KVR Audio

BK1 · Post by **BK1** » Wed May 13, 2015 2:14 am

Okay, thanks. I'll try again tomorrow and play with the mono and unison settings.

is there any way to reset the portamento each time so it starts at the back at the beginning?

LhaastDaiz · Post by **LhaastDaiz** » Wed May 13, 2015 2:30 am

I just realised that glide does work with poly mode. My bad.

Interestingly, it works if the portamento switch is set to off, if you change the portamento level while a note is playing.

I guess you could automate the level to get the desired effect. Not a great solution I admit.

Taron · Post by **Taron** » Wed May 13, 2015 12:33 pm

It's so tricky sometimes to remember again that this synth is a gift for free and quite awesome and pretty for that matter. Just as I feel like joining in commiserating on portamento weirdness, I reminded myself of the generosity of Martin Lüders for making it and handing it out to us!
SO: BIG THANK YOU! (embarrassingly late on my part!!!

)

...and I hope Martin will continue working out the kinks: portamento (proper legato only portamento, too, if possible), lfo (truly polyphonic without hickups, decent sync times up to 1/32, if possible), consistent preset behaviors (osc2 sync mode hickups), envelope consistency (Can't even tell what the hell goes wrong there, but repeated playing creates all sorts of havoc!).

Now, I really am not familiar with the original jx8-p, or what it was, thus I can't tell whether those glitches are actually a matter of authenticity (

), but since it's a special PG-8X, it could depart from the unnerving imperfections and go for a bit more of an ideal, because it would sure be worth it! Great job over all for sure!

mmoncur · Post by **mmoncur** » Wed May 13, 2015 2:47 pm

Taron wrote:It's so tricky sometimes to remember again that this synth is a gift for free and quite awesome and pretty for that matter.

Very true. The OSC really gives me a bad first impression of a synth. If I downloaded PG-8X on my own, I would have used it for some supersaws and some basses and enjoyed its contribution to my music for free... I never would have been frustrated with it because I wouldn't have tried to make kick drums or cymbals!

Anyway, my track is coming along nicely and I look forward to using PG-8X in a different song with sampled kicks and hihats very soon...

Gamma-UT · Post by **Gamma-UT** » Wed May 13, 2015 2:53 pm

I think it sounds great. The trouble is many of the limitations lie in the architecture of the JX8P itself. But the cross-mod modes do provide a lot of opportunities for creating sounds.

BK1 · Post by **BK1** » Wed May 13, 2015 5:06 pm

I hope I didn't give the impression that I was being critical. I deeply appreciate the hard work it takes to make a VST synth (way beyond my experience and abilities). For Martin and other developers to then give away all that hard work for free is very generous.

That's why I called my portamento question a "noob question", because if I can't figure something out on a synth, I generally assume that it is due to my own ignorance.

If I sounded like I was complaining, then everyone please accept my sincerest apologies, I absolutely did not mean to come across that way.

Taron · Post by **Taron** » Wed May 13, 2015 5:16 pm

No, nooo, nooooo, I was actually stopping myself in my post as I was about to lay into portamento troubles, too, reminding myself of the kindness Martin shows to offer his work, that's all. Earlier I was already bitching and moaning over a few other wacky things, consumed by my focus to come up with a nice preset bank, you know.

So, don't worry, I'm almost certain he, too, understands when people get a little frustrated. I'm a developer myself, who offers free software with great pleasure and I get bug reports, but also a great deal of gratitude. Since I hadn't quite shown mine towards Martin I just took the opportunity. So, yeah, don't worry!

Mojo42 · Post by **Mojo42** » Wed May 13, 2015 6:06 pm

RichardSemper wrote:
Mojo42 wrote: Do you know what??? Simply let`s make a track without drums
hmmm, tried that last month

Yep and it was (is) great. Now you have the chance to do it again

Damned I should have make more "ambient style" patches. I guess I need to make some patches in addition for my track ideas so far..........oh the never ending story.

psmacmur · Post by **psmacmur** » Thu May 14, 2015 12:47 am

https://soundcloud.com/peter-macmurchy/ ... ubes-pg-8x

psmacmur - Fwd Aft Tubes (PG-8X)
My entry for KVR One Synth Challenge #75: PG-8X

Thoroughly enjoying PG-8X this month; it's a very capable little VA. Special thanks to mehum for the magazine links and Mojo for the tip to use the attack of the inverted envelope to add some snap to my kick (which ended up being four layers and a stack of fx). All my patches are from init, except a few layers based on the magazine articles mehum posted. This month, I tried to incorporate various feedback I've received in previous OSCs, aiming for a more coherent track, rather than the short attention span montages I've been producing of late.

Made in Studio One 2.6.5 x64
28 PG-8X x64 instances

Midi Sequencers:
8x Graywolf BlueARP
1x ToneCarver Nova

DAW FX:
Analog Delay x2
Beat Delay x1
Compressor x2
Limiter x2
Pro EQ x19
Room Reverb x1
Spectrum Meter x1
Tricomp x1

Free FX:
A1 Stereo Control x2
Softube Saturation Knob x6
TDR Kotelnikov x2
Voxengo Stereo Touch x8
Voxengo Tube Amp x3
Klanghelm DC1A2 x4
Freeverb3 Hibiki x1
vladg Limiter6 x1

DR8
[edit: counted the fx instances]

BK1 · Post by **BK1** » Thu May 14, 2015 1:31 am

Another noob question: Is Saltline Lisc-step allowed? Or does the LFO disqualify it?

actioncat · Post by **actioncat** » Thu May 14, 2015 2:14 am

Mojo42 wrote: Coooooooool. I`m glad to see you join Can`t wait to get all the great patches you surely will make this time *greed mode*

Seriously: Nice to see you

Good to be here again, and nice to see you're still here as well! I meant to come back for Dexed last month, but I had a lot going on, and also my room flooded 3 times and needed some work so that never happens again...

About patches though: as I was making some of the first patches for this OSC I thought I might not post anything this time, cause everything I was coming up with seemed to already be covered pretty well in other people's soundbanks.

This is what I was thinking but couldn't put into words myself:

Taron wrote: PG8X has only a very, very narrow spectrum of sound you can coax out of it without clotting up its quality or brilliance. As a result sounds tend to come out quite identical. The whole thing acts as though it has just one sound in three weights. With a bit of noodling and some courage you can stretch out this spectrum wide enough to get the rest with some more aggressive EQ work.

So anything unique I might get out of it will probably come at a post-synth stage, but I'll post what I make when they're all made if there's any that add anything to what we've already got.

martin_l · Post by **martin_l** » Thu May 14, 2015 2:34 am

Taron wrote:Uh, a podolski or unique challenge could be fun, too!
Yeah, with all the presets of this particular synth (PG-8X) is tricky, because almost none of them can stand on their own. Some pads might, but everything else needs at least EQ and best some effects. Also you may design sounds that best are played only within a 1 or 2 octave range.
What really ticks me off, though, is the env1 vs. env2 mix up that appears to happen. The cymbal sound initially had a slow attack on env1, driving a filter that was open enough to have a hard attack via the env 2 on volume. But randomly it would make a slow attack as if it would either mix up env 1 with env 2 or the filters would randomly go all the way down...I really don't know, but it's sad.
The other thing is the delay on the lfo, which is either not polyphone or also randomly skips straight into full strength or so.
Yet another weird thing is with presets, which apparently mysteriously switch sync modes?!? Sometimes disabling a switch to off or any other mode altogether?!?

So, yeah...it's got character!

Hi Taron,

please, keep in mind that this plugin is still in beta (in my opinion, it was too early to use it for a OSC, but I found out when it was too late).

Please, could you post some more detailed bug reports (or anything else which seems strage) in the dedicated thread:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=310856.

One thing which comes to my mind, is that the encelopes are not reset to zero when triggered again, but they pick up where they are in their current cycle. If you have long release times and long-ish attack, this might lead to unexpected effects (which are reproducing thosde of the hardware, though).

Cheers,
Martin

bftucker · Post by **bftucker** » Thu May 14, 2015 3:09 am

Gamma-UT wrote:I think it sounds great. The trouble is many of the limitations lie in the architecture of the JX8P itself. But the cross-mod modes do provide a lot of opportunities for creating sounds.

I can testify to this. Like last month and Dexed, modeled hardware has its limitations. Still, it is good to see what they can sound like in a different era than when they were originally released! I love the creativity of all you OSC participants.

...

H-man · Post by **H-man** » Thu May 14, 2015 3:13 am

BK1 wrote:Another noob question: Is Saltline Lisc-step allowed? Or does the LFO disqualify it?

I would say it's okay but I think you will find some folks can be quite prickly regarding things like filter plugins when the synth itself has an internal filter.

Maybe try using the plugin with DAW automation first? I think one classic grey-area with plugins like this is where OSCer's go for filter sweeps on a master basis (ie. global) ....which I don't mind personally because it sounds good and can be a PITA (or outright impossible) to do by automating all instruments.

I guess it's like automating EQs ...sort of, not unless you have to?

mehum · Post by **mehum** » Thu May 14, 2015 5:14 am

BK1 wrote:Another noob question: Is Saltline Lisc-step allowed? Or does the LFO disqualify it?

In my opinion this type of filter is not really in line with the spirit of the rules, but depending how you use it. I'd instead try and make a similar effect with automation. But that's just me so if you think you're within the limits go for it, knowing you're in the darker parts of the gray area

One Synth Challenge #75: PG-8X (Jasinski Wins!)