One Synth Challenge #203: Synthmaster (ZioMau Wins!)

[MalToné]

Oh such lush sounds right out of the box!

[aarongrooves]

Get your students to each make you a track!

Ya know...I actually have a few who would love doing something like this. A 2nd grader who would knock this outta the park (his dad is a producer).

In 2020, I did a music production class for the 4th-6th. We got them midi controllers and installed Studio One Prime (free version) on their school laptops. It was cut short by the pandemic. I need to revive that!

[doctorbob]

Tempted to enter this month (think last one I entered was #112)

Give in to temptation. I for one loved your entries way way back in time. And, yes, I am still here.

Looking forward to your innovative and creative track.

Best, HNY, dB

[spidergod]

Tempted to enter this month (think last one I entered was #112)

Give in to temptation. I for one loved your entries way way back in time. And, yes, I am still here.

Looking forward to your innovative and creative track.

Best, HNY, dB

Thanks for that, much appreciated.
Still deciding which musical direction to go, whether Ambient (have a few noodles I have come up with), IDM or Pure Chaos Noise or maybe a mix of all 3.

[IV!]

So I get that any version can be used but does that mean you choose one version and stick to that one version or all versions can be used in the project?

Edit: Okay, just re-read it. Choose one, state which one you choose. Right.

It was confirmed in the Discord that we can use several different versions in one track.

[] Peter:H []

-- deleted --

[spidergod]

My Submission :

https://soundcloud.com/spidergod/osc-20 ... crets-in-a

[Polynik77]

So I get that any version can be used but does that mean you choose one version and stick to that one version or all versions can be used in the project?

Edit: Okay, just re-read it. Choose one, state which one you choose. Right.

It was confirmed in the Discord that we can use several different versions in one track.

Oh really! So cool! I'm so ready for this OSC.

[Parduz]

Could I ask for some teaching? I'm trying to build one simple patch I "always" build with my synths but I'm unable to get the result i want.

I want a "simple" bass made of sawtooth waves, using some detuned unison and with velocity modulating the filter modulation.
With Vital it tooks about 10 minutes and i like it, with SynthMaster 3 I'm not getting the "rich", "large" texture I want. I don't think I'm using any "exclusive ability" from Vital, and IN THEORY I should have already replicated all the settings in SM3 (and then tried to get closer to the Vital sound).

This is a little sequence using Vital

Basic Saw Bass - Vital.mp3

and the same sequence using SM3

Basic Saw Bass - SM3.mp3

I'm pretty sure I'm missing something, 'cause SM3 should be able to give me the same result.
Here's the two patches, zipped:

patches.zip

Could someone teach me what am I missing to get a sound more similar to Vital?

[IV!]

OSC Discord, an interesting and busy place:
https://discord.gg/gpQy48Jk

[z.prime]

I'm not getting the "rich", "large" texture I want ... I'm pretty sure I'm missing something

I think you're just missing the unison. In Vital you're using 2 voice unison, which defaults to nice stereo settings, but the SM 3 patch does not have unison. There are 2 ways to get it: first is the VOICES button below each oscillator, which will give just that oscillator unison and be more efficient or in the Layer tab at the bottom right. Try to set unison voices, a bit of detune spread and pan spread 100%. Listening to your patch, there's some weird clicking I can't seem to get rid of, but I think that's the main thing you're missing aside from just dialing in parameters in a Synthmaster friendly way. I created a similar preset from scratch with unison and velocity mapped in 2 different ways to filter and volume. Note the Via gives you an easy secondary amount for each modulation, it's a shame you can't adjust the amount of the Via parameter separately.

[Parduz]

I'm not getting the "rich", "large" texture I want ... I'm pretty sure I'm missing something

I think you're just missing the unison. You have vital 2 voice enabled, but the SM 3 patch does not have unison. There are 2 ways to get it: first is the VOICES button below each oscillator, which will give just that oscillator unison and be more efficient or in the Layer tab at the bottom right. Try to set unison voices, a bit of detune spread and pan spread 100%.

I thought to have done it:

sm3.jpg

Isn't this the way to set 2 unison voices, slightly detuned and stereo panned?

Listening to your patch, there's some weird clicking I can't seem to get rid of, but I think that's the main thing you're missing aside from just dialing in parameters in a Synthmaster friendly way

It seems depending on the Layer parameter TRIGGER in MONO mode. IT was set to "retrigger", now it is on "resume" and not only the click is gone, but the unison sounds a bit better.
The manual i've downloaded does not clarify why this happens.

[z.prime]

I thought to have done it

Weird, that didn't load with your patch for me. Now reloading the patch it does have those unison settings.

Another thing was the filter you used, try the VAanalog Filter or State Variable. I think the digital filter used in your patch doesn't sound as smooth. You're also using an "analog" filter in Vital.

Yes, also important to have free-running oscillators (I think the FREE button and PHASE SPREAD in the VOICEs section) or something similar, this makes the stereo width much better and avoids clicks, that's probably one of the main problems, then. I don't think RESUME is the right setting, just make sure the oscillators are all free-running.

[] Peter:H []

Speaking about Unisono: You can create one with up to 8 voices with the additive oscillator.
The nice thing is that you can choose to set all 8 voices to the same octave, or you chose one voice as the "fundamental" at octave 1 and add up to 7 voices as octave 2. You can set pan, detune etc per voice... and even the waveform, so set a sine at octave 1 and saws for the rest...

[Vospi]

Ok.
I know it's not a praise thread or anything, but...
Just so happens: I'm an experienced synth geek and composer, and I've never saw Synthmaster before.

Now imagine me using Synthmaster 3 for the first time...



Honestly, just routing waveshapers + easy unstable pitch + crazy factory library + the insane selection of classic waveforms sampled from the famous sources would've been enough!.. The patches are incredible. Most of them are firmly in the "classic electronica" territory, but omg are they a labor of love. Rich with macros, amazing balance, great work on making, seemingly, every patch shine. It should be just a tri pluck with a filter, but I'm stuck playing the patch, cause all the little touches of reverbs, velo sensitivity, just the right settings for the overdrive... I know how much work goes into perfecting these things. That's so much work! Just to make it 15% more beautiful.

I wanted to explore the weirder stuff, as always, but seems I'm looking at one the fortes of this synth right now.
And the forte is "the classic".
And it is crazy good.

I don't often say these things: I'm blown away, and it's just a bliss to play. I don't even want to design. I just play like a keyboardist, and I'm so happy.

upd.: some filter + WS design fun: