Xhun Audio : ResonHeart - mechanical synthesizer - updated to version 1.0.7 (sound design toolkit)

[xhunaudio]

Hi,

the question may be : (in your productions / everyday life) are you strictly ADDICTED to analogue-electronics devices sound, or are you prone to experiment with something *radically* new ?

There would be a lot to say about this, I think. And I'm very inclined to do it because of my "electrons-free" project. Since it is at early development stage - and for me it would be too hard too explain everything at once - let's just publish this first, simple, 5-notes audio demo from a device never seen before.

https://soundcloud.com/xhun-audio/elect ... ion-drones

It does NOT sound analogue, it has no Zero-Delay-Feedback filters (...it has no filters at all...), no built-in flangers or vacuum tubes. Indeed it is 100% electrons-free.

So, may this sound/approach find a place into your productions ?

As always, any comment is welcome

PS : I forgot to say I'm talking about a physical modeling based virtual instrument.

EDIT : ResonHeart (mechanical synthesizer) has been released on October 1st (discussion from page 8 on this thread).

[Halonmusic]

Yes, Yes and yes! !! when Will this be out?

[xhunaudio]

Yes, Yes and yes! !! when Will this be out?

Hi, it's too early to say - as I stated, it's at early dev stage. Not too early, but there's a lot of work to do yet.

The basic idea was "what if electricity was never discovered" (or at least, what if electricity diffusion was not in the plans of the Industrial Revolution) ?

Would it be possible to make a synthesizer (an "audio synthesis device / machine") without using electricity at all?

Think about it as a "dystopian" timeline. What kind of synthesis devices would we have by using only mechanical technologies from the 1850s ? (it's not a typo , not 1950s but 1850s = 170 years ago)

[jbraner]

I'd say - of course this approach should have a place.

I didn't hear too much "special" in that clip - but I'd also say that there's no need to slavishly stick to the "no electrons" approach. Just adapt accordingly while gong down your "new path"

[xhunaudio]

The approach here is very uncommon indeed. The idea is to build (in the virtual realm) a "real" device using the physical modeling technology - to build something original that could be built tomorrow in our realty, using pumps, iron and wood, as happened for pump/pipe organs.

You suggest an "hybrid" approach instead, it is perfectly understandable. But it would destroy the idea of a real, genuine acoustic synthesizer. I wish I'll have the ability to fully explain what the hell I'm doing exactly, without releasing a too much "abstract / conceptual" product - it would be counterproductive.

[Halonmusic]

Yes, Yes and yes! !! when Will this be out?

Hi, it's too early to say - as I stated, it's at early dev stage. Not too early, but there's a lot of work to do yet.

The basic idea was "what if electricity was never discovered" (or at least, what if electricity diffusion was not in the plans of the Industrial Revolution) ?

Would it be possible to make a synthesizer (an "audio synthesis device / machine") without using electricity at all?

Think about it as a "dystopian" timeline. What kind of synthesis devices would we have by using only mechanical technologies from the 1850s ? (it's not a typo , not 1950s but 1850s = 170 years ago)

Ok cool

[Kumi_27]

to build something original that could be built tomorrow in our realty, using pumps, iron and wood, as happened for pump/pipe organs.

To be honest, church pipe organs can be very well considered as additive synthesizers

[JerGoertz]

Sounds good, am interested.

[xhunaudio]

To be honest, church pipe organs can be very well considered as additive synthesizers

Exactly, you got the point. My Electrons-Free project (EFP) has several aspects in common with a Pipe Organ.

Let's say, for example - as an analogue synthesizer is a device based on analogue electronics components arranged to resemble a spectral-modeling/subtractive-synthesis system (in most cases) , a pipe / pump organ is a device based on acoustic, mechanical components arranged to resemble a spectral-modeling/additive-synthesis system. Both can be considered synthesizers, from a wider perspective.

So, EFP has several aspects in common with a pipe organ but it is also different. Pipe Organs use pipes (...) while EFP don't. Pipe Organs have no amplitude (air amount / turbulence) modulation or tuning (telescopic pipes) automations. EFP does. So it's different from an Organ but for some aspects it could be considered similar, though EFP is a little bit more complex on some aspects.

One of the differences between the two is also that EFP could reach a greater sound-designing versatility than a Pipe Organ. But essentially EFP and Pipe Organs are both acoustic systems/generators, so in comparison, an analogue synth is vastly more versatile from a sound designing perspective.

EFP will not be your next "bread-and-butter" synth/system. It will never fully replace other synthesis systems. It's something different, it sounds "acoustic" but can be programmed using parameters fairly "similar" to the ones you would find on a electronic device.

[ricowave202]

Sounds pretty cool

[Local Man]

The approach here is very uncommon indeed. The idea is to build (in the virtual realm) a "real" device using the physical modeling technology - to build something original that could be built tomorrow in our realty, using pumps, iron and wood, as happened for pump/pipe organs.

You suggest an "hybrid" approach instead, it is perfectly understandable. But it would destroy the idea of a real, genuine acoustic synthesizer. I wish I'll have the ability to fully explain what the hell I'm doing exactly, without releasing a too much "abstract / conceptual" product - it would be counterproductive.

This is very intriguing!
When I first listened to the audio example, I thought, 'OK another type of digital synthesis, it sounds fine I guess.' But then reading your description again and listening more carefully I could here something different. At first even though it didnt sound like subtractive analog synthesis, it still sounded "electronic." But after understanding the concept better, I can hear a kind of friction in the signal instead of a typical electronic oscillation. It would be very interesting to be able to virtually manipulate a highly advanced mechanical synthesizer.
Obviously, it is still electronic if it is utilizing DSP and of course the general idea has been done before with physical modeling Synths, but it seems as though you are trying to take the concept a bit further than what's been done so far. Very cool!

[Tj Shredder]

If that example does not have reverb backed in, it certainly has a long resonance and a huge resonating body. It does not sound new and not even electron-free.
Acoustical tonal sound sources are tubes, strings, plates with various materials and exaltations. In a physical model it is possible to modulate properties which cannot be varied that easily in the real world. And on top one could add some rattling materials like in a hurdy-gurdy or in African kalimbas...

[xhunaudio]

In a physical model it is possible to modulate properties which cannot be varied that easily in the real world.

Here's one of the most intriguing (at least for me) and enjoyable (from my perspective) things of all the story behind EFP. "Shortcuts" are banned.

You'll never see a feature in EFP that can't be replicated in our real world. For example, it contains a mechanical modulator that *resembles* a sine LFO - but it isn't a sine and obviously it isn't an electronic LFO. It is made exclusively of mechanical parts, its "sine waveform" is given by the aperture/closure "timings" and "curves" of commercially available pneumatic valves and its max reachable opening/closing "frequency" is coherent with the materials involved (I had a dive into pneumatic valves market for the first time in my life - sometimes there are things you might never expect to be so interesting...).

PS (my confession) :
I said electrons-free. For some aspects, in some areas of EFP, I simulated "Pneumatic Solenoid Valves" specifically. No electrons or electricity in the "synthesis mechanics" itself, but Pneumatic Solenoid Valves have a very basic electronics and magnets-based aperture/closure activation. Shame on me.

[ztrauq]

So, the concept is to create a never-before-seen physical instrument representing synthesis done without electricity... which is then physically modeled as a plugin running on a computer using electricity

All kidding aside, though, very cool concept that I will definitely be keeping an eye on. I do have to ask, though: will you also try to build the actual, physical device this will be simulating/modeling? Because that would be absolutely fascinating to see/hear...

[Tj Shredder]

Those who do physical modeling of analog electronic gear, usually have it, to verify the correctness of the model. It would be a great story as well, to actually build the imagined acoustic instrument, at least in sounding parts. Share some pics and blog about it. The whole maker scene will love it...