Synapse Audio OBSESSION is now available!

[Ingonator]

Okay, I can hear (and see on the spectral analyzer) a TINY difference with the filter treble with the Presence knob cranked all the way up when the filter is almost all the way open. Too subtle. If that's how it is on the original OB-Xa then...well...it's still too subtle.

I have the same beef with the Variance "trimmers" in Diva. They are SO subtle that I hardly have any use for them....and I love Diva with the white hot passion of a thousand suns. I just think the trimpots should have a more noticeable effect...in both Diva and Obsession.

Those things are only there to accurately emulate the behaviour of the real thing, they have no use beyond that, which is why nobody puts 'em into synths that aren't emulations.

Independent of the default voice variations for me so far for tweaking purposes the most useful parameters at the voice trimmer pages are the "Frequency" knobs in the Osc section. This can be used to detune voices and the oscillators and to adjust the Unison detune (up to more extreme values like in my "Ultrasaw Lead IW" patch and also with polyphonic patches like e.g. "Hyperbrass IW"). I also used the SEMI parameter in some patches where you can set the coarse tune of the voices between -24 and +24 semitones which makes it possible to have the Unison play at 5 octaves.

[Arashi]

Many thanks for the tip. I noticed Odyssey on sale and today was the last day I think. It sounds great - Cheers!

Thanks for the heads up. I have an ARP Odyssey module, but have wanted to check out the plugin version for awhile to see how they stack up, and hopefully have a virtual version that sounds pretty close and has all the benefits of a plugin (patch storage, polyphony, fits in my laptop, etc.).

Everything is on sale except the upgrade from the Legacy Collection (which I have), so I just bought the Odyssey directly…only $40.

[revvy]

This has been my first Synapse synth. Did I read before that for Legend there was a Synapse comparison video between the SW and a Mini? Will there be similar for Obsession?

[Richard_Synapse]

Yes we are planning one, similar to The Legend

Richard

[revvy]

Yes we are planning one, similar to The Legend

Richard

Excellent, looking forward to it!

[nirm123]

speaking of legend, should there be also vst fx plugin for Obsession ?

[aMUSEd]

speaking of legend, should there be also vst fx plugin for Obsession ?

Yes please, that shimmer verb is nice and sparkly!

[Ingonator]

speaking of legend, should there be also vst fx plugin for Obsession ?

Yes please, that shimmer verb is nice and sparkly!

+1000

[e-crooner]

Was the filter track control really either 0 or 100 percent? Sounds like two rather extreme options to choose from
How about a half-lit LED (like with the OSC2 to filter button) indicating 50%?

Yes the original OB-Xa only had 0% or 100% filter keytracking. The 50% setting for Osc 2 volume was implemented as a separate button while in OBsession it is implemented in a single button (and you can override this setting in the mod matrix).

In OBSession with the KEY button activated in the filter section you can "override" the filter keytracking amount by assigning a "Const" mod source to "Flt Keytrack". The mod amout has a range of -100 to +100 so you can use negative keytracking if needed. A value of +100 gives the same result as with 100% keytrackiing.

In my own patches i rarely used 100% filter keytracking so i am happy that this can be freely adjusted.
IIMHO this is one of the major improvements in OBsession compared to a real OB-Xa.

FWIW i would prefer a dedicated filter ketracking knob but with the current implementation you can either use it like in the real OB-Xa or have it freely adjustable via the mod matrix. With a dedicated knob you might not get access to negative key tracking except if the knob would be bipolar. If a knob would be implemented in the future it could be compatible with existing patches when the mod matrix setting like with the current on/off button can still override the knob setting (which should be 100% in the existing patches).

On the other hand instead of replacing buttons with knobs to save mod matrix slot it would make more sense to have more mod matrix slots in a future update.

I am not sure that is the case, the keytracking via the mod matrix seems to be stronger than the button, and the two seem to somehow add up when both are applied at the same time.

[dionenoid]

Not a biggie, but why can't you switch the fx on from the fx page, unless they are switched on at the main page ? This works for a 1 page synth like Dune3, but here it's just unnecessary clicking...

[Ingonator]

I am not sure that is the case, the keytracking via the mod matrix seems to be stronger than the button, and the two seem to somehow add up when both are applied at the same time.

Not with the way that i explained in my post.

There are two options for adding filter keytracking and assigning a "Const" source to "Flt Keytrack" (= 1st option) at +100 has the same result as with the TRACK button at 100% (= on).

Assigning the 2 different keytracking mod sources ("Keytrck C0" and "Keytrk C4") to Cutoff indeed gives a different result. When the TRACK button is activated the modulation in the mod matrix indeed adds up to the 100% from the button.
For the 1st option the TRACK button in the filter section has to be activated to get it working, for the 2nd one that usees the keytrack mod sources not.

I my own patches i only used the first option with the TRACK button activated and "Const" assigned to "Flt Keytrack".

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Not a biggie, but why can't you switch the fx on from the fx page, unless they are switched on at the main page ? This works for a 1 page synth like Dune3, but here it's just unnecessary clicking...

I agree. There's definitely a lot of clicking around with this one. I have a few workflow suggestions:

1. Global FX button should be mirrored on page 2

2. GUI size should be put in the right-click menu so I can click it from anywhere. This also frees up space for...

3. Toggle Page 1/2 button should be top-left (where the GUI size is) so my mouse is closer to the Mod Matrix. When I go to Page 2, this is usually why I'm going to page 2, so put my mouse cursor in the area. Or maybe in both places.

4. Lots of clicking with Voice Edit modes: keyboard shortcuts possible? Left/Right arrow to move between voices?

5. Could use some mouse modifiers and shortcuts for the active Voices indicators (for instance, click and drag/swipe to turn multiple voices on off, double click or alt-click to solo a voice)

6. Also, I find myself regularly finding myself in Voice Edit mode when I don't mean to be. I'll move the Attack knob on my controller and not see it update on the GUI, and I'll think "what the hell?" Then boom! Oh yeah, I'm in voice edit mode. Might be some kind of way to make it more obvious to user's they're in this mode. The GUI is kind of dark to begin with so the x'd out buttons and small red indicator in the bottom left aren't as obvious as perhaps they could be. Not sure what the solution might be here.

My wrists have been in bad shape lately and the less clicking/mousing, the better IMO. I have my controller mapped to many of the main items, but I still do a considerable amount of mousing around due to some of the above.

[e-crooner]

I am not sure that is the case, the keytracking via the mod matrix seems to be stronger than the button, and the two seem to somehow add up when both are applied at the same time.

There are two options for adding keytracking and assigning a "Const" source to "Flt Keytrack" (= 1st option) at +100 has the same result as with the TRACK button at 100% (= on).

Assigning the 2 different keytracking mod sources ("Keytrck C0" and "Keytrk C4") to Cutoff indeed gives a different result. When the TRACK button is activated the modulation in the mod matrix indeed adds up to the 100% from the button.
For the 1st option the TRACK button in the filter section has to be activated to get it working, for the 2nd one that usees the keytrack mod sources not.

I my own patches i only used the first option with the TRACK button activated and "Const" assigned to "Flt Keytrack".

What does using a constant value as a modulation source for filter keytracking even do? Adding what to what?

When the Track button is off, there actually seems to be negative keytracking (judging from what I hear when playing very low and very high notes with the cutoff frequency and mod amount both set to zero).

[e-crooner]

I know I said it before, but again, please fix the osc 1 frequency selector. I have to do five full mouse wheel scrolls in order to switch to the next octave (unless I dial back in the other direction, which only requires a single notch the way it should be).

[Ingonator]

I am not sure that is the case, the keytracking via the mod matrix seems to be stronger than the button, and the two seem to somehow add up when both are applied at the same time.

There are two options for adding keytracking and assigning a "Const" source to "Flt Keytrack" (= 1st option) at +100 has the same result as with the TRACK button at 100% (= on).

Assigning the 2 different keytracking mod sources ("Keytrck C0" and "Keytrk C4") to Cutoff indeed gives a different result. When the TRACK button is activated the modulation in the mod matrix indeed adds up to the 100% from the button.
For the 1st option the TRACK button in the filter section has to be activated to get it working, for the 2nd one that usees the keytrack mod sources not.

I my own patches i only used the first option with the TRACK button activated and "Const" assigned to "Flt Keytrack".

What does using a constant value as a modulation source for filter keytracking even do? Adding what to what?

When the Track button is off, there actually seems to be negative keytracking (judging from what I hear when playing very low and very high notes with the cutoff frequency and mod amount both set to zero).

A "Const" mod source is nothing else than a "Constant" value like the name suggests, opposing to using e.g. a LFO or an envelope. In the case of assigning "Const" to "Flt Keytrack" the Const value represents the keytracking percentage. With "Osc 1/2 Semi" coarse tuning it represents the amount of semitones (+24 for +2 octaves).
When assigned to Osc 1/2 pulse width it is relative to the value set in the main GUI so not an absolute value, same with the Cutoff, the Osc volumes and the Volume mod destination. This is why you can enhance the range of the Cutoff and pulse width this way (or reduce it with a negative mod amount). When used with the "Volume" destination you can make the patch louder when it is too quiet. I had used that for some of my patches. In this case assigning velocity to the volume still works properly, just the overall volume will be increased.

When the TRACK button is off and no filter keytracking modulation is used in the mod matrix i dooubt that there is negative keytracking added.