Mvocoder usage tips

[Starship Krupa]

Now that I've vented about the documentation, I'd like to post some advice for using MVocoder, the kind of thing that I think could be part of the manual.

First, to route it, put it as an effect on the track you want to use as the carrier (traditionally a synth with a harmonically rich waveform). Then send the audio you want to use as the modulator (traditionally voice) to it via sidechain. Make sure the send is good and hot.

For any type of vocoding you want to try, hitting the modulator hard with with a fast compressor will make things easier. Setting it for a ratio up around 10:1, a release around 100mS and experimenting with the compressor's attack can help emphasize (or de-emphasize) consonants. From the Melda stable, MCompressor works best due to the straightforward metering and controls. You're not looking for "character" and complexity, you're trying to smash it.

A couple of basic recipes: to get a Tupac "California" type of sound, use a "buzzy" mono synth patch for the carrier. Triangle waveforms work well. To get a breathy Kraftwerk "Autobahn" type of sound, use a poly pad with lots of "air" in it. In both cases, something with a fast attack is good to emphasize the vocal attack.

I've also had fun with using MAutoPitch on the vocal modulator, using the gender switching presets to change the formants and pitch. If you want to add glitchiness, MAutoPitch can be set up that way, or maybe some of the weirder plug-ins (I've not yet tried them).

In MVocoder itself, I haven't yet strayed far from the presets, but I do like the effect of setting the mode to "dual." I don't know that that means, but it spreads the stereo field out. I suggest downloading from the Preset Exchange to get a collection of presets with more descriptive names to get you started. "Vocoder Fast" from Zentralmassiv was my starting point for the above recipes.

[Schopenhauer]

Thanks for this Starship, I've always used Waldorf's Lector never tried MVocoder till I read your post. Much simpler and understandable but still lots I'm not too sure about.
Really interesting evening trying to get this thing to talk. Best efforts was using an Arturias Farfisa pad as the modulator on a Kontakt track with some nice warm buzzy hard pads with some mod on the Formant Shift. Turned the Bands up around 70-80 (starts to eat at the CPU) Started with the factory 'Bimettallism sargent' (!?)

So much fun with this thing.

[MeldaProduction]

Thanks Starship and no worries, I know about the docs. The problem usually is, that with so many features, I'd have to stop developing and spend a few years writing and there's another problem - everyone has a different level. Some people feel like gain and panorama are obvious, others are not sure (believe it or not).

Schopenhauer: Yeah, each band is like multiple bands of an EQ actually, so 80 bands of the lowest order is already like a dozen equalizers being quite overused , that's going to take some CPU.

[Starship Krupa]

Thanks Starship and no worries, I know about the docs. The problem usually is, that with so many features, I'd have to stop developing and spend a few years writing and there's another problem - everyone has a different level. Some people feel like gain and panorama are obvious, others are not sure (believe it or not).

I hear you loud and clear. And with the developer writing the documentation, I get that they know the product better than anyone else ever could. It probably all seems obvious after you've spent months developing it.

(If I have any insight into this, it's from working at software companies of various sizes in Silicon Valley (from Adobe and Informix down to Addstor). I've written documentation based on engineers' notes. I also own my own company and I wear all the hats)

If I may offer a suggestion: you have the most engaged user base I've ever seen for a plug-in company, bar none. Might it be helpful for us to suggest documentation addenda when we notice something as I did, that I couldn't find the basic routing recipe?

What is missing for me is usage tips. For the more "out there" and innovative plug-ins, there are no precedents to go by, as the ad copy says, they are like no others, so I have no baseline knowledge to start from. For instance, the best source audio to try it with.

It would also be great if there were some way to make user-written text tutorials like mine more easily available. For instance, I've been having confusion around how to get better results from MAutoAlign, and people on the forum say that it's been much-discussed. However, when I try to search for "MAutoAlign tips" on the forum, the search engine kicks me out saying that the terms are too common.

Thanks for listening, as always.

[LaNonchalance]

+1!!

[MeldaProduction]

I'd like that. The problem here is that whenever I tried something like that, I ended up rewriting the whole thing anyway... Perhaps it's my OCD , I like to have everything correct, but still. But who knows, hopefully we'll get to that!