KVR Audio

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:01 pm

Metasynth! I WISH I could get my hands on that, since I've heard nothing but glowing reviews of it, but sadly, I don't have a Mac :/ Thanks for the rest of the recommendations. I'll look into them.

ugo · Post by **ugo** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:11 pm

shamann wrote:Said the self-avowed gear junkie.

point taken...fair enough.

good post too.

-ugo

tee boy · Post by **tee boy** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 8:31 pm

zircon wrote:Metasynth! I WISH I could get my hands on that, since I've heard nothing but glowing reviews of it, but sadly, I don't have a Mac :/ Thanks for the rest of the recommendations. I'll look into them.

Ahhh, me neither mate, me neither!

Im using Soundhack and Metasynth in Sheepshaver on my PC. Its been a bit of a brawl to set up (a couple of fine KVR'ers helped me out), but now it works almost perfectly.

Only problem Im having is viewing pictures, but that is a problem with the whole operating system. Im hoping to get that sorted with an update. Other than that Metasynth 2.6 is fully operational.

Go to www.emaculation.com and see about getting one of the emulators. Then, get a copy of os8 or 9 off ebay (I got an original for £11). Then all you got to do is track down a copy of Metasynth. Version 4 has recently been release which is for OSX - might be worth trying this with PearPC (another emulator).

Goodluck and let me know if i can help!

lawapa · Post by **lawapa** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 9:08 pm

Ben [Camel Audio] wrote:Hi zircon,

I reckon you might do well to check out our Cameleon synth. It offers resynthesis as well as 'from scratch' additive synthesis. You can do some very bizarre unusual sound sculpting with them. Listen to some of the demos - and maybe the add-on bank demos to get a feel for what is possible.

Also, if you want mangling type effects, you could check out CamelPhat and CamelSpace. Both offer a wide variety of distortions and filtering and such like - including stuff like comb filters, ring modulation, and so forth. You can get interesting effects with the step sequencer controlling the ring mod frequency or comb filter frequency.

As usual, the best idea is to check out the MP3s and demo version (links in my sig) and see if its the kind of thing you're after.

Ben

I tried the demo on this synth. The resampling engine is over the top. It's on my buy list as funds become available.

Some of my most creative adventures used only captured sounds and SoundForge. But Bens stuff is good to have zicon. If you learn it you will use it.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:53 am

shamann wrote:Consider Scot Solida, one of our peers here, has the most complete set of synth-types around, and is a professional sound designer (make sounds for this purpose, here's a thousand bucks and a case of beer). But Scot knows (just ask him) that if he was pressed to make a unique sound with only Synthedit, he could do it in a heartbeat. Scot has gear because he likes it, because working with different things suits different moods, because he is one of the few who really needs access to that extra 10%, and because he has to have a checklist to show prospective customers who understand very little about what he does, but know they have 'additive' on their sound checklist, and need someone to fill it.

His collection is shrinking.

I just bought his Waldorf Microwave XTk for example. I think he loves the Big Fella a bit too much these days.

It does sound incredible, but patch cables and me, even for the best sound I've ever heard, doesn't go together. The Waldorf on the other hand....

Devon

tee boy · Post by **tee boy** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:42 am

Man I do love Waldorf gear, and the XT is king these days.

I have often wondered about a modular, but to be honest I think it would be more down the work aesthetic that the actually resulting sounds. I mean, the software emulations arent 100%, but they're close enough after a shit load of digital processing!

This really brings me on to a point which Iv only just come release myself. A feature list doesnt make great sounds! Its all about being about to get creative and come up with unique methods of working. For example, I recently got some old gear together (a Mirage, a Moog filter, some old pedals etc) and Iv been using them to create endless reams of stupid sounds. These sounds I just could not have made in the computer - not because of features but because of the working method.

So my advice is to always change the method of working. One day do something totally different, something that you thing would never work! The results may supprise you. And if not, you could reprocess them with a more familar set of techniques.

Give this a try mate, trust me its a winner.

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:20 am

Another vote for the smartelectronix stuff.
And another thumbs up for what shamann said.

knockman · Post by **knockman** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:38 am

energyXT

John Vulich · Post by **John Vulich** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 4:12 am

Here are some of my favorite tools for sound mangling...

VST Instruments

Reaktor Ensembles
- Any/all ensembles by Rick Scott (aka Rachmiel).
- Any/all ensembles by Spirit Canyon Audio.
- Grainstates
- Metaphysical Function

Absynth

VAZ Modular

VST Effects

Any convolution processor. Check out the convolution libraries from Spirit Canyon Audio for intersting material.

Any/all effects from Destroy FX (Smart-Electronix)

Spektral Delay

iZotope Spectron

And... tons of delay, reverb and pitch shifting.

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 4:22 am

Interesting suggestions.

Here's another question - if I'm dealing with sounds that are going to be looped (as seamlessly as possible), can funky reverbs and delays still come in handy? I've been doing it a lot, and while I don't think adding reverbs really affects the patch adversely, adding delays would surely mess the sound up, right? The user might have a project at a different tempo then the one I used for the delay, and thus, it won't sync properly. Seems like a sort of fruitless endeavor.

experimental.crow · Post by **experimental.crow** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 4:26 am

zircon wrote:Interesting suggestions.

Here's another question - if I'm dealing with sounds that are going to be looped (as seamlessly as possible), can funky reverbs and delays still come in handy? I've been doing it a lot, and while I don't think adding reverbs really affects the patch adversely, adding delays would surely mess the sound up, right? The user might have a project at a different tempo then the one I used for the delay, and thus, it won't sync properly. Seems like a sort of fruitless endeavor.

do what thou wilt , shall be the whole of the law ...

and another vote for dburgans' spirit canyon work ...
both the convos , and his reaktor .ens ...

ugo · Post by **ugo** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 6:21 am

zircon wrote:The user might have a project at a different tempo then the one I used for the delay, and thus, it won't sync properly. Seems like a sort of fruitless endeavor.

imho, it depends on what products you expect your users to be using your samples with and what musical/creative gap you hope to help fill for them. (like if the sound in question is supposed to be a playable instrument or a loop.)

if your samples are intended to be used in something that has good time stretching, then rhythmic elements in your samples probably wont be much of an issue. however, if a large precentage of your users dont have access to useful time stretching, then you might want to avoid all rhythmic elements. that includes short-moderate lfo modulations, step sequenced stuff, etc.

also, for rhythmic stuff, its best to include the original bpm in the file/patch name so users at least know what bpm the sound was made at.

oh btw, if you are doing multisampled stuff for use with products that dont time stretch, then thats another reason you might want to avoid all rhythmic elements...unless you intend to sample every key. otherwise the generic speed-to-pitch keytracking in samplers will screw up the sound when you play chords because the rhythmic elements on every key that didnt get its own sample will be slightly out of time with the ones that did.

-ugo

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 7:09 am

What ugo said.

I'd just stay away from detectable delays when you plan to do looping stuff.

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:24 pm

Right, this is looped stuff that is also multisampled - and again, as I said, it's Atmosphere-style in terms of purpose and usability. So I suppose I'll avoid delays for now.

tee boy · Post by **tee boy** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:48 pm

Not at all mate, delays can be ueful:

1. As ambience

2. Filtered feedback delays can create ambient sounds on there own

3. Short delays can create metalic effects (comb filtering). Use vari- delays to create pitchshifting and modulation effects

4. Simple stereo delay can do a good job of producing a thick unison effect if you use a fairly long delay time.

I could go on, but seriously you get the picture. Get creative with delays and you'll go far my son!

Looking for sound design tools (not sound effects)