One Synth Challenge #109: Fathom Synth by Seaweed Audio (mmGhost wins!)

[løkken]

Click on the center of the modulation amount dial itself within the modulation slat,
so that the small knob center turns white, then click on the Add Mod button.

User's Guide section 5.6.10 Modulating the Modulation Amount.

I was talking about parameter automation in DAW. I wanted modulation amount to appear in the list of plugin parameters available for automation. But never mind. I've already found a workaround.

[RPH]

So I hope people will be willing to contribute their presets to a good cause.

My entry is nearly done, just need some finetuning.
I have almost 30 new presets, a lot were used in my track, and will of course share them.

Besides that have sampled all the (hidden) Yamaha QS300 single cycle waveforms from my Yamaha DB50XG, which i'll provide as well.
Shame I can't import 16 waveforms at once btw, hope you'll add that feature some day.

[FathomSynth]

RPH, Thanks so much, that will be awesome!
Yes, importing a whole folder of single cycle waves is high on the list.

løkken, Hi, I'm so sorry, yes you are absolutely right, currently there is no way to automate the modulation amount, I will figure something out for that soon.

[BbluntProductions]

https://soundcloud.com/bblunt-productio ... om-contest

KVR OSC Fathom Contest

Title: Fat Um
Synth: Fathom (x25)

DAW: Reaper 5

All factory presets tweaked.

Plugins:
ReaComp
ReaXcomp
JS: Bass Manager/Booster
JS: 4x4 EQ
MEqualizer
MSaturator
MAutopan
MBandpass
MLimiter
TAL Dub Delay
KarmaFX Reverb
Ambient Reverb
Variety Of Sound TesslaSE
Terry West CS12m
A1 Stereo Control
BC FreqAnalyst 2

Thanks!

[TrojakEW]

løkken, Hi, I'm so sorry, yes you are absolutely right, currently there is no way to automate the modulation amount, I will figure something out for that soon.

Thats not true. You can assign midi controler modulator to control modulation amount of any modulator. This way you can automate value of midi cc and modulate modulation amount of selected modulator. I already did this before and it works without problem.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

løkken, Hi, I'm so sorry, yes you are absolutely right, currently there is no way to automate the modulation amount, I will figure something out for that soon.

Thats not true. You can assign midi controler modulator to control modulation amount of any modulator. This way you can automate value of midi cc and modulate modulation amount of selected modulator. I already did this before and it works without problem.

Awesome!

[Local Man]

Can someone please explain the ADSR to me, I feel like I am missing something. If you have an ADSR controlling volume then when you play a staccato note the volume should jump from the point you are at (A, D, or S) straight to the release (R). This should be true even if your sustain is set to zero. The problem is, when I set the sustain to zero in Fathom, I can't figure out how to set the release beyond zero without it ramping up after I release the note. Also on most synths, if you set the sustain at zero, when you hold a note so that the decay completely fades away and then you release, you shouldn't hear anything. With Fathom, it will still ramp the signal back up to whatever the release level is. Does that make sense? What am I missing? I just want to have the release take over from whatever level I leave off the sustain (and if that's zero, I want it to stay that way). I looked through the manual but I didn't see a way to fix this.

[TrojakEW]

Not sure if I understand correctly what you are asking. If you have short note and you want to trigger decay phase you have to enable Note Off in ADSR. Also trigger need to be set to note and not song.

[Local Man]

To clarify my point. It seems the only way to control the ADSR is graphically and it also seems that the Sustain level is connected to the Release level (ie if you pull the sustain all the way down, so goes the release). Am I wrong about either of those points? Is there any way to change that behavior?

[TrojakEW]

No. You can have sustain go to zero and have release start at any value you want. As you can see in image sustain is zero but release has its own shape.

[Local Man]

No. You can have sustain go to zero and have release start at any value you want. As you can see in image sustain is zero but release has its own shape.

Yeah, that is exactly what I am trying to do but I can't figure out what is going wrong for me.
By default there are 7 points on the ADSR for me. 1= attack start, 2 = inflection point, 3 = attack end / decay begin, 4 = inflection point, 5 = decay end / release begin, 6 = inflection point, 7 = release end.
From the picture you posted it looks like there is either an extra point between 4 and 5 for you or there is a hard corner at between points 4 and 5. When I adjust point 5 (the one with the wide black bar) it is simultaneously adjusting the sustain point and release start level.
Either I am doing something very foolish or I an going crazy somehow.

[Frostline]

With Fathom, it will still ramp the signal back up to whatever the release level is. Does that make sense? What am I missing? I just want to have the release take over from whatever level I leave off the sustain (and if that's zero, I want it to stay that way). I looked through the manual but I didn't see a way to fix this.

I sort of get what you are saying, but I can't seem to figure out how to set the initial release level higher than the ending sustain level. They seem to always share the same point.
When you first add an ADSR you actually get only 3 segments, so an A and D then a black line if note off is enabled and then a R.
So adding a 4th segment and moving the note-off line so the release starts at note off, that point is shared with the end of sustain segment. So if sustain ramps to zero the release onset point is also at zero.

I only see 3 segments in TrojakEW's image, ADR no S

[FathomSynth]

Sorry, everyone, wish I had stopped by soon to alleviate the agony.

There is a secret to the ADSR.

Fathom is smart enough to guess that if the first point of the release phase is equal to the last point of the sustain phase, then the user probably wants the envelope to always be smooth.

Meaning that if you release a note before the end of the sustain phase it will take what ever level the envelope is currently at and start the release segment from that point proportionately regardless of the amplitude of the start of the release phase.

In the above Frostline diagram if you picked up your finger at S1 then the release would start at amplitude S1 but by proportion through the segment starting at R1. Likewise if you lifted your finger halfway through D it would star the release segment at that amplitude.

However !!!

Fathom also knows that you sometimes might want the release phase to be taken literally.

So if the amplitude of first point of the release phase does not match the amplitude of the last point of the sustain phase, or what ever segment is immediately prior to it, then Fathom will assume that you want the release segment to be taken literally and it will start exactly at the amplitude of its first point regardless of when interrupt the preceding envelope.

I will check the manual and if it does not state this I will add it.

That being said, there is the case where you want the sustain to go to zero but the release to be smooth, and currently it can not handle that case, if this is what people want I can change it, so a release segment of zero amplitude but positive length will equate to a smooth ramp down.

[Local Man]

With Fathom, it will still ramp the signal back up to whatever the release level is. Does that make sense? What am I missing? I just want to have the release take over from whatever level I leave off the sustain (and if that's zero, I want it to stay that way). I looked through the manual but I didn't see a way to fix this.

I sort of get what you are saying, but I can't seem to figure out how to set the initial release level higher than the ending sustain level. They seem to always share the same point.

Yes, this is exactly what I mean.
Unfortunately I don't quite follow the rest of what you wrote. There is a Sustain stage in the initial setting (there is no Hold though if that is what you mean). The level of sustain is the point that corresponds to the note-off line (the thick black bar). In Trojak's image it appears as though that point is at zero, yet there is a vertical line up to the initial Release point (which is higher than the Sustain point). That is what I cannot achieve. If I adjust the inflection point after the Sustain point I can create a straight line down (where the Release start point is lower than the Sustain) but I cannot create the straight line up as in Trojak's image.

[Local Man]

Sorry, everyone, wish I had stopped by soon to alleviate the agony.

There is a secret to the ADSR.

Fathom is smart enough to guess that if the first point of the release phase is equal to the last point of the sustain phase, then the user probably wants the envelope to always be smooth.

Meaning that if you release a note before the end of the sustain phase it will take what ever level the envelope is currently at and start the release segment from that point proportionately regardless of the amplitude of the start of the release phase.

In the above Frostline diagram if you picked up your finger at S1 then the release would start at amplitude S1 but by proportion through the segment starting at R1. Likewise if you lifted your finger halfway through D it would star the release segment at that amplitude.

However !!!

Fathom also knows that you sometimes might want the release phase to be taken literally.

So if the amplitude of first point of the release phase does not match the amplitude of the last point of the sustain phase, or what ever segment is immediately prior to it, then Fathom will assume that you want the release segment to be taken literally and it will start exactly at the amplitude of its first point regardless of when interrupt the preceding envelope.

I will check the manual and if it does not state this I will add it.

Sorry, I missed this post while typing. I will see if this eases my confusion. Thanks.