Tone2 Rayblaster: OUT NOW! (demo version available)

[Echoes in the Attic]

The resynthesis looks very interesting. Although it seems tone2 synths always sound extremely similar, even despite some revolutionary new synthesis type in this case. However this may be largely due to the demos being full of bizarre psychotically happy circus rave music.

[Shabdahbriah]

Anyway none of those were used in my demo.
hThe "digital" waveforms and the "wavetable" (start phase is modulated/scanned with both an envelope and an Arp pattern) are based on the formulka editor of DNR Wave Designer (and Steinberg Wavelab Elements 7 for editing and creating the "wavetables").

Cool. I have an old Waldorf Q (with broken encoders) sitting next to me. I love wavetable stuff. I'm looking forward to this even more.

Have a look at my signature and you'll see i love Wavetable synthesis too.
I was part of the Beta testing and presets team for the Waldorf PPG Wave 3.V.

Even if the "wavetable scanning" in Rayblaster does not really work like in a PPg you could get comparable results.
With the "harmonic" value in the osc section you could "zoom" into a large waveform (my "wavetables are up to 60000+ samples) until you only see a very small part of it or even almost a flat line.
By modulation of the start phase parameter you could the "scan" trough the waveform. If you zoom in enough this should even work with a simple single cycle wave.
Additionally with it's IMS Rayblaster creates a "fantasy filter" based on a complex waveform (or an analog filter emulation based on a "simple" waveform of an analog synth) which usually results in a combination a kind of Formant filter and a Comb filter. Based on this you could get several different timbres even from a short complex single cycle waveform while turning the Formant knob. With higher harmonics you could also get multiples of the waveform.

And finally you could add different "osc windows" (works like a kind of waveshaper) and "PW sequences".


Ingo

O.K. this is starting to look interesting, now.

[rlahalla]

Anyway none of those were used in my demo.
hThe "digital" waveforms and the "wavetable" (start phase is modulated/scanned with both an envelope and an Arp pattern) are based on the formulka editor of DNR Wave Designer (and Steinberg Wavelab Elements 7 for editing and creating the "wavetables").

Cool. I have an old Waldorf Q (with broken encoders) sitting next to me. I love wavetable stuff. I'm looking forward to this even more.

Have a look at my signature and you'll see i love Wavetable synthesis too.
I was part of the Beta testing and presets team for the Waldorf PPG Wave 3.V.

Even if the "wavetable scanning" in Rayblaster does not really work like in a PPg you could get comparable results.
With the "harmonic" value in the osc section you could "zoom" into a large waveform (my "wavetables are up to 60000+ samples) until you only see a very small part of it or even almost a flat line.
By modulation of the start phase parameter you could the "scan" trough the waveform. If you zoom in enough this should even work with a simple single cycle wave.
Additionally with it's IMS Rayblaster creates a "fantasy filter" based on a complex waveform (or an analog filter emulation based on a "simple" waveform of an analog synth) which usually results in a combination a kind of Formant filter and a Comb filter. Based on this you could get several different timbres even from a short complex single cycle waveform while turning the Formant knob. With higher harmonics you could also get multiples of the waveform.

And finally you could add different "osc windows" (works like a kind of waveshaper) and "PW sequences".


Ingo

O.K. this is starting to look interesting, now.

Right? I'm already making a bank of crazy waveforms for this thing. I think I'm up to 300 as of right now and I haven't even played with it yet

[Shabdahbriah]

Hmmm... "300"? ... kinda slackin'.

Sooo, are there any waveform (bit depth/etc) "rules" for this? It appears from what Ingo's posted, that it is pretty flexible/forgiving.

[Ingonator]

Hmmm... "300"? ... kinda slackin'.

Sooo, are there any waveform (bit depth/etc) "rules" for this? It appears from what Ingo's posted, that it is pretty flexible/forgiving.

I have found that you need 16-bit and maximum length should be around 65535 samples. AFAIK you could import bigger samples with the Resynthesis feature.
For import of filter responses of e.g. analog synths/emulations you need a single cycle with a zero-crossing at the beginning and the end.

Besides new waveforms (with e.g. Wave Designer) I have created single cycles based on following synths (and mostly with different filer modes, no Resonance and Resonance):
Moog Slim Phatty (with 1 up to 4 filter poles), Tone2 Saurus, Waldorf Largo (including Comb filters), Xils Lab Synthix, FXpansion Strobe, U-He Diva, TAL U-NO-LX, TAL BassLine, FXpansion Cypher, D16 LuSH-101 (sample processed with EQ), D16 Phoscyon, Korg Polysix plugin, Arturia Jupiter 8V, Arturia Oberheim SEM V, WayOutWare KikAxxe.

A Synthix BPF single cycle was used for the analog pad in my audio demo.
One oscillator of that preset is doing PWM using the "Square<PW>Peek" PW sequence and PW modulation with a LFO. In the other oscillator the waveform stays at a Saw.

Here is the demo song I submitted, one part of it was used in the official demo song.

http://soundcloud.com/examigan/rm-rayblaster-demo

I decided to not have drums in there this time, and the mp3 can be downloaded from Soundcloud.

No comments on Examigans demo?

He added it also here:
http://www.tone2.org/forum/index.php?topic=1315.0

Your demo had that something that… er… what's it called now… ah! Musicality!

Congratulations!

But I won't buy Rayblaster until you make a soundbank or two (I've got your sounds for the PPG).

Best,

Joachim

Hi Joachim,

many thanks for your kind comments.

Some of my wavetable presets will be included in the factory sounds and also some of the wavetables i have created. Of course those are no wavetables like in PPG but they could work in a comparable way (see detailed explanations in one of my last posts above).
A selection of the presets i submitted will be included in the factory sounds and others should be part of one of the next official soundsets/expansions.
There were tons of submitted presets and many people provided them so the selection was not easy i guess. Anyway there are still 500+ presets included.

I would say you should check the demo version (when it's out) to see if you like the synth.

I have added a comment about the "Buy sounds" feature at the Beta tester forum but i also added a notice that this is not a big problem for myself.

It would be also good that as a Tone2 customer you would add a comment yourself. You could use the new Rayblaster forum

Ingo

I've posted a comment as you've suggested. Hope they reconsider.

For those who are interested here is a part of what Markus anwered in the public Rayblaster forum:

"There is no need to be upset, since this function does not contain any intrusive advertizing at all. If you should accidently click on the button you will be asked by a dialog box if you are sure that you want to visit our webshop. So you can't open your browser accidently.

Please do note that we offer to visit our webshop from inside our plugins since many years (expansion slots in FireBird and Gladiator) and so far noone has complained out it.

We're small company. Our sound designers and artists want to get paid for the work that they do. And this features gives them a chance to get future jobs for sound design.

We'll discuss if we offer a function to hide the 'buy sounds' menu in the future."



Ingo

[Spitfire31]

Here is the demo song I submitted, one part of it was used in the official demo song.

http://soundcloud.com/examigan/rm-rayblaster-demo

I decided to not have drums in there this time, and the mp3 can be downloaded from Soundcloud.

No comments on Examigans demo?


Ingo

Nice song and sound design! A welcome alternative to the 2Tone frantic ear blaster.

/Joachim

[Ingonator]

4.) The full version of my own audio demo which in parts is included in the official demo:

Ingo Weidner - Empire Of Rays - Rayblaster Demo 1

For those who are interested i just rendered only the two pad sounds (one analog and one digital) of my demo:

Ingo Weidner - Empire Of Rays - Pads Only Demo 1

For both the volume is slowly evolving (done with automation), first the analog pad and then the digital one. In the middle of the track both have the full volume.

Here is a demo that only includes the digital ("wavetable") pad:

Ingo Weidner - Empire Of Rays - WT Pad Only

Here the same track with a different wavetable pad (both pads included in the factory sounds):

Ingo Weidner - Rayblaster WT Pad Demo 2


I'll maybe do a "Remix" of my audio demo where the digital pad shines more through.


Ingo

[xx JPRacer xx]

Is this a hard synth to program? If you have an idea of a sound in your head, can you program it fast?

Also, do you think this synth is general purpose or a specialty synth?

[Ingonator]

Is this a hard synth to program? If you have an idea of a sound in your head, can you program it fast?

Also, do you think this synth is general purpose or a specialty synth?

This is no usual VA synth so if you really want to learn it you should have a look at the manual and the factory presets.
This is also great for using your own waveforms which you could do e.g. with DNR Wave Designer.

Once you know how to use it you could do almost do any possible sound or something you did not even think about. The user interface is quite simple once you learned how to use the controls and what each of those is capable of.
Many of the interesting stuff is also based on proper use of the mod matrix.

Also the factory sound designers and even Markus and Bastiaan are still learning.
Personally i am discovering something new every few days.
I have not even really used the Resynthesis feature (except some experiments with samples from my PPG Wave 3.V soundset) as i had tons of my own waveforms for use with the "normal" waveform loading.


Ingo

[xx JPRacer xx]

Thanks, I'll keep some money for it just in case I like it.

[sonicpowa]

16-bit

Seems like ancient sampler. Good that I have for instance Rapture and Harmless instead which use 32bit floating point waveforms. But Rb could be interesting, it's just I don't like old technique with new synth supposed to be cutting edge.
And 'buy sounds' on the GUI is kind of unprofessional thing IMO to advertise new presets.

[ThomasHelzle]

All the demos so far fail to show me something other synths can't do or sounds with a tone or feel that would make me interested.
The more phrases like "unheard of sounds" etc. are thrown around the more sceptic I personally get.

Ingo, did you stumble over anything in your testing that made you go "wow, never heard something like this before"?

I'd be curios to hear it!

Cheers,

Tom

[Ingonator]

16-bit

Seems like ancient sampler. Good that I have for instance Rapture and Harmless instead which use 32bit floating point waveforms. But Rb could be interesting, it's just I don't like old technique with new synth supposed to be cutting edge.
And 'buy sounds' on the GUI is kind of unprofessional thing IMO to advertise new presets.

16-bit is "ancient technology". Sorry but i have to laugh a bit...

Anyway does it even matter if the waveform could have up to 65536 samples?
If you use bigger waveforms they seem to be cut automatically.
Also the "harmonic" setting must be set higher to show the full waveform with such a big waveform. If you use a low harmonic value you "zoom" into the waveform and can "scan" trough the whole waveform with the start phase parameter.

With the Resynthesis feature also bigger samples could be used AFAIK.
Anyway both the "normal" waveforms and the Resynthesis are different features and deliver different results.


Ingo

[Ingonator]

Ingo, did you stumble over anything in your testing that made you go "wow, never heard something like this before"?

Yep. And if you listen carefully you will also find this in the official demo.

Anyway i already explained so much in this thread that i start to get a bit tired. I hope that the product demo will be out soon so people could test it themselves.

Even if the result sounds not really totally new just the fact that based on a single cycle wave of a certain synth you could mimic it's filter response is real fun. As mentioned at the Tone2 website Rayblaster does not really include a filter at all but it tries to build a filter response based on ANY waveform you enter. For this it doesn't matter if this is a "real" filter of an existing synth or a "fantasy filter" based on a complex waveform.

Anyway i don't want to explain everything for the fifth time...


Ingo

[sonicpowa]

16-bit is "ancient technology". Sorry but i have to laugh a bit...

Heh well, laugh all you want, but it IS ancient. I was looking forward to try Rayblaster with the Architecture Waveforms (32bit FP) but seems I can't because of Rb's old synthesis method..