Tips about emulation of old synthesizers?

teevee · Joined: Jan 23, 2013 Posts: 68 Location: Denmark

When you guys want to make an emulation of an old synthesizer, how do you then get started?

Do you look up the service manual to see how the circuit filter are put in line or do you just making it by instinct (ear) and put something together?

I’m very curious about the technique of how people are putting things together.

varice · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 9:38 pm Post subject:

to the electro-music forum teevee Exclamation

Yes, I think that it is essential to learn as much as possible about the synth you want to emulate. I use everything I can find; manuals, schematics, sound samples/recordings, hands on experience with the synth, etc.

And then there are other details to keep in mind. For example, the Nord oscillator modules tuning and keyboard tracking are much more precise than any real VCO. So it usually helps to knock the oscillators off of the near perfect tuning and pitch tracking, especially with multi oscillator and polyphonic patches.

dude163 · Joined: Aug 11, 2012 Posts: 44 Location: canada

Hi, I read these 2 pages:

http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/~clark/nordmodularbook/nm_emulation.html

http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/~clark/nordmodularbook/nm_filters.html#analog

I was able to make a decent sounding Micromoog and a Roland System 100 Smile

teevee · Joined: Jan 23, 2013 Posts: 68 Location: Denmark

dude163 · Joined: Aug 11, 2012 Posts: 44 Location: canada

send me an PM with an email and ill send em your way along with a modified TB 303 and TR808 patch

teevee · Joined: Jan 23, 2013 Posts: 68 Location: Denmark

I have an idea for my first test – I want to make a Korg M500 emulation
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There are some problems in this case – Korg M-500 was a preset synthesizer, made in 1977 it’s like a pre-version of Korg ms-10. But good in a way that you don’t have to use so much time on setting the knobs, when you play live – I had this synthesizer in the past and I really loved it.
It has the remarkable sound we hear in many of the early tracks by OMD example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTyyr59z4hg

This is the data I have collect – so I have something to work from:
Front panel:
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Block diagram: (Source: Link)
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But I won’t get started until I get my Nord Modular G1 with keys, it’s on the way from Sweden Very Happy

right now I have a Micro Modular.