One Synth Challenge #160: ADLplug / OPNplug by jpcima (ZioMau Wins!)

[ChristopherWD]

I don't know about anyone else but I think I'm going to go full-in on making it sound like a cheesy 90s game... Sure, it's done to death but I still enjoy the raw sound you can get from these old synths.

[z.prime]

Ain't nothing wrong with a 90s game soundtrack yo!

[ELEX]

I'm having trouble figuring out how to even save a new preset.

Also I'm puzzled by the preset banks, some seem to load in new presets but others seem to only load in the standard grand piano honky tonk piano sitar etc.

There are two types of preset one can save: instrument and bank. Right click the floppy disk button to choose which one you want to save. Instrument saves the currently selected part, bank saves 128 instruments. For part 10 ( percussion ) you can load an instrument for each note to construct a drum set. What a bank loads is entirely up to it's author, I should think.

Judging by the choice of presets included with these two synths, I suspect they can't sound much better than that even in skilled hands. I mean, if that's what they have to showcase it...

One of the things made very clear by most rounds of OSC is that presets usually do not showcase synths at all well most of the time. Especially when it comes to low-end freeware. Why not challenge yourself to learn something about FM programming ? These are actually not all that bad for it ; not enough options to become really confusing.

If nothing else try adding OTT and Valhalla supermassive to presets...

When in doubt, take the easy way out. Right ? Bit of verb tends to help though, that's true. OTT though...

[J.Ruegg]

It seems I jumped in at the wrong time. Last month was just too complicated and overwhelming and this month I'm also confused. I'm a newbie and have never touched FM synthesis yet.

Well, the OSC is good training camp to learn synths & sound design... with time you will surely learn a lot and improve little by little.
And also there are a lot of folks here that are very helpful, i'm sure if you have any particular questions someone will answer

I will give this one a go, But then I reread the rules, I'll submit something but as I don't post much I guess it'll be a few months before I can fully participate.

If you are referring to the rule to have 40+ posts to be able to vote, that's only if you didn't participated (as to prevent newly created accounts that didn't participated to influence the votes...).
That means that if you enter, you can vote. In fact you would get disqualified if you don't vote

As for resources for learning FM:
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... modulation (this could be a bit too technical tho)
https://cymatics.fm/blogs/production/fm-synthesis


And then with the understanding of how it works, experimenting with the synth helps with getting used to how FM synthesis sounds.

[AmoralAudio]

@J.Ruegg thanks for the clarification and helpful links.

[toggleaudio]

Both of the Audio Units get rejected (1.0.2 and dev, tried both and yes I did reset the quarantine flag first):

Code: Select all

validating Audio Unit ADLplug by Jean Pierre Cimalando:

    AU Validation Tool
    Version: 1.10.0 
    Copyright 2003-2019, Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Specify -h (-help) for command options

--------------------------------------------------
VALIDATING AUDIO UNIT: 'aumu' - 'ADLM' - 'JPCm'
--------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer String: Jean Pierre Cimalando
AudioUnit Name: ADLplug
Component Version: 1.0.2 (0x10002)

* * PASS
--------------------------------------------------
TESTING OPEN TIMES:
COLD:
FATAL ERROR: OpenAComponent: result: -1,0xFFFFFFFF


validation result: couldn’t be opened

So this one's a pass..

[ontrackp]

Same problem - the AU versions will not validate. Doesn't seem worth the trouble unless there is an easy fix that I can't find.....

[rghvdberg]

Pinged the dev.

Cool guy, he helped me with some stuff on ninjas and drops.

[rghvdberg]

Same problem - the AU versions will not validate. Doesn't seem worth the trouble unless there is an easy fix that I can't find.....

Just get over it and install Linux.
It's excellent for making polka.

[bh9090]

Any docs on the OPN version? I see the ADL version manual, but no OPN.

I echo the sentiment: Patch management is quite bewildering. Like, I just want a new init patch...

[emikaela]

If nothing else try adding OTT and Valhalla supermassive to presets...

When in doubt, take the easy way out. Right ? Bit of verb tends to help though, that's true. OTT though...

eh, when it comes to advising newcomers on the very first steps towards making something that isn't just unmodified presets, there's no shame in taking a look at the easy way first. figuring out what ott does to a sound is not a bad thing to learn. then, the follow-up step can be to figure out when that is not in fact what you want to do to a sound.

completely agree that more limited synths tend to lead to more interesting compositions. i know i find it more inspiring to have to work to overcome certain limitations than to just do anything i want. i imagine a lot of people are the same.

[Rahodees]

Above does "OTT" reference a plugin by xfer records, or something else?

[Rahodees]

There are two types of preset one can save: instrument and bank. Right click the floppy disk button to choose which one you want to save. Instrument saves the currently selected part, bank saves 128 instruments. For part 10 ( percussion ) you can load an instrument for each note to construct a drum set. What a bank loads is entirely up to it's author, I should think.

Okay, I had seen that I could save the instrument as a file through a windows file saving dialog when I click on that floppy but I assumed "no way that's the intended way to save presets."

But I guess it is.

I'm so used to there being a way of viewing lists of, and saving, presets, in the vst UI itself.

[z.prime]

Above does "OTT" reference a plugin by xfer records, or something else?

Yes, Xfer OTT. Or if you use Live, the OTT setting of the multiband compressor which is what Xfer's is based on.

[jasinski]

Above does "OTT" reference a plugin by xfer records, or something else?

OTT is life, life is OTT.