M4 Effects - call for ideas [download available]

[AndreasD]

Firstly, i sent Jo a few Midi Effects (=Event Processors) which already show up in M40112.
This includes:
- Simple Chord Mapper
- Simple Chord Mapper with a different Chord on each key. I would appreciate if anyone comes up with a nice chord setting and send it back, or confirm that this device is utterly useless
- 3 Tap Midi Delay
- Mini Arpeggiator
- some support modules

Feedback for improvements is welcome!

I upgraded the patches with some 'manuals' to be expected in the next M4 versions. Check out the Patch Info of these modules to enjoy the new power of M4 patch info.

Talking about Patch Info: The EQ patches and the big Experimental Units show some text based Patch Info as well.

Working on the effect patches in the last months, i realized that the possibilities of M4 are quite substantial in this department. Unfortunately, after 50 odd patches with nearly as many basic designs, i am running out of ideas.

Anyone has a good idea for a nice effect? If it's feasible, I'm happy to implement it.

I want to start the collection with my last unfinished project: I want to activate an effect by a keypress (note). Like activate a delay or a highpass with a note. So, you can drop in/out an effect at any time. For some of my ideas i need to wait for a later M4 release as they need one or two additional feature. The basic design is a bit mind boggling, but doable.
I'm curious about feedback, especially what kind of effects would be useful. We have 12 slots to play with....

And lastly, I'm working on an EQ that sets the filter freqency according to the note(!) played into it. A A4 = 440Hz thing. Can be handy if e.g. your guitar shows some unwanted peak that moves with the notes you paly. Copy the notes, send it into the EQ and you are done. Mono notes please, no chords (last note priority).

Cheers,
Andreas

[pljones]

Easy CC Mapper:

"Incoming CC number", "Outgoing CC number", "Invert". Optional "Override Channel Number".

[Juan Mendoza]

Hey Andreas,

thanks for those, i'll make use of them frequently (like many of your devices that i'm already using a lot )

Are you asking for ideas for Midi FX only?
Or you also want suggestions for Audio FX too? i have some projects in my mind that you may find interesting...

[> DiGiT <]

how about a spectral freezing audio effect? freeze with a midi note

force input to scale?

note repeater? with velocity to repeat time? ascending/descending pitch/velocity

split input according to velocity to any number of ouputs?

single input cc split to maybe 4 outputs with assignable cc and scale/orientation/offset

cc foldover module?

cc arpeggiator/playable pattern sequencer?

cc input log+ log- conversion

jis a few

[AndreasD]

Thanks for the input

To make myself clear: I am looking for ideas for Midi AND Audio FX! And it should all happen in M4 using M4 means only.

Easy CC Mapper: Unfortunately not doable. There is no access and process capability for Event data in M4.

Spectral freezing: Very interesting! The Stutter patch is aleady there, which would require additional filtering. I'll try that. Trigger it by a note is currently not possible as the delay feedback needs to be automated.

Note Repeater: already there as Midi Delay/ Mini Arpeggiator

Playable pattern sequencer: Check the factory Sequences and SilenCio folders or the Trance Gate in the Effects/Experimental Units.

Force Input to Scale: I tried microtuning. It works, but i had to include the oscillators (+full synth), which makes it not practical.

The other of DiGiT's suggestion will not work in M4. There no means to do math or comparisons. Although i like the ideas. I would have liked to do a keysplit.

@Juan: I'm happy to collaborate! You VA drums are exquisite.

[Nielzie]

A channelstrip with EQ, Compressor, Limiter, Saturation perhaps?

[AndreasD]

OK Nielzie: A channel strip is next.

A "Spectral Freeze" was sent to Jo. Obviously no FFT or such involved. Simple Delays, filters and amplifiers. Sounds nasty Mini patch info added as well.

[> DiGiT <]

how about an envelope following phaser or flanger?

envelope following sub oscillator?

a side chained spectral imprint subtractor? make room for those vocals!

an audio cross fader?

[Nielzie]

Multi sequencer: separately controlling multi filter cutoff, volume, panning, phaser or such?

[Juan Mendoza]

A channelstrip with EQ, Compressor, Limiter, Saturation perhaps?

I'd really like this one.

I wanted to suggest something similar but optimized for the master rack.
Some kind of mastering tool ala Izotope Ozone Style.
Of course, many things that Ozone offers cant yet be done in M4, but something similar could be achieved i think.

If you need or want some help just let me know, i'm very open to collaborate in things like this.

[plutonia]

a simple up/down etc arpeggiator. a tempo sync-able tremolo with option for 1/16th, 8th, 1/4 sync speed. simple delay/echo effect with same options. tape saturation effect. a gater effect with sequence editor to trigger synths or external sounds on or off rhythmically and not just simple tremelo;like the shamen used to use for guitars. (like in progen) reason has this in latest version (called alligator)and is great creative effect. would be fantastic in mulab!

great work by all involved in creating mulab;working on various toones jus now and soundin really good thanks to work of jo and all others involved in creating mu lab synths/effects therein. distinctive raw retro analogue textures easily produced;better than anything else out there.

as an addition, i jus listened to recent stuff i wrote in ableton/reason as comparison and what i'm producing in mulab sounds far better because of the quality of the synth engine in mulab. impressive!

[sorohanro]

Leslie Rotary Speaker simulator ?

[AndreasD]

Wow, that's a great lot of feedback Thanks!

One-by-one:

@Nielzie:
I just sent Jo 2 versions of a Channel Strip.
a) Input w/ HP > Comp > Saturation > EQ > Limiter > Output
b) Input w/ HP > EQ > Comp > Saturation > Limiter > Output
Each module has a bypass, which runs from 0..100. This is parallel Comp/Saturation/EQ. Which is probably the reason why it works so nicely (imho!!) when I checked it as master effect.

Side note: There is a parallel compressor already in the library.

Multi Sequencer: Would this be along the lines of what you find in the Instruments/Sequences folder?

@DiGiT:
Envelope follower: There is no real envelope follower in M4. I could use the Audio to Event module, which triggers on a threshold and can trigger envelopes, effects from there. Osc trigger is possible as well, if it dosn't bother you that you need a note input for this. And it would be monophonic.
I'll give it a try and see how it would work.

What is a side chained spectral imprint subtractor? Can you explain a bit more?

Audio crossfader: Can you elaborate? Crossfade by what (LFO, Note, CCs...)?

@plutonia:
Arpeggiator: There will be something i called Arpeggiator in the next version, but it's a bit a fake. It works similar to the Effects/Event processors/Midi Delay patch. Can't do much more with what's on offer.

Tempo synced tremolo: Try the Effects/Modulation/Tremolo patch. Enter the deep editor, open the 2 LFOs and enable sync. The front panel "speed" will change to note related values (1.00 = 1 Cycle Per Beat).

Synced echo/delay: There are plenty of synced delays in the Effects/Echo folder. Try them! PingPongBeat or, as you mentioned tape saturation, the Vintage Echo.

Tape Saturation: Use the Effects/Filter/4band EQ with Saturation patch. Drive it hard (or add the Distortion/saturation patch before). EQ setup: Low shelve 26Hz; 0.56; -24dB / Band1 37Hz; 1.10; -9dB / Band2 7700Hz; 0.8; -4dB / Hi Shelve 16700Hz; 1.25; -13dB. Turn up Bypass a bit, if the effect is too strong. The setup is for slow spinning old tape.

Gater: Try patch Effects/Experimental Units/Trance Gate, setup after your audio source. Click the "StepSequence" button to change the sequence.

Alligator: Funny you mention this. Open Effects/Experimental Units/ Multiband Gater-Effects Unit. I have never used or even heard Alligator, but this unit was done by just looking at the screenshots. Click the orange buttons to edit the sequences. I'm curious about feedback!!

@sorohanro
Check patch Effects/Modulation/Leslie. Low and Hi are the 2 speakers in a Leslie. If you want to use the Leslie in your own M4 patches, i can give you a version that sends the LFOs for osc pitch modulation to emulate the doppler effect when the speakers rotate.
You need to put a Effects/Distortion/Saturation or one of the Speaker SIM patches in front of the Leslie. See Instruments/MuSynth/Vintage-Organ2


That should be all - so far. (i had to write the whole thing twice as the session was timed out when sending)

One more thing: I don't want to bother Jo with constant updates, especially intermediate patch versions. I have no upload capability. Has someone a solution to exchange patches so that we can keep the discussion going in a refinement process?

Thanks again for all the great ideas and feedback.

[Reincke]

One more thing: I don't want to bother Jo with constant updates, especially intermediate patch versions. I have no upload capability. Has someone a solution to exchange patches so that we can keep the discussion going in a refinement process?

Perhaps it's a kind of abuse, but I recently used the KVR "Banks & Patches" feature for uploading a "delay panning" patch: http://www.kvraudio.com/banks.php?s=list&what=2085

[AndreasD]

Hi Reincke,
We can try that!
Can you teach me the how to? I'm either too stupid or too tired to find how to upload. "Goto the product forum and find the upload button" they say.

Thanks