitely count me in to do some factory sound design on your dream synth hahaha ....

Nah, not chiptunes, only the GUI was like Breakout (not Blockout, which seems to be the origin of "Wordtris", though enough game OT) in terms of the module blocks. It's quirky indeed and I'm sure several sound designers could make a lot out of it. Much like Synplant - looks hard to get/to use, sound seems to be "living" by itself (never played it, only saw/heard the demos, still impressive IMO).

sounds like a really fun concept. It's funny how many very unique ideas come about through dreams. Did you know that the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, got her inspiration for it from a nightmare she had?

I heard something along those lines. And trust me, I never expected dreaming up a synthesizer concept that might actually turn out "great" with a simple interface like that.

Though since it doesn't seem to be "made" in any form yet, I guess we'll never know unless somebody tackles that idea.

Ok i dont think this is exactly what you dreamed of, but your description made me think of this....

Ah, the Reactable. Saw it at Musikmesse a couple of years ago. Interested concept, but not totally (as in 100%) as I was imagining.

The Reactable uses blocks which alter the sound according to the module on top of it, if it's turned around (rotated), how close they are to each other and therefore automatically connect, etc. My concept is a bit different.


I was thinking more along the lines of:
OSC Meter is just for visual feedback (eye-candy effect)

OSC1/2/3 selector is for the desired initial sound:
Here I can also imagine the 2400 waves pack that's sometimes hovering around in the advertising bars. Personally I'd love to have the option to also "load" a wavesample/cycle to use my own OSC on top of (let's say) 10-15 selectable core OSCs. It shall not be a standard subtractive synth with like 5 OSCs, it should have a tad more own character (though this can mainly be done due to the FX/Mod boxes, not necessarily loaded OSCs).

The MOD Box "container":
here are the modules for further modulation and ADSR. Much like with wavetable synths or U-HE's Zebra, but with a twist (more to that on the mod matrix). The modules right beside each respectable OSC (1/2/3) belong to that particular OSC (important! see below).

The FX Box "container": this is your standard stuff like distortion, chorus, flanger, delay, compression. The Initial stuff, maybe some FSU to add flavour. Like the MOD Boxes, you can set them up through the back panel.


Now on the "heart" of this device - the MODULATION MATRIX:
It's not like U-HE's concept of actually linking several modules in row or parallel, and then route it to a certain output. Think a bit simpler, or more wild if you feel like it.

Idea:
Let's say you setup OSC1 to SAW and OSC2 to sine. But you not only want to modulate OSC2 with a vibrato, but also OSC1. What you'd usually do is to set them up each with the very same settings. But, you're stuck on them and you can't resuse them anymore either at any point given/wanted. So my idea was to make the blocks "dragable" and freely connectable (thinking about it, actually modular, not in series/in parallel only).

Example:
OSC1 should get the same ADSR settings as OSC3, but also get the same chorus setting as OSC2, while OSC3 get's the same delay as OSC1.

You'd drag and drop the Mod and FX modules from each respactable OSC to the desired destination.
In case of OSC1: ADSR OSC3 -> CHORUS OSC2
In case of OSC2: ADSR OSC2 -> CHORUS OSC2
In case of OSC3: ADSR OSC3 -> DELAY OSC1

Keep in mind, it always starts with the OSC. (like, it should always... no?)

But it doesn't stop there. What if you want to add a flanger "parallel", or use a different AMP setting? What if you want to mix another OSC into the equation of the chain of OSC2 or the whole "chain" of OSC+mod+FX (aka cross reference)?

Like:

Code: Select all

OSC2: ADSR OSC2 -> CHORUS OSC2 -> COMPRESSION OSC3  +> GLOBAL MIX
                |                                   |
                |->OSC3 MIX    -> FLANGER OSC1    --| 

Free routing for total chaos (instead of routing to the global mix)!

Code: Select all

OSC2: ADSR OSC2 -> CHORUS OSC2 -> COMPRESSION OSC3  +> OSC1 MIX
                |                                   |
                |->OSC3 MIX    -> FLANGER OSC1    --| 

EDIT:
But to prevent feedback loops, with a routing like the later one, there needs to be another block (FROM OSC<nr> MIX and TO OSC<nr> MIX). So if you create a "TO" block and drag it over to the desired destination, there has to be a "FROM" (aka) source block. This way you can put the created chain to whereever you want in the chain of the to-alter OSC to mix along, have it parallel, affect a certain parallel->serial array, etc instead of just mixing it to an even ammount.



Maybe I'm drifting too far, maybe it's just too overkill and not possible to develop. But it'd still be an interesting concept. Though now that I think about it: you need to setup three MOD modules/FX modules each to really pull that off. Then again, every other synth has "one" module per FX - not that crazy, a bit simpler and probably less CPU hungry as well. I don't know what might be best at that point. For compression - one module. For chorus, several however.


Do I really think "Reaktor" like now? I sure hope not, I don't want to spend funds on that monster if I only want to use "that" particular Frankenstein creation. Or modular like U-HE ACE or AAS's modular creation (wah! too many cables!)?

Maybe I should limit the idea to an 8x8 field:
horizontal blocks: connection in series
vertical blocks: connection in parallel (if moved horizontal then, the chain is in parallel, but the blocks are connected in series)
diagonal blocks: crosslinked/mixed in (due to a click on the grid, or draggable cable mayhaps?)

Hm... also like Zebra mixed with ACE if I think about it (sorry, these are the most prominent synths I know that use this technique).


I don't know if it can be simple to use, yet be powerful in terms of sound design while still having that "GUI".

Getting second thoughts, though I still want to play around with it.




Oh, and I do dream in colors actually. [/end OT]