Tone2 Rayblaster: OUT NOW! (demo version available)

[zerocrossing]

So, I've been mostly ignoring this one. Mostly because of the way I get put off my Tone2's hype-o-rama style of marketing. Now that the dust has a bit of time to settle I'll say that the demo track is full of some interesting sounds and overall it sounds pretty good, but why does Tone2 stick to the same styles of presets for all their synths and demos? Just take a moment and listen to all the demos of every Tone2 product. I think if you put them all in front of someone and asked them to identify one from another you'd be hard pressed to get it right. I'm just saying.... if you're going to keep releasing new products I think it would be better if you really made some demos that showed off the unique qualities of each.

[palle2]

When I play your preset in Diva, I don't hear that ringing.

The preset in Diva was slightly edited if you talk about the factory preset...


Ingo

edited to match the Rayblaster Version?

Just removed the resonance which is hardly audible in the Diva preset anyway.
Will try creating the same Rayblaster preset with a little Resonance soon by mixing a second waveform with resonance.


Ingo

my bad, I played the mp3s in Chrome. In Winamp everything's fine.

[highkoo]

So, I've been mostly ignoring this one. Mostly because of the way I get put off my Tone2's hype-o-rama style of marketing. Now that the dust has a bit of time to settle I'll say that the demo track is full of some interesting sounds and overall it sounds pretty good, but why does Tone2 stick to the same styles of presets for all their synths and demos? Just take a moment and listen to all the demos of every Tone2 product. I think if you put them all in front of someone and asked them to identify one from another you'd be hard pressed to get it right. I'm just saying.... if you're going to keep releasing new products I think it would be better if you really made some demos that showed off the unique qualities of each.

Would you say you might possibly describe it as a "sheen" perhaps...?


I agree on all points.
I quietly dont like the company, the dev, the promo style, the presets...
But, almost everything they make is extremely powerful, clean, doapness....

[Brittlestem]

That said, one thing is kind of a thorn-
The combination of the small matrix and no visual feedback on routings can get annoying.

In particular because this synth just begs to be modulated... and because of the different synthesis method, it is not easy to hear what is going on... With a standard subtractive, it is easy to hear that the filter is being modulated. With RB modulating the formant knob can have dramatically different effects from one preset to another. So I think some visual feedback is more important than usual.

The mod matrix window should be on the bottom "row" IMO, to the left/right of the browser. From a simple ergonomic perspective, dragging your eyes/mouse up every time you want to make intricate adjustments is counter-intuitive.
In that regard, Gladiator was the best GUI they ever designed - again IMO as it seemed most people didn't like it.

[highkoo]

Ok, way off topic, hopefully not though-

Is there any synth with a classic matrix that also uses color feedback?

I could imagine a matrix where the mod-amount-field/box is attached to a color.
As the amount of mod increases, the saturation of the color increases.
As assignments are made in the matrix, the colors appear on the controls on the GUI, (not necessarily on the assignment fields in the matrix.)

Massive/Circle have me hooked on the color idea. Drag/Drop is nice, but its the quick color feedback that is really nice for complex patches.

Its like pdxindy said, RB is really asking for modulation. Its easy to get way down a rabbit hole, and end up spending two seconds backwards engineering your own patch...

[pdxindy]

That said, one thing is kind of a thorn-
The combination of the small matrix and no visual feedback on routings can get annoying.

In particular because this synth just begs to be modulated... and because of the different synthesis method, it is not easy to hear what is going on... With a standard subtractive, it is easy to hear that the filter is being modulated. With RB modulating the formant knob can have dramatically different effects from one preset to another. So I think some visual feedback is more important than usual.

The mod matrix window should be on the bottom "row" IMO, to the left/right of the browser. From a simple ergonomic perspective, dragging your eyes/mouse up every time you want to make intricate adjustments is counter-intuitive.
In that regard, Gladiator was the best GUI they ever designed - again IMO as it seemed most people didn't like it.

I'll take the whole matrix and FX laid out where the keyboard currently is. I would use the mod matrix 1000 times as much as the keyboard

[highkoo]

+8 million

[Frantz]

Here are two audio demos with the Diva and the Rayblaster presets, with no names so you could guess yourself:

This should be fun. I guess #2 is Rayblaster because I think I am hearing artifacts when it hits lower notes at the beginning of the MP3.

[Ingonator]

As already mentioned today i have created waveforms with filter responses of Diva now.
i now tried to recreate one of my presets for Diva with Rayblaster using the proper waveform with the filter response.

Here are two audio demos with the Diva and the Rayblaster presets, with no names so you could guess yourself:

*edited* Diva demo

Cosy Jupiter Pad 1 Demo 2

In both cases no external FXs have been added.
This is the first try to replicate the preset so please don't kill me when it's not 100% correct...
The question is more how good is the quality of Rayblaster in comparison to the original synth from the waveform of the filter response.


Ingo

Hi everyone,

here is the solution for those demos:
Demo 1 is Diva and Demo 2 is Rayblaster.

I have to say that personally i also slightly prefer the Rayblaster preset.
At the time i finished this i was surprised about how good the result is (the same was true at the time i made the Diva preset which is almost a year ago...).

If you have in mind that the Rayblaster preset is based on a simple single cycle waveform for the waveshape and the filter response and that the envelopess, FXs and other features are different to the original synth i would say that the result is awesome.

BTW there was a certain amount of "Low Cut" (around 30) applied as the raw sound in Rayblaster had too much low end...

I'll also try to do an updated version of the Rayblaster preset which will also include a small amount of resonance with using the Wave mix feature.


Ingo

[MaxSynths]

Just like I wrote on the Tone2 forum I was 99.9% that the second one was Diva because it sounds better, and the first one gave the impression to be an attempt to emulate it.

Now this is very interesting.

Just like I said in the other thread the second clip has "something more". Glad to know is Rayblaster

[Frantz]

Ingo: Do you hear artifacts in the RayBlaster patch in the low frequencies at the beginning of the MP3? It's sort of like the throbbing of a small engine. I found it inharmonic and noticeable. Even with that minor issue, it is an impressive emulation.

[Ingonator]

Ingo: Do you hear artifacts in the RayBlaster patch in the low frequencies at the beginning of the MP3? It's sort of like the throbbing of a small engine. I found it inharmonic and noticeable. Even with that minor issue, it is an impressive emulation.

Hi,

thanks for the kind comment.

I could not really hear that "throbbing" sound. Anyway the low end is quite big in the low notes played at the beginning which are no problems with my headphones.
Did you try to download the file and play it then? Maybe it's a browser or connection problem.
Maybe it's also something that does not appear all the time. I'll try to check it further.

Just like I wrote on the Tone2 forum I was 99.9% that the second one was Diva because it sounds better, and the first one gave the impression to be an attempt to emulate it.

Now this is very interesting.

Just like I said in the other thread the second clip has "something more". Glad to know is Rayblaster

Hi Massimo,

thanks for you comment.

based on your comment I just checked the files again to be sure and yes the second is Rayblaster.

Next "tasks" will be to reprogram my beloved Jupiter Brass (could i already hear a comment from Kriminal?...) and a resonant filter sweep. Especially resonance is normally difficult to replicate so i am curious about that myself.

The factory sounds already contain a Synth Brass based on a waveform creted from my Moog Slim Phatty called "Phatty Brass IW". at this years Musikmesse i was able to use a Slim Phatty ply-chain at the Moog booth and programmed a comparable sound on that. They guy from Moog seemed to like it. I also programmed such sounds on my Phatty but at the moment i only got a single unit.

As not all slim Phatty waveforms are included with the factory content i'll soon update my free collection with those. This also includes different filter poles (1 up to 4) and different waveshapes (Saw, Square, Triangle, Pulse).


Ingo

[MaxSynths]

based on your comment I just checked the files again to be sure and yes the second is Rayblaster.

[Krakatau]

Ok this is just for fun

Radio GaGa

I wonder if the Tone2 synths really have this "particular sound" and if the golden ears can really recognize which synths have been used here

Could be Gladiator ? (...but you said synthS !)

[Ingonator]

Ok this is just for fun

Radio GaGa

I wonder if the Tone2 synths really have this "particular sound" and if the golden ears can really recognize which synths have been used here

Could be Gladiator ? (...but you said synthS !)

Ok I was just kidding, there are no traps here (I've created this short demo just for fun). The only synth used is ElectraX, by the way the drums are a dry loop so it's strange that you can hear the same effect on it.