A Synthesizer work played on the filter

kkissinger · Last edited by kkissinger on Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

Have you followed the thread by JovianPyx? He has developed a synthesizer that uses filters as the sound source --- no VCOs. He posted some tracks that demonstrate this and it has a wonderful, almost organic, sound.

I liked the idea so much that I decided to try it on the Aries synth. Unlike JovianPyx's synth, the Aries is monophonic so I did some looping.

The only sound sources I used was the noise generator and the AR-339 filter. None-the-less, it is tonal music.

JovianPyx's thread is here: http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-38538.html

My track is below:

FilterPlay160.mp3

Description:

FilterPlay -- live looping with the Aries Synthesizer noise source and filter.

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FilterPlay160.mp3

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JovianPyx · Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:46 pm Post subject:

That's very nice! I really like that!

kkissinger · Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:05 pm Post subject:

Hey, thank you, JovianPyx... and thank you for sharing your ideas.

audiodef · Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:04 am Post subject:

Cool. I haven't listened yet, but I will today. I'll have to use this idea in a composition I'm currently working on.

Blue Hell

audiodef · Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:55 am Post subject:

Lovely tones. If you use a noise generator, though, can you say you've used only a filter as the source? Wouldn't that be ringing the filter, and then maybe combining and filtering that with other ringing filters?

Could use a bit of companding on the mix. Had to ride the gain a bit. But this is really good! Cool

JovianPyx · Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:58 pm Post subject:

If he put the noise through a VCA modulated by an EG, that could send a short "wad" of noise to the filter, it should then resonate until it dies out exponentially. The filter Q will determine the sustain time.

In fact, he should be able to excite the filter with just the EG. That is the way I did it in the PolyDrum.

Not exactly sure what Kevin did, but I am interested to read what he has to say.

audiodef · Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:35 pm Post subject:

kkissinger · Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:33 pm Post subject:

To answer your question...

I patched the noise through a VCA and then into the filter. ADSR #1 controls the noise and, indeed, I little burst of noise rings the filter. I varied the ADSR settings to, at times, make the noise audible.

The filter Q can control the decay -- though this particular filter will self-oscillate at the highest Q setting. Thus, the filter output is patched through a separate ADSR/VCA pair.

I twirled knobs in the process of recording this to vary the amount of noise, the length of the initial noise burst, the filter Q, and the final Envelope generator. I controlled the filter frequency from the Aries keyboard.

Thanks for listening! Smile