One Synth Challenge #76: Mantra Evo (Syntax Project Wins!)

[z.prime]

As of right now, paid plugs are not allowed. Only free or what comes with your DAW.

Maximus comes with my DAW. Also, is that always true? On the list of older OSCs I saw some paid synths...

Yes, if you're using FL Studio, Maximus is fine. Ozone obviously is not as it's a paid 3rd party plugin. Also to answer your original question, sidechaining out of the synth to another plugin (e.g. compressor) is fine.

[fluffy_little_something]

Since that discussion on allowed effects etc. comes up with every OSC, maybe it would make sense to provide a short list of specific free effect (TAL chorus etc.) plugins. No others are allowed, except the synth's internal ones of course.

[MTLE]

Here we go. The promissed patches. 50 presets are inside this bank. Best use in range around C2. Includes Drums, FX sounds, Bass and some more. Hope you have fun or can use it as starting point for your own sound designs.

Shared as is. I'm not responsible for blown speakers, DAWs or minds!

[RichardSemper]

just a quickie - thought this worth mentioning:
Getting a huge DC offset on some patches (in factory bank as well as my own) These so far seem to be only associated with OSC1 (will let you know if it happens with OSC2 later)
Having to use WG Doffset to fix it - this does work when used on each separate instance
http://www.kvraudio.com/product/doffset ... nd/details

This could be speaker-blowing serious as I understand it. How is the best way to detect dc offset? Any more info? Any possibility the author could look at this?

Could this be of relevance:
http://www.synthmaker.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 12&t=11546
J

An interesting forum discussion there

DC Offset is when the the waveform is not even on the top and bottom as compared to the zero line. This can be seen in an audio editor when output to WAV, also can be seen with an oscilloscope in real time, eg. s(m)exoscope:-
http://www.kvraudio.com/product/s_m_exo ... electronix
When this happens it can cause clipping of the signal even at low levels, making mixing and mastering more difficult.

It should be best practice to throw on a high pass filter on pretty much everything, even bass and of course a default setting limiter at the end. A hpf just above 0hz should probably do the trick, or to be safe, maybe stick it at 25hz to stop most dc offset issues I'm thinking.

A dc offset remover is basically a low frequency HPF.

We're here to learn I did not know this. (Although i always use a limiter - esp when sound designing)
Tried a few things on my system, using 'AlienPad' as an example from the factory bank.
WG Doffset fixed the problem as expected.
s(m)exoscope has a DC-Kill option, which appears to fix it but it only changes the oscilloscope behaviour, does not change the output.
Using a high pass filter also fixed it, the simplest and best solution! thanks Brian

[Rcl]

Hmm a new OSC...I'm tempted to try my hand again. I got a little depressed at how low I placed on the first OSC I tried, but since I'm still pretty new at production I guess I did ok just getting a finished song out there. Will have to download the VST and play around with it to see if I can jive with it. I've mostly been playing around with Hive lately now that version 1 came out.

Please under no circumstances judge yourself or your work in this competition. Art is very subjective and the public even more so. I have given 5 points to a to a track that came in dead last and absolutely appalled at things that came in above 10. LOL....maybe its MY taste.....Just to be a part of the GREAT talent displayed here is a reward.

Enjoy have fun and learn.

Peace and carry on.

[MTLE]

It should be best practice to throw on a high pass filter on pretty much everything, even bass and of course a default setting limiter at the end. A hpf just above 0hz should probably do the trick, or to be safe, maybe stick it at 25hz to stop most dc offset issues I'm thinking.

A dc offset remover is basically a low frequency HPF.

We're here to learn I did not know this. (Although i always use a limiter - esp when sound designing)
Tried a few things on my system, using 'AlienPad' as an example from the factory bank.
WG Doffset fixed the problem as expected.
s(m)exoscope has a DC-Kill option, which appears to fix it but it only changes the oscilloscope behaviour, does not change the output.
Using a high pass filter also fixed it, the simplest and best solution! thanks Brian

Yeah, it's correct. I read about it long time ago in a mixing magazine. As I remember they said 20 or 30 Hz for the high pass filter would work. I put this usually on each track and have a HPF on master to. An extra DC offset remover plugin is not necessary.

[bjporter]

We're here to learn I did not know this. (Although i always use a limiter - esp when sound designing)
Tried a few things on my system, using 'AlienPad' as an example from the factory bank.
WG Doffset fixed the problem as expected.
s(m)exoscope has a DC-Kill option, which appears to fix it but it only changes the oscilloscope behaviour, does not change the output.
Using a high pass filter also fixed it, the simplest and best solution! thanks Brian

Sorry Richard if that came off the wrong way! I was kind of musing out loud, and it comes of arrogant! I didn't actually know that either, until I was reading / researching a bit more on the subject, I should have made that clear.

DC offset removal specific algorithms / dsp chains might do more than a HPF, but it looks as though a HPF is a solution.

[Hellfog]

Too bad no Mac version, probably made a track otherwise.

[RichardSemper]

@bjporter
Don't worry, I didn't take it the wrong way! (sorry if i gave that impression - I'm english )
I Love it when i learn something new - and it can improve how i do things

[wagtunes]

Too bad no Mac version, probably made a track otherwise.

Don't feel bad. I'm on Windows and can't find one of 3 DAWs that run this thing without a glitch. So I'll be waiting until July to enter my next OSC.

[bjporter]

@bjporter
Don't worry, I didn't take it the wrong way! (sorry if i gave that impression - I'm english )
I Love it when i learn something new - and it can improve how i do things

Perhaps that explains it, I'm half English / have 'murican, so I guess I half understood

[psmacmur]

So, you guys made me curious, and I finally got Mantra Evo running last night (in Administrator Mode only... grrr ). The Spectrum Meter showed a huge spike in the lowest frequency band, which both supports Richard's observation of a DC offset and Brian's that an HPF is a fix. However, Richard, I'm curious how you realized that it was, in fact, a DC offset, and not just, like, LF noise. I guess they're theoretically the same, but maybe you have a cool analytical tool you're using...

At any rate, jury's still out whether I'll come up with a track using this thing, but it's already been an interesting learning experience!

[Syntilla]

I'm half English / have 'murican

Ooops! - really must get new glasses ... I just misread that as 'half English / half musician' - which is how I normally describe myself.

[bjporter]

So, you guys made me curious, and I finally got Mantra Evo running last night (in Administrator Mode only... grrr ). The Spectrum Meter showed a huge spike in the lowest frequency band, which both supports Richard's observation of a DC offset and Brian's that an HPF is a fix. However, Richard, I'm curious how you realized that it was, in fact, a DC offset, and not just, like, LF noise. I guess they're theoretically the same, but maybe you have a cool analytical tool you're using...

At any rate, jury's still out whether I'll come up with a track using this thing, but it's already been an interesting learning experience!

I think you can tell if you use a good amplitude analyzer. You should see the wave form actually is off base. For example, normally the center of the wave form is at 0 volume, but dc offset it would be like -5 or +5..



DC offset is quite rare apparently, but possible. Richard, i was meaning to ask if you had a preset to share, so we can see the issue.

[bjporter]

I'm half English / have 'murican

Ooops! - really must get new glasses ... I just misread that as 'half English / half musician' - which is how I normally describe myself.

I bet you were like, that bj dude is