One Synth Challenge #148: Kuma 508 by beatassist.eu (Jasinski Wins!)

[ELEX]

Maybe useful for those who, like me, are struggling somewhat with the V/oct scaling of the pitch knob - conversion from frequency ratio to cents and V/oct:
cents = log ( ratio ) / log ( 2^(1/1200 ) ) ≈ log ( ratio ) * 3986.31 ( not needed for Kuma 508, but useful in many other synths )
V = cents / 1200 ≈ log ( ratio ) * 3.32193 ( add or subtract 1 to shift an octave )

[IV!]

I just said this in Slack, and I'll repeat it here. Personally, for me (Kuma VST3, Windows 7 64-bit), pitch knobs works like this: if the initial value is "crooked", I rotate the pitch knob to one of the extreme positions (2/-2; or 3/-3 for pitch envelope), after which the pitch knob works with a fixed pitch of 0.02 (0.03 for pitch envelope) and is easily set to 0 even without ctrl. Either I'm the only one using the VST3 64-bit version on Windows 7, or I've caught a persistent bug for easy setup! In any case, I advise everyone to check this method

[TrojakEW]

I think you could "simulate" velocity with DAWs like Bitwig.

Yup I know how to deal with it but it is kind of annoying and too much work especially when you have limited time to make the track.

Reset pitches to zero is best done in the DAW. In Reaper, switch to the generic UI (press the UI button at the top), and then you can double click the pitch items to reset to zero! Job done.

Yeah, it's kind of crummy you can't reset the pitch knobs in the plugin itself. It seems you have to use whatever your DAW provides to set plugin parameters outside the plugin's GUI.

Yes this is how I do it now but again it is not very fast approach since I need always open parameter window for each instance every time I want to change it.

But thank you all for confirming that it is not problem on my side.

[Ranoka]

The problem with SynthEdit synths is always the UI, especially the knobs!
I'm fine with the patches not being installed by default because judging from the YT video they're not worth looking at.

The FM routing took a little figuring out but I think I got it now! This thing can definitely make some interesting sounds if you play with it.

The reverb doesn't seem to let me make it quieter which is weird, the mix knob only controls how wet/dry it is but not fully. I can't tell the difference between the 2 reverbs yet, but the 2 distortions definitely sound different!

There doesn't seem to be a global LFO - the LFOs seem to always re-trigger. And I didn't find a way to make the synth mono/legato.

The best thing is this synth uses hardly any CPU so we can stack the instances to mix in a little bit of the reverb with a duplicate instance.

I haven't had any crashes yet which is good! I'm currently using the VST2, Bitwig 3.3 in Windows 10.

[TheFrozenSea]

Many (though not *that* many) drones later... a demo emerges.

I'd love to hear some comments, is it too simple? Too lazy? I feel I took the easy way out but strictly musically speaking I think it'll be crowded if I keep adding stuff just to be diligent. It's quite a short "song" after all.

Also please if anyone has comments on the mix, do share them. All I have is some light EQ and I can't come up with any reason to add anything else honestly.

https://soundcloud.com/thefrozen-sea/a- ... -cage-demo

[schiing]

Many (though not *that* many) drones later... a demo emerges.

I'd love to hear some comments, is it too simple? Too lazy? I feel I took the easy way out but strictly musically speaking I think it'll be crowded if I keep adding stuff just to be diligent. It's quite a short "song" after all.

Also please if anyone has comments on the mix, do share them. All I have is some light EQ and I can't come up with any reason to add anything else honestly.

https://soundcloud.com/thefrozen-sea/a- ... -cage-demo

A few thoughts from the Ted Mountainé Studios: The sounds are pleasant, and you don't necessarily need to add any stuff, but I miss some "push-and-pull" between them.

Just some freeform thinking from here on: Perhaps fade in from the start? And I think I'd hold back on the bass note occasionally with some automation, possibly even start with some of the brighter frequencies and save the low bass for a revelatory "aaaah" moment later on, along with the white noise swooshes. Certainly more movement between high/low frequencies throughout, I think. Maybe some panning automation as well.

And maximalist-me can definitely imagine a big, fat, but reluctant D major resolution with tears of joy in its eyes in the finale.

Again, just stream-of-consciousness ideas, stuff I think I'd might consider in a similar scenario

For my own part, Kuma is taking me in a totally different direction: At the moment I'm in Donna Summer '77 territory.

[TheFrozenSea]

Many (though not *that* many) drones later... a demo emerges.

I'd love to hear some comments, is it too simple? Too lazy? I feel I took the easy way out but strictly musically speaking I think it'll be crowded if I keep adding stuff just to be diligent. It's quite a short "song" after all.

Also please if anyone has comments on the mix, do share them. All I have is some light EQ and I can't come up with any reason to add anything else honestly.

https://soundcloud.com/thefrozen-sea/a- ... -cage-demo

A few thoughts from the Ted Mountainé Studios: The sounds are pleasant, and you don't necessarily need to add any stuff, but I miss some "push-and-pull" between them.

Just some freeform thinking from here on: Perhaps fade in from the start? And I think I'd hold back on the bass note occasionally with some automation, possibly even start with some of the brighter frequencies and save the low bass for a revelatory "aaaah" moment later on, along with the white noise swooshes. Certainly more movement between high/low frequencies throughout, I think. Maybe some panning automation as well.

And maximalist-me can definitely imagine a big, fat, but reluctant D major resolution with tears of joy in its eyes in the finale.

Again, just stream-of-consciousness ideas, stuff I think I'd might consider in a similar scenario

For my own part, Kuma is taking me in a totally different direction: At the moment I'm in Donna Summer '77 territory.

Thank you for your feedback! It's greatly appreciated, and I do agree with some of your ideas. Others give me different ideas. Your suggestion of a final D major made me put into words for myself how the alternating D major/F# minor over A can express some kind of ambivalence from the title. Pseudo-intellectual babble ahead. I'm in a cage, which is bad (minor), but it *is* brand new, which is good. Of course there is a bizarre element to this focus on the cage so I don't want to end on a clear major feel, rather back in ambivalence. But I do want to amplify the automation and shifts between major and minor chords, so I'll go back and rewrite that automation and maybe add some voices to strengthen the chords.

Kuma 508 going Donna Summer sounds interesting haha, can't wait to hear it!

[Eauson]

Nvm

[3lu5iv3]

not gonna be participating this month but break a leg everyone.

[TrojakEW]

Here is my short submission. Kind of positive vibe since I feel good.
https://soundcloud.com/trojakew/paradise

FL Studio 20.6
16 instances of Kuma 508 by beatassist.eu

DAW FX's:
5x Fruity parametric EQ 2, 3x Fruity Reeverb 2, 2x Maximus, 2x Fruity Multiband Compressor, 2x Fruity Limiter, 1x EQUO, 1x Fruity Center, 1x Fruity Peak Controller

Other FX's:
4x OrilRiver, 5x zOne ArxOne, 2x zOne Amplio 2

A lot of automation to kind of simulate velocity for most instruments. Mostly automated volume and internal filters but also some pitch bending too. Not good result with velocity because this will not affect each note when played chords or fast played parts. Developer should really improve controls especially for pitch because setting values through DAW is cumbersome. Also note velocity is must. FM synthesis is cool for almost any sounds type but without amp and filter velocity result will be really crippled. I will rather have less operators in exchange for this simple feature.

[ontrackp]

This months entry:
https://soundcloud.com/ontrackp/ontrack ... uma-suture

21 Instances of Kuma in Logic Pro X. Logic compressors, EQ, Reverbs. OTT on kick. Nova (free) on Master bus, Leveling Tool on a few tracks, Limiter No 6, SPAN.

This synth turned out to be more fun than I thought it would be. A couple of things for the developer:
It would be good if you could implement a way to get the pitch controls back to zero.
Add a LFO depth control!!!!
Add Velocity Sensitivity - pain to have to use the DAW automation for that.

I thought the sounds from this were good and it has a lot of potential.

[TheFrozenSea]

My submission, final version.

https://soundcloud.com/thefrozen-sea/a-brand-new-cage

Cubase Pro 9
13 instances of Kuma 508
3 instances of lkjb QRange Equalizer
1 instance of Cubase stock Limiter

[WYG_E]

Where did everybody go?

[SeBaer]

Where did everybody go?

Maybe melted in the heat...?

[doctorbob]

Heat????????? Was only 12 deg C here yesterday ... and rain ... bah humbug!
dB