SWAY - a synth modeled after the Yamaha SY77

[sheaf]

I ultimately had to increase the echo density a bit to make them sound smoother than the SY77. I did this because I couldn't reproduce the metallic sounding resonances at the exact same frequencies (which in hindsight was a bit naive to think I could do so in the first place).

Sorry if I'm going to add some fuel to the fire just now...

IIRC one can load custom samples to a SY77 via that WaveBlade card? Maybe (if you have one) you could add a single full-scale sample (impulse) and test the reverb like that, with filters bypassed, one single operator going, and hoping that the amp envelope can actually be fully flat (instantaneous attack) in order to not eat the impulse... This way you could examine the early reflection delay patterns and stuff...

I don't have a WaveBlade unfortunately, but I've been doing something like that with the closed hihat sample on the tightest possible envelope. It's not exactly an impulse, but it's short enough to be able to pick out the individual early reflections. That part I could replicate well, and for the ER/Gate/Reverse Gate reverb types it is sufficient for a nearly identical sound. But for the Hall/Room/Plate/etc reverb types... when the late reflections set in it all blurs together and you're going to need the exact algorithm if you want an exact match.

[Uncle E]

Could use a clap or short noise burst to create impulses. That combined with the early reflections you've already completed ought to give quite similar results.

[McLilith]

I ultimately had to increase the echo density a bit to make them sound smoother than the SY77. I did this because I couldn't reproduce the metallic sounding resonances at the exact same frequencies (which in hindsight was a bit naive to think I could do so in the first place).

Sorry if I'm going to add some fuel to the fire just now...

IIRC one can load custom samples to a SY77 via that WaveBlade card? Maybe (if you have one) you could add a single full-scale sample (impulse) and test the reverb like that, with filters bypassed, one single operator going, and hoping that the amp envelope can actually be fully flat (instantaneous attack) in order to not eat the impulse... This way you could examine the early reflection delay patterns and stuff...

Alternatively, is it possible to program a useable sine sweep patch into the SY77's FM engine and analyze the reverb that way?

Also, if you're going to the trouble of using a WaveBlade, maybe put a sine sweep sample into a WaveBlade?

[EvilDragon]

I don't have a WaveBlade unfortunately, but I've been doing something like that with the closed hihat sample on the tightest possible envelope. It's not exactly an impulse, but it's short enough to be able to pick out the individual early reflections. That part I could replicate well, and for the ER/Gate/Reverse Gate reverb types it is sufficient for a nearly identical sound. But for the Hall/Room/Plate/etc reverb types... when the late reflections set in it all blurs together and you're going to need the exact algorithm if you want an exact match.

Ahh right, that would be the way how allpass filters are routed and what are their cutoffs and stuff. Lots of magic number stuff there indeed.

Maybe it would not be a bad idea to ask Sean from ValhallaDSP for some choice opinions on that topic

[cslevine]

and... what about opening a (second or third out of duty) TG77 and see what circuts and CPU are inside ? and try to get the codes, as they did with "DSP56300 Emulator" ( "Usual Suspects" ) ?
https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/

of, for example, "Munt-VST" seam to be a copy of circuts of Roland MT32 ( need ROMS for samples attacks datas )
https://www.kvraudio.com/product/munt-vsti-by-falcosoft
https://falcosoft.hu/softwares.html

[EvilDragon]

Those are probably custom Yamaha ASICs, so you cannot really get the code.

[bnz]

I haven't followed the conversation in detail, but I have a waveblade, an sy77 and sy.factory all connected and ready to be recorded. If I should load some samples on to it sample some responses with some specific settings, I'd be happy to help (though I gotta warn, I will be a away from my hardware for a week or so in a few days to enjoy some vacation days).

[Caesarg86]

Wondering how the project is coming along? Definitely looking forward to using the synth.

[trusampler]

Also interested in hearing how the Fx section is coming out, will there be any newer Fx involved or are you mainly keeping it true to the source ?

[TradeMarkOfQuantity]

Coming out of my usual lurking state to add a +1 for ARM compatible Linux LV2 support. If I can run this on my Zynthian I'll almost definitely buy it.

[fmr]

Wondering how the project is coming along? Definitely looking forward to using the synth.

Me too. I have a TG77 which is now kind of ending its life (display is dimming) and also an SY99, which is in need of some servicing (I think there are problems with batteries, since the presets that used my loaded samples aren't playing anymore. Also, the floppy drive is long gone).

I'd love to have a software version to replace them.

[bluedad]

Wondering how the project is coming along? Definitely looking forward to using the synth.

Me too. I have a TG77 which is now kind of ending its life (display is dimming) and also an SY99, ).

I'd love to have a software version to replace them.

I have the opposite problem; the display on the SY99 is dimming. My TG77 has already had the display replaced with a blue screen.
I'm looking forward to SWAY, also!

[sheaf]

Little status update: everything is basically implemented. I'm now in the process of fixing bugs, polishing the GUI, improving performance, and tightening up some measurements, while doing lots of testing. I'm not going to have the final version launched before the end of the year now, as I had hoped. But it shouldn't be too long before I can finally send out a beta version to the testing crew.

How long it takes after that moment depends on how many issues the testers encounter, and on how fast I can make samples to ship with the synth. I know said I would make my own sample set, but I might decide to recreate approximations to the original set after all. Of course it will not sound identical, but what I've managed to create so far sounds close enough in timbre that the AWM patches still make a lot of sense. Going this way would be a huge advantage of course, because there are at least 10,000 SysEx patches to be found online. We'll see how far I can take it.

[sheaf]

Also interested in hearing how the Fx section is coming out, will there be any newer Fx involved or are you mainly keeping it true to the source ?

No new FX. I tried to recreate the ones from the hardware as best as I can.

Coming out of my usual lurking state to add a +1 for ARM compatible Linux LV2 support. If I can run this on my Zynthian I'll almost definitely buy it.

The framework I use doesn't exactly have Linux support, though I believe some people managed to build their plugin for Linux as well. I want to investigate if it's doable for me, but the first release will be Windows and Mac only. Sorry!

[fmr]

Going this way would be a huge advantage of course, because there are at least 10,000 SysEx patches to be found online. We'll see how far I can take it.

You mean we will be able to import Sys-X from the TG77 and SY99? Fantastic. Would it be possible to implement loading via MIDI files too?

What about reading the files of the floppy disks themselves? Would that be possible?