For convolution plugin devs : "Sweet Spaces" exotic IRs focused on harmonies and tonalities

[Krakatau]

Hello everyone

i wanted to present you a bunch of sound samples destinated to be loaded as impulse responses, so on that respect i manage to load this thread on the effect subforum

This is nothing new in itself, because i've done a 1st attempt of the concept around 2009 ...but meanwhile investigate it further by including a huge work of timestretch algorithms

basically there was for each tonalities a primary number of 24 (or 25) impulse responses created entirely from scratch all based on different effect-chain themselve selected after experiencing there relevance as impulse responses... more precisely impulse responses that purpose was to enhance a scale or another, something similar at a certain degree to sympathetic drones or raisonnance

to give an analogy, a bit like the sidechain process given as feature by pianoteq 8 : you might record at lowest level of velocity in midi editing an entire tonality (for instance A Minor) so only the strings included in that peculiar scale might be processed as sympathetic strings ...so you might look after harmonising effect using pianoteq that way

but this is where the analogy stops, what i'm proposing here is purely a convolution process, let me explain me in more details

they ordered that way, first a scale and tonality (like A Major...that is in the example) , then a list of folder from "a" to "q" that correspond to the their crunch factor (except the folder "a" in there all files have been stretched at 200% from the "b"..."b" being the original file in all case)

so every folders are samples in were the length as been divided by 50% to the preceeding one

"b" being the original
"c" being crunshed at 50%..."d" at 25%..."e" at 12.5, etc, etc, etc...

"q" being the shortest length, (around 100 microseconds long) that can be loaded (as 100% wet if needed) for inducing colours that are proper to the original effect chain

the list of samples on the "b" folder (the original one) from CMajor00b to CMajor24b are corresponding to different process chain involved in their conception (implying that the soundsources were always a huge chord played by a synth in a sequencer including at the most an entire tonality (cmajor in the case)

the "b" are all lasting at around 6 seconds (the "c" at 3 sec, the "d" at 1.5 sec, the "e" at 0.75 sec, etc, etc, etc...)

to describe some of them, the "01" (CMajor01b in the case) is likely the most responsive in sounding selectively to the appropriate scale (use them in a dry/wet process)

...the downside, that is inherent to the technique (being created through a huge chord using exclusively sinus waves as soundsource) is that these peculiar ones are sounding almost exclusily like a reverberated church organ whatever the sound source would be

...others of these IRs have somehow more transparency and respond with some more versatility to the input signal, but then the enhancing of the original scale tend to be reduced

at the other extreme would be a sample created using a white noise, (that might be close to usual reverbs because of it absolute transparency)

the "02" (CMajor02b) have a strong response to high end frequencies... therefore blends themselves rather well with metallic instruments like glockenspiel (a tuned chromatic instrument) or tubular bells... but also cymbals, tambourine , etc...

the "06" (CMajor06b) has a strong chorus effect included and therefore blend itself well with chorused or slighly detuned instruments like some acoustic piano, etc...

the "09" (Cmajor09b) has strong tremolo effect in it that induce a structural turbulance , depending on the phrases and the speed of the performing instrument, long sustains might not be affected for instance

the "12" (CMajor12b) has a very subtle response that make me appreciate it throught a harp as soundsource, beggining in the high frequencies to finish in the low-end with a detailed sequencing process that makes it sparkle as IR in a very pleasant way

OK

Currently i've finished an entire collection using Major scales (from A to G#, the 12 chromatic transposition), so i'm hoping for a developper that might either include them into his convolver plugin, or sell them as sound library

i expect in middle term to do the same with other kind of scales (minor melodic, minor harmonic, minor arabic,...and so to say "double harmonic")

that are way less used in western popular music

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v5e8zxepli898 ... o.zip?dl=0

...downsampled version of A Major (complete) C Melodic Minor and G Arabic Minor

the interest of this impulse responses is that they potentially involves both sound engineers and composers

except for compositions that includes scales variations in its structure, all other that are based on a single scale, even including modal transposition, might fit perfectly with their use

a change their name from "Deep Spaces" to "Sweet Spaces" that reflect way more accurately the peculiar character they give to a tune by increasing it overall harmony related to it grounding scale

by my experience when used in a mix : they have something addictive and its very easy to overuse them, the result in a mix keeping a pleasant harmonic touch even when the sound has become muddy...keep in mind that being convolutions, they are responding only to signal present in the mix as soundsource and blend very accurately with their soundsource...so you need a long experience to find an equilibrate use in a mix, me thinks

i might post you here some example as .mp3, depending on your interest about it

thanks in advance, it has been a (very) long labour of love for me...

[Krakatau]

Ok then, let me show you here a way to use them as mixing effects ....mainly in replacement to so to say, conventional reverberation (either convolution IR and algorythmics) ...AND as coloring filter and spreader effects (of extremely short impulse responses) in the channel strips

https://soundcloud.com/perbuatan1883/sugar-organ-23

Let just say that such effects (as reverbs replacement mainly) are working in accuracy to a given tonality (G Myxcolydian in the case : a modal transposition of the C Major scale that are all included in the demo sample of my last post)

i assume that the assertion of "Sweet Spaces" (as well as "Sugar organ" BTW) will appear as obvious while listening to this tune

as you can you can notice, the interest of such IRs in a mixing set are in its colorful intensification of the grounding scale inside the mix, the downside being it addictive temptation to an excessive use
But it is also to be considered here also as an exercise of style, to demonstrate how it can replace reverberations in a mix, inducing it sweetish immersion of the orchestral mass inside the overall ambiance

As a metaphor, I'd say its like cooking a big cake taking care having the right touch for an equilibrate use of sugar

I don't see currently any other techniques able to induce such a sweet feel in a mix,... some similitudes (DJ Sewel Knocktonal, NI Flair) with perhaps more warmth, sweet spaces being IRs, they have some flaws inherent to the technique but with way more variety of colors

please give some feedback

[Krakatau]

here another instrumental tune (on A# Myxolydian mode : a modal transposition of D# Major) ...in where there was an intensive use of these IRs as reverberation replacement

with both qualities and flaws of the technique...so the sounds remain pleasant however you use them in the mix, so being addictive its very easy to overuse the technique !

https://soundcloud.com/perbuatan1883/midnight-omnibus

[whyterabbyt]

Not had a chance to try them out, but all very interesting stuff; I have the original set I think, from years ago, so curious to see how these are. What sort of file length are they, Im curious if I can run them in a Hector eurorack module...?

[Krakatau]

Not had a chance to try them out, but all very interesting stuff; I have the original set I think, from years ago, so curious to see how these are. What sort of file length are they, Im curious if I can run them in a Hector eurorack module...?

you need a convolution reverb/engine

the renewed sets are complemented with time-crunched version 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.125%, etc...until extremely short samples (around 100 microsecond long) that works as coloring filter or spreader, keeping a character proper to the original 6 second long files

feel free to download them on the link of my 1st post,try them and I'll be here if you expect some enlightenment !

without hesitation...

[whyterabbyt]

Not had a chance to try them out, but all very interesting stuff; I have the original set I think, from years ago, so curious to see how these are. What sort of file length are they, Im curious if I can run them in a Hector eurorack module...?

you need a convolution reverb/engine

Yes, the Hector has a convolution engine... that's pretty much why I got one! ( its a join-the-virtual-cables type modular digital synth/effects system that happens to be a eurorack format module. )

[Nug Wrangler]

thank you krakatau

[Krakatau]

let say

the question is

"is there a developer that would be interested to include these impulse response into the sampleset of their plugins...or to sell the them as sound(s) library ?"

let say there's more than 5000 samples I've created here...all dedicated to major scales (and all their modal transposition)

it has been a huge work...
...and i manage to do the same work for other kind of scales (melodic minor, harmonic minor, arabic minor, etc...) ...all less common in popular musics

[Krakatau]

after many years, I discovered batch processing in audiosculpt, that made possible to process entire folders rather than treat each samples one by one

[whyterabbyt]

the question is
"is there a developer that would be interested to include these impulse response into the sampleset of their plugins...or to sell the them as sound(s) library ?"[

The most 'experimental' focussed convolver I can think of is Fog Convolver by AudioThing, so you could try approaching them. AT do a few collaborative plugins (with artists like Hainbach), so they might be into it.

[Krakatau]

ok my friend...I'll follow your advice, thanks

[Krakatau]

Not had a chance to try them out, but all very interesting stuff; I have the original set I think, from years ago, so curious to see how these are. What sort of file length are they, Im curious if I can run them in a Hector eurorack module...?

My friend...i've been working from the originals making collections of time-crushed versions of them
half-by-half (0.5/0.25/0.125/ etc, etc, etc...) as far as i could, so at the least
form 1st folder ("a") twice the size, around 12 second, nothing bigger because the time-stretch process inducing much artifacts, (much more than the opposite one time-crunsh)... until the sortest results that are about 100 to 200 microsecond long ("q" being the shortest)

the shortest serve a different purpose than the long ones, inducing a discreet color related to the original process chain (so if wanted 100 wet with latency compensation on , that make totally sense in the case

"so" you have then a huge palette of durations between "a" to "q" ...dunno yet all the peculiar use i can get of them, but i had the opportunity to investigate further in the creative process

By now would likely make sense to investige further with a convolution engine, so wait and see...