One Synth Challenge #98: Any One Synth (Photonic Wins!)

[nickamandote]

Just want to make sure I got it right please confirm:
- I can use any effects from the synth I use
- I can use any free or paid eq/compressor/reverb/limiter
- mastering is not allowed, but I can place any free/paid effects on the master bus

Thanks!

[ritesofspring]

Is Air Hybrid allowed? It has preset wavetables as part of it, not sure if that counts as sampling

http://www.airmusictech.com/product/hybrid-3

Sure it is allowed! Wavetables are not samples. I mean they are not usable as samples if you load them to a sampler!
Anyway, let's wait for what bjporter says about it.

Great, thank you!

[] Peter:H []

Just want to make sure I got it right please confirm:
- I can use any effects from the synth I use
- I can use any free or paid eq/compressor/reverb/limiter
- mastering is not allowed, but I can place any free/paid effects on the master bus

Thanks!

Same questions here. Take for instance Synths like MPowersynth, Massive, VPS Avenger or many others where Patch-FX are part of sound design...Where's the limit of FX usage according to the rule which says "Must be recognizeable as coming from the synth"? I'm not quite sure...

And about samplig vs wavetable...there's sort of a grey zone. Tone2 Icarus has for instance some drum kits laid out as wavetables where segements are fired according to incoming midi note. This would be sampling I bet, or is this still wavetable synthesis...what it technicaly is.

[EnGee]

Well, in that case I suggest the kind of synthesis should be clarify (the kind of oscillator actually).

[doctorbob]

I'll probably wheel out Synth 1 again ... I can make some half decent sounds with it ... now I need to compose a track ...

After a couple of funky tracks, do I go for Rock 'n' Roll or maybe a more esoteric cinematic soundtrack thingy? I could go for an all out Jazz number too - still have that genre up my sleeve so to speak?

See y'all in a months time eh?

dB

[rghvdberg]

JAZZ !!
Do it.

[sjm]

This is more an intellectual question than anything else, but let's say you use something like Harmor. Harmor has a resynthesis function, and I totally get that you can't just load a sample of a sax or whatever and use that. But are you allowed to create a patch in Harmor using the other pure synthesis modules, record the output, and then resynthesise that sample in Harmor before mangling it further?

Still all one synth, no external samples, but it is using the resynthesis function...

[EDGEK8D]

Well, since we still need to make the drumzzz, its a no brainer, gonna have to be Zebra 2.

Question: Alchemy has samples, but what if I just use the VA engine only? Don't wanna cause trouble, just been spending a lot of time with Logic X Alchemy lately. Same with Synthmaster, as long as I skip the sample based stuff, is it okay?

[wagtunes]

Well, since we still need to make the drumzzz, its a no brainer, gonna have to be Zebra 2.

Question: Alchemy has samples, but what if I just use the VA engine only? Don't wanna cause trouble, just been spending a lot of time with Logic X Alchemy lately. Same with Synthmaster, as long as I skip the sample based stuff, is it okay?

Well, we've already done Synthmaster a while back and, yeah, as long as we left out any samples, it was fine.

I'm telling you, this "any synth" thing is going to open up one hell of a huge can of worms for this OSC. Because some synths you really can't use at all because they're totally sample based.

[caonoize]

Well, since we still need to make the drumzzz, its a no brainer, gonna have to be Zebra 2.

Only if your composition uses drums. The musical canon from classical to pop is filled with fantastic pieces of music that have no drums. Be open to trying something that isn't, to use the phrase of Deadmau5, a "4/4 pounder."

[H-man]

This is more an intellectual question than anything else, but let's say you use something like Harmor. Harmor has a resynthesis function, and I totally get that you can't just load a sample of a sax or whatever and use that. But are you allowed to create a patch in Harmor using the other pure synthesis modules, record the output, and then resynthesise that sample in Harmor before mangling it further?

Still all one synth, no external samples, but it is using the resynthesis function...

I would suggest that if a patch/preset requires an external audio file (a sample) then no.

Using some internal process to derive a complex (single cycle) waveform for an oscillator would be okay. To me, that is just like wave drawing.

Remember that this is a friendly competition and I have yet to see someone disqualified for this type of thing, so, all you are risking is a lower score from anyone who thinks the rules have been stretched.

Tip: over the years most of the mind blowing tracks, sounds and FX have been created from simple synthesis through detailed layering. Jasinski's cityscape, Photonic's soundtrack, Meakaale's lawnmower etc. are all examples of this

[Parduz]

Ok, better to ask than being wrong:
is the Korg Wavestation VST ok?
asking 'cause it has everything: wavetables, wavesequences, drumkits, built-in chorus, distortion, etc...
still not sure if it is a rompler....

[doctorbob]

Voting may be awkward though, with no experience of the synths being used, judging anything about "sound design" goes out of the window. Scoring will have to be on composition, the "sound" of the instruments used, and mixing. I can not say xxx's kick drum is any better than yyy's from a different synth etc etc ...

Y'all see what I mean???

@caonoize : Have done a few tracks with no percussion. Usual complaint was "wot? No percussion???" Go figure ...

Cheers,

dB

[Frostline]

Voting may be awkward though, with no experience of the synths being used, judging anything about "sound design" goes out of the window.

Exactly the reason I will be skipping this one.
Well that and needing to try and judge 100+ tracks with fresh ears.

[Aliens]

Rather poor error in judgement to allow the one synth challenge to be so messed about with to now mean any one commercial synth and effects, even if it is only for one time, but I guess self advancement by some people is the driver of 'progress'. Surely it totally defeats the concept of the competition. Equal gear levels the field and may the best writer win, no?

Ridiculous situation to have synth 1 tracks compared and judged against $300 flagship products and a shed loads of fx. What on earth were you people thinking letting your egos get the best of yourselves