# Modular Synthesis



## Sasje (May 3, 2013)

So I've made my first baby steps into modular synthesis. o Apparently, these days there is software to generate modules... I didn't know.
Great for someone like me who doesn't understand anything about Maths.  

I found this free software called StudioFactory a.k.a. SynFactory. It's open source. 
Since I don't have the funds to buy NI Reaktor, this is a great free alternative and can do basically the same: http://www.syntiac.com/studiofactory.html

Today I attempted to create a modular Crumhorn. Samples converted into a Kontakt patch. 
it's not great, but I'm trying to finetune it a bit. Attached also the modules that I've linked up. I probably made a couple of mistakes, but it sounds almost like one. 
If anyone has more suggestions on Modular synthesis, I'm keen to learn more about this as my interest has been sparked!


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## Sasje (May 3, 2013)

Here is an example:

[flash width=450 height=110 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F90648270&secret_url=false[/flash]

Here is a reference sound to compare to a real crumhorn: http://www.freesound.org/people/juskidd ... nds/83984/


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## gsilbers (May 3, 2013)

http://pittsburghmodular.com/foundation/


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## Sasje (May 6, 2013)

Today I tried to model a Trumpet from just a basic sine wave. By trial and error of course.  A real time waster, but it's fun to do... Here's the schematic and a audio clip. The audio was processed with some convolution. 


[flash width=450 height=110 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F91035774&secret_url=false[/flash]


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## Sasje (May 6, 2013)

The next step is to implement this in Kontakt. Can it be done? Not so sure if it's possible? we have some tools at our disposal: an LFO, Delay, Modulation, Filters... but no sine generator. So maybe we can use the sine output of the oscillator and map them as samples over the keyboard and figure it out from there... I don't know, some say physical modeling cannot be done inside Kontakt, but I like to see for myself if that is actually true 

What do you think? can it be done?


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## germancomponist (May 6, 2013)

Glad to see that someone is doing this!

You can sample the sine waves and built so called "groups" with it in Kontakt. Then you can mix it, use the filters, modulate e.t.c. . There are many options in Kontakt. 

Sure, it will never sound exactly like a Moog....., but you can get very cool results. I did a lot of experiments with Kontakt and got some cool sounds with only using one sample.

Have fun!


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## Sasje (May 6, 2013)

Hi germancomponist,

I wonder if we can feed a delay back into a VCA in Kontakt? route it, so to say. That's my main worry... and haven't tried it yet...


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## germancomponist (May 6, 2013)

Ah, you want to get self-oscillation, right?


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## Sasje (May 6, 2013)

Yes, especially for the Karplus-Strong algorithm that needs it.


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## mk282 (May 7, 2013)

Can't do that. Kontakt is not fully modular, it's only semi-modular. And you cannot do feedback.


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## Luca Capozzi (May 7, 2013)

you can do some sort of KS in kontakt using short delays, but you're very limited since you cannot go very short. Furthermore, you'll have to script all "note->ms" values in an array in order to properly tune your delay.


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## germancomponist (May 7, 2013)

mk282 @ Tue May 07 said:


> Can't do that. Kontakt is not fully modular, it's only semi-modular. And you cannot do feedback.



So it is... .


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## Luca Capozzi (May 7, 2013)

Here's a little example of simple KS in Kontakt 5.1. It is very limited, but it works 

Cheers,
Luca


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## Sasje (May 7, 2013)

Yeah! :D that is what I like! 

I have some other ideas as well. I noticed that one can set a GroupFX and then add modulators to a post or pre-amp. That helps a lot, since insert/send effects can't be modular. Maybe channel routing can help as well as a kind of VCA when mixing a couple of sources? - not sure what I just said here, but anyway, I love to tinker with it.

By the way, how did you determine the delay array? where do those numbers come from?

Nice example!


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## germancomponist (May 7, 2013)

A good example, Axiom, but as I said before, you can't do the things what you can with a Moog, especially when it comes to this. But again, your example is cool!


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## Luca Capozzi (May 8, 2013)

I know  I went from modular synthesis and Kontakt just simply isn't the instrument suitable for that. But, in some ways, you can do some pretty trick too :D

Cheers,
Luca


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## Sasje (May 8, 2013)

With the trumpet demo above, I created the fake dynamics with basic Convolution using a lot of early reflections. So it seems that we can also modulate the dynamics with convolution. Probably not a new idea, but it's interesting since we have access to convolution in Kontakt. So I am thinking about a way to utilize that to our advantage. Let's say we sample a kind of oscillating impulse that we can control which then influences the timbre or dynamics, so that it kind of works like a voltage controlled amplifier. I think a lot can be done with convolution then just reverb alone. I'm experimenting a bit with it at the moment.


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## Luca Capozzi (May 8, 2013)

Short IRs or richful WAV files could be used to create nice coloring and morphing effects via a convolution reverb.


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## germancomponist (May 8, 2013)

Sasje @ Wed May 08 said:


> With the trumpet demo above, I created the fake dynamics with basic Convolution using a lot of early reflections. So it seems that we can also modulate the dynamics with convolution. Probably not a new idea, but it's interesting since we have access to convolution in Kontakt. So I am thinking about a way to utilize that to our advantage. Let's say we sample a kind of hysteric impulse that we can control which then influences the timbre or dynamics. I think a lot can be done with convolution then just reverb alone. I'm experimenting a bit with it at the moment.



I have experimented with this in the past and yes, you can get very cool results when you use convolution for this. 

Listen to this example: https://www.box.com/shared/ybr5errtkj 

All what you hear, and I mean *all* instruments... I programmed with one soprano sax sample. I have many other cool examples. 

I am sure one can get better results if one is willing to spend the time what is needed. But then comes the question: Is it worth it to spend all this time for this?


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## germancomponist (May 8, 2013)

Also listen to this: https://www.box.com/shared/k2qeduv4qi

Also the soprano sample...... . o/~


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## Sasje (May 8, 2013)

Nice Gunther.  the sax sounds great.

I think it's fun to toy with imposed limitations. To go beyond what seems possible at first. It has to be fun to do it, otherwise there is no point in doing it.

I mean like: at NASA they were able to put a man on the moon using only the processing power of a mobile phone. Pretty amazing feat.


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## germancomponist (May 8, 2013)

I agree!

BTW: The sax in my 2. example is the complete Chris Hein Soprano Sax, a cool instrument. But all the other instruments arround I did with one soprano sax sample.... .


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