One Synth Challenge #155: Any One Synth (Photonic Wins!)

[L-EctroBit]

I realise using samples for the sounds them selves is not allowed - but is it OK to add vocal and or movie samples to a track just to spice it up a bit, or is any sample what ever kind of sample strictly prohibited.

OSC Rules

Samples:

- No use of samples, sample libraries or live sounds (like voice, guitar etc allowed).
However, for convenience or CPU saving, synth bouncing are allowed but only where the EXACT same result could have been achieved using the original synth: - This means that for example pitching and reversing is not allowed; sampling a bass drum in order to get a consistent sound is not allowed either.
Samplers used must be host samplers or freeware and easily available.

- More Clarification: Audio must not be touched at all once it leaves the DAW (i.e. after bouncing a track or a stem). For example: One cannot master the audio in another software or service. Also, If you need more performance / CPU a workaround is to freeze all the tracks.

[IV!]

Happy New Year, gang!
I'm sorry, I haven't managed to join in for most of last year. Not sure what this one may look like, but with "any synth" it's certainly off to an open season!

Well, I wish us all a wonderful year, hopefully with some great new freebie synths and with plenty of musical inspiration!

Hi, Taron! Happy New Year! As Any synth I recommend Triple Cheese!

[Taron]

Heheh, hey, IV! Nah, I'm thinking of either one from FullBucket, or Surge. I always miss those rounds for some reason.

[FrogsInPants]

I'd like to hear what Taron can do with Bucket Pops.

[astralprojection]

I realise using samples for the sounds them selves is not allowed - but is it OK to add vocal and or movie samples to a track just to spice it up a bit, or is any sample what ever kind of sample strictly prohibited.

strictly prohibited

ok

[ElVincente]

Mmm I wonder would something like bitwig's grid be ok ? I mean without any sampler module of course...

[FrogsInPants]

Mmm I wonder would something like bitwig's grid be ok ? I mean without any sampler module of course...

I don't see why not.

[Aro]

Well, I wish us all a wonderful year, hopefully with some great new freebie synths and with plenty of musical inspiration!

Happy New Year Taron! And to everyone too! I'm feeling like its going to be a year of deep rooted growth with this community. So much to learn!

[doctorbob]

Yeah! HNY Mr. T! Another year, another 12 OSC's to do ...

dB

[Taron]

Gosh, makes me hang my head in shame, considering last years quota... 1? 2? Oh, hey, if I put those together I have 12!
Nice to "see" all of you again!

[IV!]

1? 2? Oh, hey, if I put those together I have 12!

Hah, that's how I usually think of them!

[Leonard Bowman]

Hello folks! I think I'm going to use Humonica and maybe even create something that sounds like EDM
I do have another one of those little rules questions: since it's a JS synth, I can edit the source within Reaper and make some change to the synth. In particular, I can expand the parameter ranges since some of them are strangely limited.
It's easy to do - just change two lines. to make the upper sweep limit 48 instead of its default 12, here's the changes to make.
line 26:

Code: Select all

slider18:timbre_shift_sustain_semitones=0<-48,12>-Timbre shift sustain (semitones) 

change the 12 (upper parameter limit) to 48

line 946:

Code: Select all

ui_automate(timbre_shift_sustain_semitones, labelled_dial(timbre_shift_sustain_semitones, -48, 12, -2.8, "Sweep", "%.1f st", 0)); 

change the 12(upper GUI limit) to 48, change the -2.8 (response curve) to 0.

Is there any big rules problem with me changing the parameter range like this? I'm still only using one synth, as this change affects all instances.

[RichardSemper]

Hello folks! I think I'm going to use Humonica and maybe even create something that sounds like EDM
I do have another one of those little rules questions: since it's a JS synth, I can edit the source within Reaper and make some change to the synth. In particular, I can expand the parameter ranges since some of them are strangely limited.
It's easy to do - just change two lines. to make the upper sweep limit 48 instead of its default 12, here's the changes to make.
line 26:

Code: Select all

slider18:timbre_shift_sustain_semitones=0<-48,12>-Timbre shift sustain (semitones) 

change the 12 (upper parameter limit) to 48

line 946:

Code: Select all

ui_automate(timbre_shift_sustain_semitones, labelled_dial(timbre_shift_sustain_semitones, -48, 12, -2.8, "Sweep", "%.1f st", 0)); 

change the 12(upper GUI limit) to 48, change the -2.8 (response curve) to 0.

Is there any big rules problem with me changing the parameter range like this? I'm still only using one synth, as this change affects all instances.

As far as I can tell there is nothing in the rules covering this scenario. As a JS synth the code is open to be easily modified.
I suppose it depends on the extent and purpose of the modifications i.e. they should not be used to get around other OSC rules limitations, so full disclosure is desirable, and any code changes should be freely available to all.
Changing parameter ranges seems fine to me in this context.

Any reasonable objections?

[Tj Shredder]

If you would program your own synth, this would be allowed as well I guess. Modifying parameter ranges in the source isn't really different to modify an exposed parameter of a given preset in any synth... Going to 11 isn't against the rules as long its inside the synth...

[z.prime]

Hiya! I was wondering how some of the commercial synths were on the CPU, so I did a little bit of testing with some synths I have that were candidates to use for the month. I was surprised by some of the results. Here are the tests I did:

1) Kicks

Since kicks are sorta indicative of a percussive sound that would frequently need to be playing in many musical genres, I thought this would be interesting to know, a basic 1-voice thing. I tried to set this up in each synth as close to the same:

• 1 volume env
• 2 mod envelopes - MSEG wherever possible
• one main sine/wavetable oscillator with both envelopes on pitch
• second noise oscillator with env2 on level
• LPF with env1 on cutoff

Here are the results:

kick-numbers.png

2) Saw Chord Stacks

The next test was saw chord stacks... not too different, I suppose, but stacks of 8 notes - something that is a staple to very many electronic songs:

• 1 volume env
• 1 mod envelope - all ADSR
• one main saw oscillator
• LPF (ladder or other "analog") with mod envelope on cutoff

Results:

chord-numbers.png

3) Idle

Of course, using one synth means having a lot of instances. If they are using a bunch of CPU when doing nothing, it is no fun (ahem Aalto, ahem):

idle.png

One of the most surprising things to me is that Serum is at the low end of CPU usage, almost the best in every case. It is not really a surprise that Massive X and Diva were pretty heavy. I was expecting Vital to be on the lower end, or maybe hoping, but alas it is not and the idle CPU is not ideal. I was also surprised Falcon was so good but man is that thing clunky to program! Also someone who shall remain nameless told me Phase Plant was very good on the CPU, but it seems not to be the case.

There is a thread on discord with audio samples if you want to hear.

If there are other synths you might be interested in, I could possibly add it, if I own the synth already.

Anyway, if you're considering one of these synths there's some more information for you! I have pretty much settled on Serum if I can manage to make a track at all, but might change my mind...